
BookJ^. 



I 



Centennial Biographical History 



OF 



THE CITY OF COLUMBUS 

AND FRANKLIN COUNTY 
OHIO 



LLUSTRATED 



Embellished with Portraits of Many Well Known People of Franklin County, who Have 
Been and Are Prominent in Its History and Development 



CHICAGO 

THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1901 



\^.\%^ 

'9^ 



PREFACE. 




i t i fc iAtA JAiAUfa ^ jj-p q{ ^i^g depths of his mature wisdom Carlyle wrote, 
" History is the essence of innumerable biographies." 
Believing this to be the fact, there is no necessity of 
advancing any further reason for the compilation of 
such a work as this, if reliable history is to be the 
ultimate object. 

The section of Ohio embraced by this volume has sustained within 
its confines men who have been prominent in the history of the State, 
and even the nation, for a century. The annals teem with the records 
of strong and noble manhood, and, as Sumner has said, "the true grand- 
eur of nations is in those qualities which constitute the greatness of the 
individual." The final causes which shape the fortunes of individuals and 
the destinies of States are often the same. They are usually remote and 
obscure, and their influence scarcely perceived until manifestly declared by 
results. That nation is the greatest which produces the greatest and most 
manly men and faithful women; and the intrinsic safety of a community 
depends not so much upon methods as upon that normal development from 
the deep resources of which proceeds all that is precious and perma- 
nent in life. But such a result may not consciously be contemplated by 
the actors in the great social drama. Pursuing each his personal good by 
exalted means, they work out as a logical result. 

The elements of success in life consist in both innate capacity and deter- 
mination to excel. Where either is wanting, failure is almost certain in the 
outcome. The study of a successful life, therefore, serves both as a source 
of information and as a stimulus and encouragement to those who have the 
capacity. As an important lesson in this connection we may appropriately 



2 PREFACE. 

quote Longfellow, who said : " We judge ourselves by what we feel capa- 
ble of doing, while we judge others by what they have already done. " A 
faithful personal history is an illustration of the truth of this observation. 

In this biographical history the editorial staff, as well as the publishers, 
have fully realized the magnitude of the task. In the collection of the ma- 
terial there has been a constant aim to discriminate carefully in regard to the 
selection of subjects. Those who have been prominent factors in the public, 
social and industrial development of the counties have been given due recog- 
nition as far as it has been possible to secure the requisite data. Names 
worthy of perpetuation here, it is true, have in several instances been omitted, 
either on account of the apathy of those concerned or the inability of the 
compilers to secure the information necessary for a symmetrical sketch; but 
even more pains have been taken to secure accuracy than were promised in 
the prospectus. Works of this nature, therefore, are more reliable and com- 
plete than are the "standard" histories of a country. 

To the Hon. J. J. Bright, a reliable citizen of Columbus, are we in- 
debted for the very interesting introductory chapter on the "Posthumous 
Biography of Franklin County." 

THE PUBLISHERS. 



INDE^ZX: 



Adams.WilliamS., 618 
Aldrich, Orlando W., 280 
Alexander, Thomas J., 907 
Allegre, Lorenzo D., 573 
Allen, Cotton H., 380 
Ammel, Charles S., 485 
Anderson, James H., 136 
Anderson, James P., 312 
Andrix, John F., 168 
Armstrong, Charles H.1003 
Armstrong, Frank, 705 
Armstrong, Joseph, 246 
Aubert, Charles, 728 
Austin. Thomas W. 970 

Bachmann, Christian, 646 
Barbbert, Frederick, 231 
Barbee, James W., 181 
Barbee, William H., 375 
Barcus, Ebenezer, 223 
Barnes, John W., 423 
Barnhill, James U., 187 
Bartlett, John, 379 
Bassell, John Y., 965 
Beal, William C, 450 
Beasley, Austin D., 399 
Beckwith, John E., 65 
Beery, Joseph E., 479 
Bickett, William W., 339 
Biggert, Sebastian B., 366 
Biggs, Andrew C, 442 
Binns, David, 180 
Bird, Jacob, 686 
Bird, William, 687 
Blake, Francis W., 604 
Blake, William H., 447 
Blesch, Philip E., 654 
Boehm, George, 690 
Bohannan, Rosser D., 763 
Bohl, Henry, 360 
Bonebrake, Daniel, 894 
Bonebrake, Lewis D., 478 
Bonnet, Andrew O., 529 
Born, Conrad, 816 
Borror, Absalom, 551 
Borror, Elizabeth (Watts), 391 
Borror, Ichabod B., 133 
Borror, Jacob, 589 
Borror, Joel, 78i^ 
Borror, Silas, 539 
Boucher, John, 758 
Bowser, Benjamin S., 462 



Boyd, John W., 453 
Boyer, Adam, 759 
Bradford, Joseph N., 560 
Brand, John M., 132 
Brenneman, Emmett A., 61 
Brickeli, William D., Iu2 
Briggs, Henry, 691 
Briggs, Joseph M., 570 
Brinker, Marion T., 903 
Britton, James S., 368 
Brodrick, George, 131 
Brooks, Lewis J., 929 
Brothers, Joshua W., 624 
Brown, Abram, 525 
Brown, Davis, 240 
Browne, George W., 756 
Brush, Samuel, 22 
Buck, Herman H., 595 
Bulen, William, 808 
Bulford, George H., 131 
Burnside, John, 127 
Burwell, Samuel, 687 
Butterworth, Irvin, 612 
Buttles, Joel, 16 
Byers, Albert G., 459 
Byers, Joseph P., 144 

Cameron, Frank B., 924 
Carl, John W., 753 
Carl, William C, 487 
Carlisle, William S., 906 
Carr, Hugh H., 334 
Cashner. Samuel, 854 
Centner, Charles V., 299 
Chambers, John E, 1011 
Chambers, William J., 967 
Chase, Salmon P., 21 
Chenoweth, Frank A., 549 
Chenoweth, William B., 767 
Chrysler, Eli, 866 
Clahane, Dennis J., 73 
Clapham, John, 207 
Clapham, Joseph, 400 
Clark, John, 844 
Clark, Thomas M., 437 
Clark, William J., 594 
Cline, William, 871 
Clotts, Daniel, 934 
Coberly, Edward N., 369 
Cochran, Justin R., 732 
Cochran, Samuel [., 242 
Coe, Almon F, 199 



INDEX. 



Coe, Alvin, 410 

Coe, Truman H., 3S3 

Coen, Samuel F., 960 

Coit, Alonzo B., 555 

Coit, Harvey, 882 

Cole, Frank T., 648 

Collins, Reuben H., 470 

Commercial Travelers, Order of, 262 

Condit, Cxeorge W., 921 

Connor, Joseph, 786 

Converse, George L., 104 

Cooke, H. C, 786 

Cooke, Rodney R., 248 

Cooper, Albert, 178 

Cosgray, Barnet J., 344 

Cosgray, Jeremiah, 814 

Cosgray, Moses, 874 

Cott, Lawrence H., 404 

Courtright, Edward, 616 

Cox, Ezekiel T., 18 

Cox, Samuel S., 12 

Cromwell, John S., 783 

Crum, Ira H., 534 

Crum, James E., 575 

Cummins, John, 192 

Daniell, James H., 513 
Darrow, Walter N. P., 533 
Dauben, Joseph, 407 
Daugherty, John S., 174 
Davidson, Alexander, 115 
Davidson, Nicholas P., 483 
Davis, Christopher, 597 
Davis, Samuel A., 717 
Davis, William B., 962 
Dean, Francis B., 217 
Deardurffs, The, 26 
Decker, Samuel A., 583 
Deem, George W., 156 
Demorest, Russel B., 663 
Dennis, Charles D., 418 
Dennison, William, 24 
Derrer, Michael, 876 
Devenport, David, 980 
Dickey, Moses T., 274 
Dill, Frank P., 586 
Distelhorst, George H., 864 
Dominy, Ezra, 656 
Dominy, Henry, 739 
Dominy, Jeremiah, 742 
Doney, Samuel D., 286 
Dorsey, John T., 861 
Drake, Elam, 858 
Dulin, Nathan W., 727 
Dutoit, Eugene E., 725 
Dutoit, Francis E., 467 
Dyer, George, 617 

Eakin, John J., 659 
Edwartls, Thomas E., 277 
Eis, John B., 449 
Eldridge, Charles, 755 
Elliott, Daniel, 210 
Ellis, Otis K., 458 
Ellis, Samuel W., 158 



Emerick, Edson J., 638 
Emmick, Andrew C, 315 
English, Lorenzo, 105 
English, W. H., 106 
Eutsler, J. H., 127 
Evans, David, 308 
Evans, Edward, 592 
Evans, George, 322 
Evans, Maurice, 424 
Ewing, Simon P., 276 

Falloon, Frank L., 618 
Farber, James H., 977 
Feder, George S., 420 
Ferguson, Hugh L., 700 
Ferris, Frank C, 149 
Ferris, Henry C, 455 
Fippin, lames, 226 
Fisher, W^illiam M.. 626 
Fitzpatrick, Valentine, 503 . 
Flagg, C. B., 262 
Fleming, Frank, 319 
Foor, Joseph, 708 
Foos, Joseph, 14 
Fox, Frank S. 886 
Francis, Frederick, 765 
Frazier, John C, 968 
Freeman, George D.. 776 

Galbraith, William, 681 
Galbreath, Charles B., 900 
Galloway, T. B., 184 
Gantz, Albert L., 689 
Gantz, Andrew J.. 941 
Gardiner, Richard J., 402 
Garst, Henry, 468 
Gault, William R., 582 
Geary, George L., 219 
Geiger, Richard M., 497 
Geyer, George, Sr., 86 
Giffin, Schuyler O., 39 
Gillespie-Allen, Alice, 475 
Glass, Louis, 831 
Gloyd, Nelson H., 693 
Goad, Henry A., 663 
Goetschius, Stephen, 524 
Goldsmith, William C, 270 
Goodale, Lincoln, 10 
Gordon, John L., Sr., 522 
Gordon. John L., Jr., 309 
Graham, William M., 748 
Grant, Adam G., 824 
Grant, Nelson, 438 
Grant, Robert D., 607 
Green, John C, 978 
Gregory, Thomas N., 356 
Griffith, Joshua, 688 
Griswold, Isaac. 398 
Groome, Augustus E., 793 
Grotthouse, William H., 233 

Hager, Americus S., 206 
Haldy, Charles W., 243 
Haldy. Frederick. 510 



INDEX. 



Hamill, Thomas B., 737 
Hamilton, Arthur L., 390 
Hamilton, John W., 452 
Hammond, Jacob J., 439 
Hardesty, William A., 566 
Harman.Eber H., 90 
Harper, John, 731 
Harris, Clark, 8S4 
Harrison, James V., 434 
Harrison, Richard A., 46 
Hart, John, 733 
Hart, Theadore, 643 
Hart, Thomas, 870 
Hart, William, 729 
Haynes, John F., 679 
Hays, George W., 159 
Haywood, John, 254 
Headley, Daniel, 918 
Headley, William, 204 

Hedrick, Isaac P., 735 

Heinmiller, Louis, 848 

Heitmann, John H., 1010 

Helmick, George W.,526 

Helwagen, Edward M., 359 

Hempstead. Alexander S., 982 

Henderson, Henry T., 392 

Henderson, J<-)hn S., 463 

Herd, Joseph, 414 

Herd, Robert H., 415 

Herd, William, 414 

Herr, Christian S., 807 

Hess Family, The, 974 

Hess, Henry R, 214 

Hess, James H., 614 

Hess, John M., 976 

Hess, Thomas M., 433 

Hirsch, Leonhard, 286 

Hitchcock, Embury A., 294 

Hoffman, George M., 480 

Home for the Deaf and Dumb, 431 

Hoover, George \V., 559 

Hopper, Edward, 828 

Horch, John F., 578 

Houghton, Frank H., 544 

House, William, 869 

Howard, John W., 809 

Hoyer, W. Dallas, 355 

Hubbard, William B., 20 

Huddleson, Helena (Park), 444 

Huffman, Henry, 225 

Huffman, Lewis, 788 

Hull, Richard E., 1000 

Hunt, Franklin G., 995 

Hunter, William R., 195 

Huntington, Webster P., 257 

Hutchinson, Sawyer A., 57 

Huy, Henry, 632 

Ingham, George W., 803 
Innis, Gustavus S., 113 
Innis, Lyman H., 182 
Innis, Maxwell P., 230 
Innis, Robert, 528 
Innis, W^illiam H., 228 



Jackson, Frank P., 972 
lames, Richard, 447 
Jarvis, Charles W., 993 
Jeffrey, Joseph A.. 120 
Jenkins, Isaac N., 1005 
Jerman, J. Thomas, 621 
Johnson, Richard W., 708 
Johnston, Thomas, 846 
Jones, Edward S., 431 
Jones, Hugh E., 875 
Jones, John W., 898 
Jones, Joseph F., 873 
Jones, Joseph W., 712 
Jones, Richard, 540 
Jones, Richard E., 494 
Joyce, John J., 753 

Kalb, James P.. 817 
Karb, George J., 936 
Karch, Charles J., 640 
Karns, John M., 827 
Karrer, George M., 881 
Kauffman, Linus B., 406 
Keck, Charles H., 702 
Keller, John A., 1009 
Kellerman, William A., 42 
Kelly, Alfred, 19 
Kerr, John, 17 
Keys, John, 863 
Kilbourne, James, 40 
Kilbourne, James, 15 
Kiner, Henry, 852 
Kiner, John, 416 
Kinkead, Edgar B., 435 
Kinsman, D. N.,484 
Knox, John, 189 
Knox, William E., 543 
Koebel, John, 172 
Koehl, John H., 925 
Krauss, Catherine, 365 
Krumm, Alexander W., 848 
Krumm, Frederick, 264 
Krumm, Joseph, 819 
Kuhn, Herman, 790 

Lakin, Samuel W., 760 
Lambert, James, 971 
Lamp, Ora L., 823 
Landes, John Q., 329 
Landes, Mahala C, 329 
Landon, Chauncev P., 990 
Landon, Karl E., 991 
Lane, Eugene, 244 
Lane, Benjamin F., 769 
Lazenbv. William R., 289 
Leach, Sherman, 350 
Leap, Charles J., 6HU 
Lenhardt. AHam ><s;j 
Lentz, John J., 985 
Leonard, 1^ rancis Al.,1008 
Leonard, George K., 194 
Leonard, Hannah M., 716 
Lind, J. P., 272 
Lindenberg, Susan D., 167' 



INDEX. 



Lindner, Charles, 717 
Lindsay, James T., 1007 
Lindsey, James, 363 
Linebaugh, John, 794 
Linhart, Christopher P., 620 
Linthwaite, Herbert A., 968 
Linton, Jonathan F., 107 
Lisle, William, 749 
Little, M. V. B., 771 
Longshore, Isaac, 902 
Lowry, Percy S., 244 
Loy, Matthias, 317 
Lukens, William H. H., 635 
Lyons, Rachel H., 313 

Machlin. Daiwalt, 610 
Maize, Erwin, 162 
Maize, Samuel, 445 
Mallory, William T., 751 
Manning, Jasper, 161 
Marion,. Edward L., 349 
Marion, Elijah, 268 
Matthews, George W., 116 
Mauk, Newton H., 518 
McCafferty, John W^, 155 
McCann, John W., 719 
McCloud, James, 920 
McClure, John, 561 
McCollum, Edmund O., 331 
McCormick, William B., 672 
McCoy, Nathan A., 101 
McCoy, Robert, 119 
McCune, Jonas M., 933 
McDermott, Hugh V., 567 
McDonald, George O., 932 
McGrath, D.miel W., 600 
Mclntyre, Elmer G., 973 
McMillen, Bishop, 964 
McNamee, John F., 904 
Means, William J., 641 
Mecartney, Jacob, 815 
Meeker, Claude, 488 
Meeker, Garry W., 504 
Meeker, George W., 472 
Merion, Charles, 405 
Merion, William, 96 
Merion, William, 926 
Merion, William, Jr., 321 
Merrick, William J., 550 
Meyer, Bernard \\\, 688 
Meyer, William E., 252 
Michel, Frederick W., 806 
Miles, James A., 552 
Miller, Charles H., 956 
Miller, Edward E., 602 
Miller, Edward J., 565 
Miller, Elmer J., 931 
Miller, Frank S., 887 
Miller, Gideon R., 306 
Miller, Ira L., 547 
Miller, John D., 692 
Miller, John L., 62 
Miller, William, 657 
Mills, lohn H., 290 



Miner, Edgar D., 82 
Moore, Alpheus B., 198 
Moore, Opha, 154 
Moore, Robert W., 1001 
Morehead, Lewis, 605 
Morrison, Andrew, 282 
Morrison, William, 146 
Mull, David, 307 
Mull, Susannah, 721 
Munshower, Nathan, 910 
Myers, Alpheus D., 701 
Myers, David W., 396 
Myers, Hanson N., 841 
Myers, Joseph, 76 
Myers, Lorenzo D., 440 

Nash, George K., 266 
Near, Milton, 564 
Neil, Alexander, 342 
Neiswender, William, 216 
Newsom, Logan C, 994 
Nichols, Alvin L., 69 
Nichols, George A., 608 
Norris, King A., 347 

Gates, Michael J.. 928 

Ochs, Gustavus H., 401 

Offenbarger, Christian, 723 

O'Harra, Elias T., 427 

O'Harra, Michael, 949 

Old Northwest Genealogical Soci 

ety, 38 
Olds, Joseph, 258 
Olmsted, Charles H., 11 
Olmsted, Philo H., 10, 495 
Order of Commercial Travelers, 262 
Orders, Allen, 857 
Orton, Edward, Jr., 109 
Osborn, James D., 911 
Oyler, Frank L., 686 

Packard, A. H., 362 
Painter, Lewis, 151 
Park, Jonathan E., 372 
Parker, Stephen W., 129 
Patton, Alexander, 397 
Pausch, Henry, 792 
Pearce, Charles A., 248 
Pegg, Daniel, 633 
Pegg, Elias W., 337 
Pegg, Joseph, 335 
Pegg, Lewis L., 637 
Pegg, Monroe J., 338 
Peiffier, John, 213 
Perry, John F., 304 
Perry, Robert W., 232 
Petersen, Niles M., 976 
Petzinger, John, 81 
Pfeifer, John, 201 
Pflueger, A., 59 
Phelan, Edward L., 711 
Phelps, H. Warren, 607 
Pheneger, Rudolph, 840 
Phinney, Barnabas, 872 



INDEX. 



Pinkerton, William L., 849 
Pinney, Justin, 89 
Pinney, William, 796 
Planck, Andrew, 657 
Pocock, Edgar J., 289 
Pogue, Charles A, 704 
Polsley, J. M, 238 
Porschet, George, 730 
Postle, James M., 948 
Postle, William S., 948 
Postle, William Y.. 957 
Poston, James D., 916 
Powell, Frank E., 499 
Powell, Joseph B., 224 
Prosser, Charles S., 587 
Pugh, Andrew G., 572 
Pugh, John M., 408 
Pumpelly, Bernard, 305 

Rader, George H., 856 
Randall, Emilius O., 72 
Rankin, Lewis L., 292 
Rathmell, John, 87 
Reason, James W., 950 
Reed, William F., 951 
Rees, Washington T., 83 
Reese, Purdy M., 746 
Reinkens, Ernst, 877 
Rellick, Andrew, 477 
Rhoads, Paul O., 698 
Richards, Clarence E., 163 
Richter, Henry, i-00 
Riebel, Charles, 376 
Righter, William, 310 
Riley, Samuel, 969 
Riordan, George, 320 
Ritter, Augustus S., 877 
Roach, Ptrry A., 886 
Roberts, Daniel F., 878 
Roberts, Daniel O.. 183 
Roberts, John G., 781 
Roberts, William M., 188 
Robinson, Stillman W., 520 
Rochelle, Winfield S., 169 
Rogers & Rogers, 577 
Ross, Courtland, 261 
Ross, James, 593 
Ross, Thomas R., 528 
Rubrecht, Franklin, 209 
Ryan, Daniel J., 200 

Sanderson, Winslow F., 469 
Sauer, Joseph, 428 
Savage, James, 177 
Schart, Matilda. 694 
Schirner, Herman F., 370 
Schlegel, Lewis, 988 
Schleppi, Lewis, 822 
Schoedinger, Frank O., 961 
Schoedinger, Alice W., 167 
Schott, Geoige P., 227 
Schueller, Erwin W., 153 
Schueller, Orloff W., 987 
Schwartz, George P., 255 



Scotield, Asbury, 801 
Scofield, Nathan A., 481 
Scott, George, 680 
Scott, Oscar W, 123 
Seeley, David S., 411 
Selbach, Charles, 827 
Seymour, Augustus T., 158 
Shade, Adin H., 144 
Shattuck, Simon, 536 
Shawan, Jacob A., 96 
Shedd, Edmund E., 516 
Sherman, Sylvester M., 922 
Shoaf, Joseph, 865 
Shocker, John M, 718 
Shoemaker, Aivin M., 377 
Shoemaker, Christopher, 689 
Short, John, 664 
Shriver, William J., 773 
Sibel, Henry T., 421 
Siebert, Amelia, 165 
Siebert, Charles M., 167 
Siebert. Henry L., 164 
Siebert, Louis, 122 
Siebert, Wilbur H., 298 
Siegel, Ferdinand, 374 
Simonton, William D., 171 
Simonton, William H., 548 
Sinclair, Richard, 285 
Sinks, Frederick N., 947 
Slyh, Daniel M., 845 
Slyh, Henry C , 300 
Slyh, Jacob E., 843 
Slyh, John W., 362 
Smiley, David D., 799 
Smith, David, 18 
Smith, Eldon F., 358 
Smith, Emery J., 77 
Smith, Jasper, 777 
Smith, Lemuel, 653 
Smith, Nathaniel, 490 
Smith, Samuel G., 984 
Smith, William B., 358 
Souder, Serenus S., 952 
Sowers, Daniel H., 291 
Stagg, George W., 530 
Stanberry, Henry, 23 
Starling, Lyne, 12 
Steickley, H. G., 631 
Stellhorn, Frederick W., 568 
Stelzer, John, 466 
Stephens, Adam, 112 
Stephens, Luther P., 519 
Stewart, Emily, 103 
Stinemetz, James, 709 
Stombaugh, Frederick, 958 
Strain, Harrison E., 706 
Strait, Whitney, 938 
Straub, Andrew, 695 
Strickler, William, 647 
Sullivant, Lucas, 13 
Summy, David R., 328 
Swartz, Samuel J., 623 
Swagler, Sarah J., 860 
Swayne, Noah H., 23 



INDEX. 



Swickard, Frederick, 914 
Swickard, John W., 946 
Swickard, Noah, 945 
Swickard, Peter, 272 
Swisher, Charles C, 124 
Swonger, WilUam M., 820 

Taft, Daniel H., 135 
Taylor, Alfred, 744 
Taylor, David, 325 
Taylor, Edward L., Sr., 425 
Taylor, Edward L., Jr., 625 
Taylor, Henry M., 888 
Taylor, Lorenzo, 74 
Taylor, Reuben, 724 
Tharp. William, 762 
Thoman, Arthur A., 899 
Thomas, Edward B., 511 
Thomas, James J., 1004 
Thomas, Morgan J., 332 
Thomas, Wray, 387 
Thompson, Elmer E., 1006 
Thompson, James G. 715 
Thompson, Joseph C, 713 
Thompson, Robert, 992 
Thompson, William H., 297 
Thompson, William O., 64 
Thurman, Allen G., 25 
Tidd, Everett T., 60 
Tilton, James J., 662 
Tinnapple, Jacob, 784 
Tipton, Jonathan, 536 
Tipton. Joseph W., 202 . 
Titus, Charles A., 418 
Towns, William L., 927 
Townsend, Stephen, 805 
Trish, Adam, 601 
Trumbo, Jacob H., 944 
TuUer, Ele W., 832 
Turner, Charles E., 607 
Turney, Charles l< ., 413 
Turpie, William, 710 
Tusing, Clinton W., 215 
Tusing, George N., 456 
Tusmg, Leroy W., 333 

Vance, Clinton H., 939 
Vance, Edward P.. 303 
Vance, Margaret J., 388 
Van Schoyck, David R., 346 
Virden, Milton H., 851 

Walcutt, Absalom M., 629 
Walcult, Charles C, 26 
Walker, James M., 385 
Wall, William, 514 
Walton, Jesse, 403 
Walton, Randolph W.. 590 
Wanamaker, William H., 311 
Ware, Valverda A. P., 890 
Warner, John, 609 



Wasson, John H., 323 
Waterman, Frederick, 712 
Waterman, George A., Sr., 148 
Watkins, Quincy A., 885 
Watt, George, 253 
Watts, Albert, 532 
Watts, William, 85 
Weber, Frederick, 278 
Weber, Henry A., 655 
Weibling, Jacob M., 230 
Westervelt, Charles E., 893 
Westervelt, H. Douglas, 646 
Westervelt, Howard B., 889 
Westervelt, Mathew, 892 
Westervelt, William, 644 
Westervelt, William A., 741 
Wetmore, Charles H.. 997 
Weygandt, Daniel, 649 
Wharton, Mary M.. 296 
Whayman, Horace W., 896 
Wheeler, Benjamin G., 288 
Wheeler, George F., 696 
Whip, George P., 770 
Whitaker, Emanuel, 743 
White, Emerson E., 34 
White, Wilis., 959 
Wickham, Joseph W., 909 
Wiechers, Frederick W. C, 913 
Wilcox Tracey, 461 
Williams, Benjamm F., 179 
Williams, Curtis C, 80 
Williams, Henry A., 515 
Williams, Neville, 145 
Williams. William C, 999 
Wilson, William A., 868 
Wing, Frederick F., 811 
Winterringer, Frank G., 965 
Winters, Martin A., 430 
Wisler. Andrew C, 699 
Wiswell, John L. B., 651 
Witteler, Anton, 880 
Wolf, Charles G., 79 
Wolfe, Albertus C, 501 
Woodbury, William B., 263 
Woodruff, Elmer W., 94 
Woodruff, Lafayette, 563 
Woodruff, Norman, 91 
Worthington, Charles E., 351 
Worthmerton, Clark, 70 
Wright, G. A., 500 
Wright, John T., 256. 
Wright, Joseph, 67 
Wright, Samuel P., 67 

Yeager, Peter. 628 
Youmans, Thomas G., 419 

Zellers, Isaac 989 
Zimmer, Frank A., 882 
Zirkel, Julius, 341 
Zuber, John, 150 



BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



OF 



THE CITY OF COLUMBUS AND FRANKLIN COUNTY, 



OPdIO. 



POSTHUMOUS BIOGRAPHY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY. 



HE responsibility of preparing a preface to the introductory chapter 
of the posthumous biographical history of Franklin county which the 
publishers of this work have assigned to me is a duty the performance 
of which I approach with ditfidence and distrust. The numerous 
obstacles necessarily incident to the collection of miscellaneous facts insepar- 
ably connected with the life and history of various individuals are of difficult 
comprehension to those who have had but little or no experience in 
this respect. It should be a duty paramount to all others with every 
biographer to guard against error which may mislead and misstatement 
which may disparage the life or character of his subject. Many or most 
of the subjects whose sketches are embraced in this chapter have been 
dead for many years. Some of them died perhaps beyond the recollection 
of but few who are living to-day. The source of information concern- 
ing them and their life work and history — to the writer — has been recourse 
to the recollection and memory of those who yet live in the community, and 
to periodical publications at diffierent times and in various forms, which are 
necessarily subject to the inaccuracy and uncertainty which the lapse of time 
is so likely to produce. 

In the portrayal of historical facts pertaining to the various subjects 
whose biographies are here given, the writer has not upon the one hand sought 
unduly to magnify the achievements, or embellish the character with fulsome 
praise or flattery, or upon the other to detract a scintilla of merit, or pluck 
a single flower from the garland which adorns the brow of these venerable 
men whose zealous lives and sturdy co-operation for the welfare of their 



lo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

adopted county is so intimately Ijlended and in-^eparably connected with the 
early and material history of their pioneer home. 

Dr. Lincoln Goodale was a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, where 
he was born February 25, 1782. His father, Nathan Goodale, was an officer 
in the Revolutionary war, and a few years subsequently to its close emigrated 
to Ohio and located at Marietta in the year 1788. Here he remained until 
1794, when he moved to Belpre, fourteen miles below, on the Ohio river, and 
opposite the "classic isle" of Blamerhassett, a spot of ground rendered forever 
famous by the exploit of Aaron Burr in the year 1806. together with the 
graphic description of, and touching allusion to, the same by the distinguished 
priest, William Wirt, in the celebrated and sensational trial of Burr on a 
charge of treason before Chief Justice Marshall at Richmond, Virginia, in 
the following year. 

]\Ir. Goodale had scarcely lived a year in Belpre when he was captured 
by a band of Indians who at that early day infested the neighborhood, and 
was taken to Sandusky, Ohio, where he died in captivity a few years after- 
ward. Thus at twelve years of age our subject found himself alone and 
friendless in a region of country affording but few opportunities for advance- 
ment or promotion for a youth so early in life cast upon his own ingenuity of 
resource to solve the problem which was to contribute in no small degree to 
the success wdiich crowned the subsequent years of his life. Selecting medi- 
cine as a profession, he began a course of study at Belpre. and in 1805 came 
to Franklinton (now a suburb of Columbus), where he commenced the reg- 
ular practice of his chosen profession. Here he continued to live until he 
moved to Columbus in 18 14, and embarked in the business of general mer- 
chandising and land speculation. This venture provedi eminently successful 
and resulted in the accumulation of a large fortune during a period of thirty 
years in which he was engaged in it. He was liberal, generous and phil- 
anthropic. He was particularly attached to the home of his adoption, and his 
love for Columbus was munificently attested in after years by a donation to 
the city of an extensive plat of ground comprising forty acres dedicated to 
the uses and purposes of a public park, which bears his name. The park is 
situated in a beautiful and fashionable part of the city, and has been appro- 
priately and handsomely adorned with shade and ornamental trees and shrubs 
and flowers of various kinds, together with numerous carriage drives. A 
handsome bust of the donor in bronze presents itself to view near the main 
entrance supported by a granite monolith. Though Dr. Goodale has been 
dead for more than thirty years, his many ^'irtues and liberal deeds still linger 
in the fond recollection of many persons who have been the recipients of his 
generous bounty, while the city of Columljus cherishes him as one of her 
greatest benefactors. 

Philo Hopkins Olmsted was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, the 26th of 
February, 1793. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution and bore 
upon his person to the time of his death the evidence of many hard-fought 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ii 

battles. He left his New England home for the "far west," as Ohio was 
then called, in the fall of 1808, and arrived at what is now known as Blendon 
Four Corners about the middle of the following December, the journey requir- 
ing about six weeks. On the journey from Connecticut to Ohio the crossing 
of rivers, and points at the crossing were as follows: The North river at 
Newburg, New York; the Delaware river at Easton, Pennsylvania; the Sus- 
quehanna river at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the Ohio river at \A^ells- 
burg, West Virginia. 

For several years after the arrival of our subject with his father in Colum- 
bus he labored and worked for the benefit of the family in the clearing of 
land, the raising of crops and in such other ways as were of benefit and service 
to the household interests until about the year 181 1, when he received from 
Colonel James Kilbourne an offer of employment in connection with a news- 
paper, the Western Intelligencer, which was then published at Worthington, 
twelve miles north of Columbus. The name of this paper was afterward 
changed to the Ohio State Journal and transferred to Columbus, where it has 
ever since continued under the same name. 

Mr. Olmsted was married, in 181 7, to Miss Sarah Phillips, of Mercers- 
burg, Pennsylvania. Twelve children were born of this union, all of whom 
excepting one are now deceased. 

Colonel Olmsted was many times honored by his fellow citizens with 
testimonials of their confidence and respect, and in all his official relations 
maintained a character of scrupulous probity and uprightness. He was a 
member of the city council from 1819 to 1822 and from 183 1 to 1834. Dur- 
ing his last term in the council he was elected mayor of the city and served 
for one year. He was elected mayor of Columbus in 1837 to fill the unex- 
pired term of Warren Jenkins, and was re-elected in 1838. The latter years 
of his life, relieved of the anxieties and perplexities of business, were passed 
in the enjoyment of his family awaiting the slow but sure advance of a fell 
malady which had already marked him for its own. He died at Columbus 
February 20, 1870, where he had lived for more than half a century, loved 
and respected by the community in which he had Wxtd so long, and to whom 
he had endeared himself by the disclosure of a multitude of virtues which 
adorns the character of a pious Christian and noble, conscientious fellow 
citizen. 

Charles H. Olmsted, of Columbus, is a son of the preceding subject, being 
the fifth child and the last of his line in a family of twelve. He was born 
in the year 1825, and is by continuous residence the oldest citizen of Colum- 
bus, with but a solitary exception. He has lived in the city all of his life, now 
covering a period of seventy-six years. He was, as he informed the writer, 
present at the laying of the corner-stone of the state-house in the year 1839, 
and was also present at the laying of the corner-stone of the recent addition 
tv) the State-house in 1899, the interval covering a period of just three-score 
years. He is; still sprightly in step and lithe in motion, with every prospect 
of livinor another score of years. 



12 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Lyne Starling was born in Mechlenburg county, Virginia, in 1784, 
removed to Kentucky in 1794, and came to Franklinton in the year 1806. 
Sliortly after his arrival he was employed in the county clerk's office, receiving 
a position the duties of which he was eminently qualified to perform by reason 
of his superior qualifications proceeding from fine educational accomplish- 
ments previously acquired. Subsequently to this he was appointed clerk of 
the circuit and district courts of the United States and also of the supreme 
and common-pleas courts of Franklin county. 

Mr. Starling is said to have been the first of the pioneers of Franklinton 
and its neighborhood to engage in the flatboat traffic down the Scioto (then 
a navigable stream for crafts of this character) to the Ohio, thence south to 
New Orleans. The venture proving successful and remunerative, it was 
engaged in by others quite extensively, but in some instances attended by 
disastrous results. He was a large contractor with the government during 
the war of 1812 and furnished great quantities of supplies to the army under 
General Harrison which assembled at Franklinton and Urbana during that 
year. Mr. Starling was a shrewd, sagacious business man and was one of the 
original proprietors of the city of Columbus. A large part of the city of 
to-day is located upon grounds originally owned by him and embraces niost 
likely the purchase made by him shortly after his arrival here from Kentucky. 
He seems not to have possessed much fondness or taste for politics, and 
did not aspire to any political office. His great wealth, and the exclusion to 
some extent which usually accompanies it, no doubt contributed to inspire a 
feeling of envy and perhaps jealousy on the part of the sovereigns of that early 
day who were so potent at the counting of the ballots. Some time previous 
to his death he donated quite a large sum of money to the endowment and 
construction of a medical college in Columbus which bears his name and is 
still in successful operation. At the halls of this institution many of the 
eminent men in the line of their profession throughout the state of Ohio are 
said to have been graduated. Some of them have attained a high degree of 
professional perfection which is highly complimentary and creditable to their 
alma nuiter. Mr. Starling was a joint donor with John Kerr in the presenta- 
tion to the city of Columbus of the beautiful plat of ground embracing about 
ten acres on which the state-house stands. He died in 1848, in the sixty- 
fourth year of his age, and was by his special direction buried in the old grave- 
yard at Franklinton; but, when in after years the beautiful Green Lawn ceme- 
tery was laid out and established, his remains were removed to it, where the 
ashes of one of the early pioneers of Columbus now repose in peace. 

Samuel S. Cox was born in Zanesville, Ohio, September 24, 1824. He 
was a man remarkable in many distinctive features of character. In point 
of personal charm and social characteristics he possessed attractions which 
endeared him to his friends and. commanded th^ resi2ect and admiration of all 
who came in contact with him. He was a descendant of a long and noble 
line of Anglo-Saxon Celtic ancestry. His grandfather, General James Cox, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i3 

was an officer in the Revolutionary war, and afterward a memljer of congress 
from the state of New Jersey. 

Ezekiel T. Cox, the father of Samuel S., was a native of New Jersey 
and moved from that state to Zanesville, Ohio, in the beginning of the last 
century. The mother of our subject was a daughter of Judge Samuel Sulli- 
van, of Zanesville, whose marriage to Ezekiel Cox was productive of thirteen 
children, Samuel S., our subject, being the second child from this union. Hia 
early education was acquired in the common schools at Zanesville. He after- 
ward attended college at Athens, and still later was a student at Brown Uni- 
versity, at Providence, Rhode Island, where, with the highest honors, he grad- 
uated in 1846, with the degree of Bachelor and Master of Arts. ]\Iany years 
afterward the same institution complimented him with the honorary degree 
of LL. D. Having adopted the law as a profession, he v;ent to Cincinnati, 
where he continued its practice for several years. 

In 1846 he was married to Miss Buckingham, of Zanesville, and shortly 
thereafter made a tour of Europe, where he remained a few years. Upon his 
return he published a history of his trip containing an account of his travels 
and observations abroad which is said to have first turned his serious thought 
in the direction of journalism. He was for a time the editor and part owner 
of the Columbus Statesman, a Democratic paper, in the conduct and publica- 
tion of which he disclosed marked efficiency as an editorial writer. It was 
during this period of his journalistic experience that he wrote the article which 
gave him the soubriquet of "Sun Set." 

]\Ir. Cox was elected to congress from the Columbus district in 1856 and 
was continuously re-elected and returned to congress from this district until 
1865. During this interval he was honored by membership on several import- 
ant committees. In 1865 he removed to New York and commenced the prac- 
tice of law. After a residence there of three years he was elected to congress 
from the city, and for a number of congresses thereafter successively re-elected 
and returned as a metropolitan member. As a scholar and a writer Sunset 
Cox occupied a high and enviable reputation. He is said to have used and 
spoken the English language more correctly and more in accordance with 
syntax and grammatical accuracy than any other congressman of his day. 

Lucas Sullivant was perhaps the earliest well known pioneer of Frank- 
linton and Franklin county. He was a native of Mechlenburg county, Vir- 
ginia, and the commencement of his life, on account of the oddities and peculi- 
arities associated with it, was no doubt the reason of the comparison which 
has often been made between him and the great Washington. At a very early 
age, indeed, when he was but a boy, he joined an expedition raised in Virginia 
to repel an invasion of a hostile tribe of Indians upon the western frontier 
of the state. It was during the progress of this expedition that his bravery 
and intrepidity was disclosed to an extent which commended him to the special 
attention and admiration of his commanding officer. Having lost his parents 
at an early age, he appropriated his scanty means to the procurement of an 



14 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

education, special attention being given to the mastery of mathematics, as he 
had previously determined to make surveying his profession. The wild, 
uncultivated lands of Kentucky, then a timbered appendage to the old com- 
monwealth of Virginia, offering a peculiar advantage for the gratification of 
his desires in this particular, he, wdiile yet scarcely merged into manhood, 
took himself thither, and as a reward for the sacrifices he had made and priva- 
tions endured soon found himself in a situation where his professional serv- 
ices were in almost constant demand. When but twenty-two years of age he 
received an appointment as deputy surveyor from Colonel Anderson, sur\eyor 
general of the Virginia military^ land district and a distinguished officer in 
the Revolutionary war. Thus appointed to a position which had been the 
fondest hope of his early life and now gratified beyond expression by its actual 
possession, he pitches with all the ardor and energy of his soul into the 
unbroken and untrodden forest of southern Ohio and materially assists in 
opening up one of the richest portions of the state to the advancing wave of 
settlement and civilization. Bafiied in the initial attempt to penetrate the 
wooded wilderness by the wdly savages who infested the forest, he organizes 
a stronger force at Limestone (now Maysville, Kentucky,) and with them 
begins anew the journey through the wilderness. In due time he finds him- 
self upon the banks of the Scioto and within the present borders of Franklin 
county. Ten years subsecjuently to this Mr. Sullivant, having acquired dur- 
ing the interval the ow^nership of large tracts of land, laid out the town of 
Franklinton, which, from its numerous features of marked advantage, he dis- 
covered in its locality, position and nearness to the geographical center of the 
state, he probably foresaw or concluded it would become its future capital. 
Here about the beginning of the century he built the first brick house in Frank- 
linton, in wdiich he lived the remainder of his life. Our limited space does 
not admit of a more extended notice of the subject, nor indeed does his illus- 
trious, useful and eventful life demand or require it. Suffice it to say, how- 
ever, that he was a remarkable man in the early settlement of the county and 
did as much as any other one man who was cotemporary \vith him, and per- 
haps more in framing the policy and shaping the destiny of the community 
in which he lived. His name is inseparably connected with the foundation 
and formation of Franklin county. His early life w-as employed in a sturdy 
effort to advance and promote the best interests and material prosperity of 
Franklin county and the city of Columbus. The citizens of both will assur- 
edly see that his name and his service are appropriately and gratefully cher- 
ished in the memory of his fellow men. 

One of the earliest and most interesting of personal" histories in the pio- 
neer days of Columbus and Franklin county was that of Joseph Foos. wdio 
was a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania, born in the year 1767. He 
moved with his family quite early in life to Tennessee, and several years after- 
ward went to Kentucky, where, in 1797, he was married to Miss Nelson. 
Remaining in Kentucky but a few months, he came with his family to Frank- 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 15 

linton, Ohio. Upon his arrival at his new home he estabhshed a ferry across 
the Scioto river, which he operated for some years and from which he is said 
to have derived considerable revenue during the time of its operation. Another 
enterprise which he inaugurated was the building of- the first hotel in the town, 
which he successfully conducted for some length of time. His early oppor- 
tunities for acquiring an education were quite limited : but, chance 'or good 
fortune bringing him unexpectedly in contact with a school teacher who inci- 
dentally became a guest of his hotel, he availed himself of the opportunity 
which the incident afforded and concluded a bargain with the teacher for a 
certain amount of rudimentary tuition, in consideration for so much board. 
He was zealous in his application to study and improved his opportunities to 
good account. 

Shortly after this he conceived a lively interest for politics ai^d public 
affairs, corresponding extensively with noted politicians of the dav concerning 
matters of public interest. He was one of the first members of the Ohio leg- 
islature, of which he remained in continuous membership for many yeai^s. 
He became an accomplished speaker and efficient writer. During the 'prev- 
alent excitement attending the location of the capital of the state he wielded 
a^ marked influence with both tongue and pen in securing the adoption of 
Columbus as the site for its location. As a testimonial of appreciation on 
the part of the citizens of the new capital for the services thus rendered he 
was presented by the proprietors with a block of ground in a desirable part of 
the city. He served in the war of 1812 and during his service was promoted 
for gallantry and meritorious conduct to the rank of brigadier general. Air. 
Foos was liberal, generous and convivial, and with the opportunities which 
his surroundings afforded him he enjoyed the company and conviviality of 
his political friends to the highest degree. Later in life he became a can- 
didate for congress, but in the contest for the office his opponent was elected. 
Shortly after this he moved to Madison county, Ohio, where he engaged in 
farming, in which he continued until his death, in 1832. 

Early in life he manifested great interest on the subject of the canal sys- 
tem^ in the state of Ohio. From the interest here first awakened on the 
subject he is said to have conceived and suggested the feasibility of a ship 
canal across the isthmus of Darien, a conception at that time regarded as 
wild and chimerical, but which to the latter day and more modern speculators 
and promoters for profitable investment would not perhaps be considered so 
extravagant or impossible. It has been recently remarked that a pamphlet 
embodying the views of Mr. Foos on this subject, which was complimentarily 
styled "Foos' Folly," may in the not distant future demonstrate the fact that 
such a conception was nobody's "folly." Stranger things have happened; 
others may yet transpire. 

One of the most widely known of the early pioneers of Franklin county 
was James Kilbourne, born in New Britain, Connecticut, October 19, 1770. 
During his boyhood days he labored with his father on the farm and enjoyed 



i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

but limited opportunities of acquiring an education. In the spring of 1802 
he came to Ohio as the agent of an eastern company for the purpose of explor- 
ing the country, and, if in his judgment deemed desirable, to purchase for 
them extensive tracts of land. In the execution of this trust he selected a 
location and completed the purchase of a township embracing sixteen thou- 
sand acres. In the following year he returned to Ohio with the party for 
whom he had made the negotiation a year previously and established his resi- 
dence at the new purchase, now Worthington. Arrangements were at once 
made for the settlement and location of a town, commencing with the erection 
of a school building, blacksmith shop, church, a number of cabins and the 
building of a dam across the Scioto river. Here for a number of years he 
worked and planned and executed for the general good of the new settle- 
ment which he had formed and which was now so largely dependent upon 
his judgment and experience for its future welfare and success; and right 
well he acquitted himself of the trust which was reposed in him. 

In 1805 he explored the south shore of Lake Erie and selected the site 
of Sandusky city. About this time he received, unsolicited on his part, the 
appointment of United States surveyor for a large portion of the public 
lands. In 1806 he was appointed one of the first trustees of the Ohio College 
at Athens. He was elected president of the Worthington College in 181 2, 
and in the same year was appointed commissioner to settle the boundary 
between the public lands and the Virginia reservation. In the year 1814 he 
was a candidate for congress and was elected by a vote of two to one over his 
competitor. Colonel Kilbourn was the first member of congress to advocate 
the donation of public land to actual settlers in the Northwest Territory, and, 
on behalf of the committee having the subject in charge, prepared and pre- 
sented to congress a bill for that purpose. He was elected to the Ohio legis- 
lature in 1823 and served with ability and distinction. About this time he 
was commissioned by the governor of Ohio to make selection of the lands 
granted by congress to the Ohio canal. He was the president of the state 
convention at Columbus, July 4, 1839, for laying the corner-stone of the 
capitol of Ohio, also at the noted Whig convention of February 22. 1840. 

Colonel Kilbourne has left the impress of his example upon the state of 
Ohio — particularly central Ohio — to a marked and notable extent. He was 
the instigator, advocate and promoter of more enterprises, industries and 
agencies which in long and continuous years of development and expansion 
have grown and become potent and effective, than almost any other citizen of 
central Ohio. 

Joel Buttles was among the early settlers descended from New England 
ancestral stock who came and pitched their camp in the wilds of Ohio near 
the central portion of the state. His father, Levi Buttles, was one of the 
original proprietors of the Scioto company, organized in the year 1802 and 
composed of a sturdy band of members who were destined in after years to 
figure so prominently in the material advancement of the best interests of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 17 

the state. James Kilbourn, mentioned elsewhere in this work, was the agent 
of this company and one of its most prominent, influential and active members. 
It was through his active agency and personal negotiation that sixteen thou- 
sand acres of land at ^^^orthing•ton was purchased and immediate operations 
commenced for the location and settlement of a town on the lands so acquired. 
To this new settlement Levi Buttles, the father of our subject, came in the 
year 1804, having previously disposed of his farm and possessions at Granby, 
Connecticut, of which place he was a native, where he was born in February, 
1787. Under the arrangements made for the removal of the family to the 
west Joel w^as permitted to make choice of remaining in the east and devoting 
himself to the pursuit of a profession, or of casting his fortune with the 
fate of the family in their future home in the western country. He chose 
the latter, and after a long and tedious journey for the most part in the midst 
of storm and snow he arrived in safety at the settlement in the wilderness. 

In less than a ye'ar after their arrival Levi, the father, died, when Joel 
was but eighteen years old. For several years subsequent to the death 
of his father our subject found employment in teaching a school. In 18 14 
he was united ii\ marriage to Miss Lauretta Barnes, a daughter of Dr. Samuel 
Barnes, of Massachusetts, and shortly thereafter removed to Columbus and 
formed a partnership with Dr. Lincoln Goodale. Soon after this he was 
appointed to the office of postmaster at Columbus, which position he held con- 
tinuously until the election of General Jackson to the presidency, in 1828, 
w4ien, as usual in accordance with political precedent and custom, he yielded 
to the clamor of the victors for the usufruct of the spoils. From this period 
he was closely identified with the municipal history and business prosperity of 
Columbus, and was one of its most pulDlic-spirited and enlightened- citizens. 
He held many positions of public trust, was for several years the president 
of the city bank, and was as well one of the founders and zealous supporters 
of the Protestant Episcopal church in the state of Ohio. The successful 
and busy years of his later life are said to have been devoted to deeds of 
generosity to the needy, of sympathy for the suffering and afflicted and of 
helpful assistance to those whose wants and necessities came to his knowledge. 
He died at Urbana, Ohio, in August, 1850. 

Measured by the standard which establishes the excellence of a man 
b}^ the character and extent of the good which he accomplishes in life, Joel 
Buttles should be placed high upon the roll of citizenship in Franklin county. 

John Kerr, one of the original proprietors of Columbus, was born in 
county Tyrone, Ireland, about the year 1778. He enjoyed the advantages 
of a good education in his native county, including attendance at the Dublin 
Laiiversity. He came to the United States in 18 10 and settled that year in 
Franklin county, Ohio. He was a member of the first board of councilmen 
elected in 1816 for the borough of Columbus. From the information obtain- 
able at this time concerning his intelligence and business qualifications it would 
seem that his attainments in this respect compared favorably with those of 



i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

any of his coteinporaries. He, like many others of that early period, seemed 
to look to an appreciation in the price of real estate as the readiest and surest 
means of acquiring a fortune. As a speculator or dealer in land his invest- 
ments and ventures were probably more numerous and extensive than those 
of almost any other individual in the county. It is believed by some who 
are yet living, and whose advanced age enable them to remember him with 
tolerable distinctness, that he was at one time the largest land-owner in the 
city of Columbus. But v/hether this be true or not, or to what extent this 
impression may be founded upon fact, it is certain that he was an energetic, 
active business man, and, like a number of his associates of the same period, 
was ever willing and ready to unite his effort with others in any enterprise 
or industry which foreshadowed benefit or advantage to the community, and 
responded with promptness and alacrity to any movement compassing this 
object. Mr. Kerr always entertained a high and sanguine faith in the future 
of Columbus, and in his expressions of interest and attachment to its material 
welfare was ecjually ardent. His sincerity in respect of the latter profession 
was conclusively demonstrated by his joint donation with Lyne Starling of 
the beautiful square of ground in Columbus on which the state-house stands. 
He died in the year 1823 and was buried in what is known as the old north 
graveyard, but as the result of neglect or from other cause the headstone 
placed over his grave has been removed or was destroyed, so that the exact 
spot of his last resting place cannot now be determined with any degree of 
certainty. 

John M. Kerr, a son of the preceding, died in Columbus a year ago from 
the effects of injuries received in a street-car accident, at the advanced age of 
ninety years. 

David Smith was born at Francistown, New Hampshire, in October, 
1785, attended school at Dartmouth College, where he graduated in the 
year 181 1. Mr. Smith was a kinsman of Franklin Pierce, and on account of 
the relationship existing between them was by the president offered the 
appointment to a counsulship abroad, but the offer was declined. He was 
violently opposed to slavery and to those who were its advocates, hence 
would not accept office under his distinguished relative. He was marrierl, 
in 1814, to Miss Mitchell, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and the newly mar- 
ried couple moved to Columbus two years after it had been made the permanent 
capital of the state. Mr. Smith was the first lawyer to become a permanent 
resident and regular practitioner in Columbus, and thus acquired the title of 
judge. He was elected to the Ohio house of representatives from Franklin 
county and was a strong opponent of what was known as the black laws, 
which operated prejudicially to his influence with and interest in liis party. 
He was appointed to a position in the postoffice department at Washington 
in 1836 under General Jackson, and held it until 1845, when he was removed, 
presumably on account of his hostility to slavery. Judge Smith died at Man- 
chester, Ohio, in February, 1865. His remains were brought to Columbus 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 19 

for interment and were deposited in the old graveyard near the present site 
of the union depot. They were in after years removed to Green Lawn 
cemetery. 

Alfred Kelly, a son of David Kelly, was born in Middletown, Connecti- 
cut, in November, 1789. When he was nine years old his father moved with 
his family to Lowville, New York. Alfred attended school at Fairfield Acad- 
emy and afterward commenced the study of laAv under Jonas Piatt, who was a 
judge of the supreme court of the state. About the year 18 10 he went to 
Cleveland, Ohio, where he continued the practice of law, and when he had 
scarcely attained his majority was appointed prosecuting attorney, which 
position he held for several years. 

In 1814 he was elected to the house of representatives and is said to ha\-e 
been the youngest member of that body, which met at Chillicothe, then the 
capital of Ohio. At this session of the legislature Mr. Kelly prepared and 
introduced a bill to reform the practice of law in the courts of the state. The 
leading feature of this bill was a simplification of the methods of pleading 
and dispensing with the old system of verbiage and adopting a more modern 
and euphemistic style of expression. His effort was not successful at the 
time, but the principle suggested was the precursor of our code, which fol- 
lowed thirty years later. The bill also dispensed with or abolished imprison- 
ment for debt save in the instance of fraud. 

But above all and beyond every other matter of legislation or business 
he was more particularly interested in the canal policy, which at that time 
was the absorbing and prevalent question of public interest throughout the 
state; and he was without doubt its most zealous advocate and supporter. 
Having been appointed canal commissioner, he prepared himself at once with 
all the zeal and energy of his nature to enter into the discharge of the onerous 
duties of his office. It was thought by many at the time that the w^ork could 
not be completed within the period allotted or within the limit of cost pro- 
vided for its completion. To what extent both expectation as to length of 
time and limit of cost was disappointed on the part of the opponents of the 
measure is matter of history and comment on the subject need not here be 
misemployed in its useless recital. Suffice it to say the work under the guid- 
ance and direction of this masterful hand was done and was done well. 

Mr. Kelly was none .the less efficient in financial affairs than in the con- 
struction of canals. During the memorable and exciting financial crash from 
1837 to 1 84 1 his brilliant conceptions in finance sprang forth with a flash 
which attracted the attention of all who beheld them. By his sound judgment 
and good business management he engineered the financial affairs of the 
state in a manner which not only relieved it from its pecuniary entanglements, 
but produced an appreciation of its securities to an extent which not only 
relieved embarrassment but advanced value to a point beyond par. 

Such in part is some of the achievements of this remarkable man. A full 
and complete history of his successful, eventful and useful life would in its 



20 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

application of resultant benefit to the state afford most instructive and inter- 
esting reading to a multitude of its inhabitants. 

William B. Hubbard, who was called a lawyer, statesman and financier, 
was born in Utica, New York, in August, 1795. He was the son of Bela 
and Naomi Hubbard, who were of Anglo-Saxon descent. Mr. Hubbard was 
a descendant of the Stow family, wdiose earliest progenitor in this country 
arrived in New England not many years posterior to the landing of the pil- 
grims at Plymouth rock. The settlement of this family was in the state of 
Connecticut, where for a number of generations it maintained a high and hon- 
orable distinction. Mr. Hubbard chose law as a profession and pursued a 
course of study with a kinsman who was an accomplished priest in his day, 
the father of Chief Justice Stow, of Wisconsin, lately deceased. After com- 
pleting his studies and being admitted to practice in New York he moved to 
St. Clairsville, Ohio, in the year 18 16. His success in the new field of labor 
was marked and rapid. He rose to the head of his profession and at a bar 
with such practitioners as John C. Wright, Charles Hammond, Benjamin 
Tappan and Philip Doddridge, the last mentioned of whom was a cotemporary 
of Daniel Webster in the congress of the United States, and of whom the 
great statesman and orator once remarked he was the only man he ever met 
that he feared in debate. The material of which our subject was composed 
and the intellectual mold in which he was cast may with readiness be inferred 
when the company with whom he associated and the position which he sus- 
tained in that company are considered. 

For several years he was state's attorney for Belmont county, and was 
subsequently chosen a member of the Ohio state senate, from 1827 to 1829. 
He was very much interested in railroads, and in 1830 he prepared a bill 
which was presented to the legislature, entitled an act to incorporate the Ohio 
Canal & Steubenville Railroad Company. Action upon this bill by the legis- 
lature is said to be the first legislation by the state of Ohio relating to rail- 
roads. In 183 1 Mr. Hubbard was elected to the house of representatives 
of the Ohio general assembly, and was by the members of that body chosen 
as its speaker. Such was his capability and fitness that he could have held 
a high and enviable position in the councils of his party, but he seemed rather 
to choose the more pleasant and attractive pursuits of business and finance. 

He moved to Columbus in 1839, thinking that in the capital of the state 
he would be afforded a wider and more attractive field for the gratification 
of his expanding ideas relative to financial affairs. He was elected the presi- 
dent of the Exchange Bank of Columbus, and later organized and was the 
president of the First National Bank of Columbus, which was the first bank 
in the city to become incorporated and established under the national bank- 
ing system. It was largely through his effort and influence that the United 
States arsenal was located at Columbus. It is said that Salmon P. Chase, 
while governor of Ohio, and afterward secretary of the United States treas- 
ury, frequently consulted Mr. Hubbard upon financial questions and attached 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 21 

great consequence to his opinions. He was a fine classical scholar and never 
lost his taste for the classics, and in his last years delighted to converse with 
professional scholars in the Latin tongue. 

Mr. Hubbard died in Columbus, January 5, 1866, having lived to attain 
the scriptural allotment of three score years and ten. 

While it would seem the work of supererogation in a space so confined 
and restricted (as a brief county biography must necessarily be) to attempt 
the delineation of a character at once so prominent and interesting to all the 
inhabitants of the state, yet it may not be a subject devoid of interest or render 
this work less attractive to refer briefly to a character so distinguished as 
Salmon P. Chase. 

In the year 1820 he came as a youth twelve years old and made his home 
for about two years with an uncle then living in the northern part of Frank- 
lin county. The fact is recited in Howe's Historical Recollections of Ohio 
that young Chase was for a time in the employ of a bricklayer at Worthing- 
ton, in the capacity of a mortar carrier, and later in life referred with pride 
to the fact that a man who afterward became the governor of Ohio and chief 
justice of the United States should have once carried the hod for him. Thus 
it is that amid the realities of life we sometimes discover a veritable demon- 
stration of the correctness' of the old adage, "Truth is stranger than fiction." 

The progress and rapidity with which Judge Chase was advanced in the 
line of political honor and preferment is too well known and remembered as 
a matter of fact and history to require its particular recital here. His services 
to the state while an occupant of the gubernatorial chair at Columbus, his 
position upon the exciting subjects; of the nation while a member of the 
United States senate, his signal and masterly conceptions of the difficult 
problems of finance while secretary of the treasury, wdiere the value of his 
service in the cause of his country was perhaps more marked and significant 
than in any of the many high offices with which he was honored by his coun- 
trymen, and his final promotion by President Lincoln to the exalted position 
of chief justice of the supreme court of the United States, all alike, and all. 
in fact, with one accord proclaim and attest the wisdom of the judge, the 
profundity of the statesman, the conception of the financier and the excel- 
lence of the man. 

Judge Chase, as it is well known, was paralyzed a few years preceding 
his death, and though the stroke was but partial he never recovered from it. 
He died in 1875. Two children survived their illustrious father, both daugh- 
ters. The older, Catherine, better and more popularly known later in life 
as Kate Chase Sprague, married Governor Spragtie, of Rhode Island. Their 
conjugal relations, as was well known, were not congenial or happy and finally 
culminated in a separation. For several years antecedently to her death 
]\Irs. Sprague was the occupant of her father's old suburban residence border- 
ing the outskirts of the federal metropolis known as Edgewood. Its high 
w^alls and capacious grounds were plainly visible from fne portals of the mam- 



22 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

moth white marble building, the halls of which had so oftsn resounded with 
the voice of her father in the exciting debates upon momentous occasions in 
which he was an acti\-e participant. She died in 1899 at Washington city, 
and her remains now repose in peace beside her illustrious father in a beauti- 
ful cemetery at Cincinnati, overlooking the trancjuil waters of the river Ohio. 
The devotion of Mrs. Sprague to her father, her ambitious, hopes and zealous 
aspirations for his succession to the office of the chief executive, were inor- 
dinate and wonderful. Never, perhaps, in the history of the country has an 
instance of such a remarkable attachment on the j^art of a chilcl for the pre- 
ferment of a parent been revealed so pointedly to view, unless in the single 
exception of Theodosia Burr for her misguided and revengeful father, who 
for unjustifiable and unworthy political motives was prompted to take the 
life of that greatest man of the American republic, Alexander Hamilton. 

Samuel Brush was a native of Chenango county. New York, and a son 
of Plat and Elizabeth (Treat) Brush. He moved with his family, in 1815, 
to Chillicothe, Ohio, where his father established himself in the practice of 
the legal profession. In 1820 the family removed to Delaware, Ohio, the 
father having been appointed to the office of register of the land office for 
the purpose of disposing of the government lands located in several counties 
in the western part of the state. 

Samuel was, during his early years, a clerk in his father's office. He 
later received a good education under the tuition of private instructors, one 
of whom, General John A. Quitman, in after years became quite prominent 
as a member of congress from, and governor of, Mississippi. He adopted 
the law as a profession and w^as admitted to the bar and commenced to prac- 
tice in 1830 at Tiffin, where his uncle, Judge Brush, was then a resident and 
one of the judges of the court Ijefore which he began to practice. Later in 
his professional career, about 1840, he qualified as a practitioner in the various 
courts of Ohio and also the supreme court of the United States. In the fall 
of 1836 he moved to Columbus, where he formed a partnership in the legal 
business and resumed his practice in the capital city of the state, wdiere he 
acquired an extensive practice and accumulated considerable means. In the 
organization of the Franklin County Agricultural Society he was elected 
successively to the office of vice-president and president of the organization. 
During the years of his connection with that association its grounds were 
purchased and laid out, its various buildings designed and constructed for 
different uses and the whole machinery put in perfect working operation. In 
the practice of law Mr. Brush w^as especially proficient in the particular of 
special pleading, no case prepared by him having ever been lost or judgment 
reversed for defective pleading. His mind was strong in point of concentra- 
tion and his manipulation and conduct of causes committed to his care for 
trial were ably and intelligently handled, with results which fully established 
the justice of his claims to the. high reputation which he acquired at the bar 
through a long series *of years of successful practice. 



CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 23 

Xoah H. Swayne, an associate justice of the supreme court of the United 
States, was a native of X^irginia and was born in the year 1804. He was 
of Quaker parentage. He was quite precocious in his youth and rapidly 
developed into intellectual attainments, particularly in the law, which was 
his chosen profession. At the early age of nineteen he obtained his license 
to practice law, and removed from Virginia to Ohio and commenced the 
practice of his profession. Mr. Swayne was one of those native born Vir- 
ginians not frequently, but sometimes, met with who, while generally uphold- 
ing and defending the peculiar institutions of the south, entertained a horror 
and aversion to the institution of slavery which constrained him to leave his 
kindred and his state to avoid coming in contact with the hated evil. 

Judge Swayne's first place of residence in Ohio w^as at Coshocton. He 
was a resident of Coshocton in 1839, when he was appointed district attorney 
for the state. He discovered little if any interest in politics until the cam- 
paign of 1856, when John C. Fremont became a candidate for the presidency. 
His speeches were mainly in opposition to, and against the extension of, 
slavery. He was appointed an associate justice of the supreme court of the 
United States by President Lincoln to fill the vacancy caused by the death of 
Justice ]\IcLean, of Ohio. This appointment, it is said, was made at the 
request of the undivided delegation in congress from the state of Ohio, as 
well as out of respect to the wish of the deceased justice himself expressed a 
short time previously to his death. This opinion of Justice McLean con- 
cerning the fitness and suitability of Judge Swayne's appointment to a posi- 
tion on the supreme bench was the estimate of his capacity which Judge 
McLean had conceived of him during his frequent argument of causes before 
the supreme court of the United States, in which he displayed marked and 
unmistakable legal ability. He left several sons, one of whom. General Wager 
Swayne, acquired a high reputation as a lawyer in New York city. 

Henry Stanberry, with possibly one or two exceptions, may with con- 
fidence be regarded as the equal of any jurist who has for thres-fourths of 
a century past practiced at the bar of justice in the state of Ohio. He was 
the possessor of many of the essential prerequisites which are so necessary to 
the constitution of a courtly, accomplished gentleman, and all the finer ele- 
ments which ennoble and adorn the dignity and character of superior man- 
hood were inherent in his nature. 

He was born in the city of New York al)Out the year 1800. and when 
only eleven years old came wath his father to Zanesville, Ohio. His collegiate 
education was acquired at Washington College, Pennsylvania, whence he 
graduated with much credit. After completing his education he returned to 
Zanesville, where he commenced the study of his profession and where, in 
1 82 1, he was admitted to the bar as a regular practitioner of the law. It 
was about this time, it would seem, that he was brought in contact with 
Thomas Ewing, the most accomplished and consummate lawyer at that day 
in Ohio, and by his advice or persuasion was induced to remove to Lancaster 



24 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and begin tlie practice of his profession in that place, either associated with 
Mr. Ewing directly or in some wise connected with him in the legal business. 
Here he remained and continued in regular practice until 1846, when by leg- 
islative enactment the office of attorney general of Ohio was created and Mr. 
Stanberry was chosen by vote of the general assembly to fill that important 
office. Upon his acquirement of this position he moved to Columbus, where 
he continued to reside during his five years' occupancy of the office. He 
was a conspicuous member of the constitutional convention of 1850 and 
participated extensively in its debates. Subsequently to this he removed to 
Cincinnati and practiced law for a number of years in that city. In 1866 he 
was appointed United States attorney general by President Johnson and took 
up his residence in Washington city. This position he held, and with great 
credit discharged its duties until impeachment proceedings were instituted 
against his chief, when he resigned his office to become his counsel at the 
impeachment trial, which was shortly afterward commenced. His legal 
attainments were prominently brought to view in this trial, and his ability 
as a learned and accomplished jurist fully sustained by the arguments he made 
in the defense of the president. 

He died in the city of his birth (New York) in 1883, at eighty-three 
years of age. 

William Dennison, widely known as one of the war governors of Ohio 
(a very brief sketch only of whose eventful life can for want of space be 
here recited), was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, in November, 181 5. He was 
a college graduate of Miami University and commenced his professional life 
in the practice of law in the office of Nathaniel G. Pendleton in that city. He 
was a prominent and influential delegate to the convention of 1856, which 
inaugurated the Republican party and selected John C. Fremont as its standard 
bearer by nominating him for the presidency in that year. In the campaign 
which followed he was an ardent supporter of the nominee of that convention. 
In i860 Mr. Dennison was the nominee of his party and was elected gov- 
ernor of Ohio. He was the chairman of the convention which renominated 
Mr. Lincoln for the presidency at Baltimore in 1864, and upon the re-election 
of Mr. Lincoln became a member of his cabinet by appointment to the office 
of postmaster general, which position he held until 1866, when, in conse- 
quence of the apostasy of Andrew Johnson (who had in consequence of the 
death of Mr. Lincoln succeeded to the presidency), he resigned the office. 
Governor Dennison was an enthusiastic admirer and steadfast friend of John 
Sherman' and exerted himself to the utmost to secure his nomination for the 
presidency in 1880. He was a man of wealth and liberality and contributed 
generously to a college at Granville, Ohio, which bears his name. 

It was largely through the instrumentality of Governor Dennison that 
\\'est Virginia was saved to the Union. He gave encouragement and assur- 
ance to the loyal people of that state that he would stand by them in their 
severance of relations wdth the old state and w'ould in extremity, if circum- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 25 

stances or conditions should render it necessary, supply a military force suf- 
ficient to protect and defend them. The contingency upon which the pledge 
was based, and the condition upon which the promise was made, both hap- 
pened. The extent to which the plighted faith and promise was redeemed 
is matter of general history and does not here require recital. Governor 
Dennison's administration of state and governmental affairs during his occu- 
pancy of the gubernatorial chair of Ohio has been gravely criticised and con- 
demned in many quarters, but the consensus of opinion at the present day is 
such as to greatly mollify the asperities of former days, and correct the mis- 
taken and misguided judgment pronounced under a misapprehension of the 
truth and facts of the case. "Time at last sets all things even." 

Allen G. Thurman. — Within the narrow limits to which the sketch of so 
eminent a man as the subject of this article will be necessarily confined for 
want of space in the chapter of its publication, it will be impossible to da 
more than make brief mention of the many high official positions which he 
filled and the singular ability and perfect integrity with which he discharged 
the duties pertaining to them all. 

Allen G. Thurman, than whom no purer-minded man — either civilian or 
representative^ — ever dignified a constituency in a legislative or judicial 
capacity, was a native Virginian, born at Lynchburg in 1813. When an 
infant his family removed to Ohio and located at Chillicothe. After acquir- 
ing an education he studied law with his uncle, William Allen, and Noah H. 
Swayne, both of whom in subsequent years rose to positions high in the 
councils of the nation, the former to the senate of the United States, the latter 
to a seat in the highest judicial tribunal in the country. Judge Thurman 
was admitted to the bar in 1835 ''^"^1 began the practice of law at Chillicothe. 
Here he continued in his profession until 1844, when he was elected to con- 
gress when but thirty years of age. In 1851 he was elected a judge of the 
superior court of the state, and the opinions rendered by him during his term 
of office were such as to reflect the highest credit, and deservedly established 
throughout the state his reputation as a judge and jurist. In 186S he was 
elected to the United States senate, which was then composed of the brightest 
luminaries in the land. He rose at once to the high plane of his calling and 
immediately took rank nothing inferior to any legislator who at that time 
represented a constituency in either house of congress. The most dis- 
tinguished service rendered by Judge Thurman during his term in con- 
gress, as well, perhaps, throughout the entire course of his eventful and illus- 
trious life, was his defense of the southern people during the passage of the 
reconstruction measures in the south. It was in the debates which followed 
the introduction of these measures that his voice was raised in thunder tones 
against a wrong and injustice which he thought was unrighteously sought to 
be forced upon them. The application of a portion of the beautiful tribute 
of Judah P. Benjamin to Albert Sidney Johnston could with peculiar pro- 
priety be gratefully ascribed by the people of the south to Judge Thurman 
2 



26 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

for his noble and manly defense of them in the hour of their sore affliction. 
Allen G. Thurman was a man in honor impregnable, in integrity incorruptible, 
a man, in truth, of whom it may with truth be said, he "stood four-square to 
all the winds that blow." 

General Charles C. Walcutt. — Few individuals have died in Columbus 
within the past quarter of a century wdiose decease has caused greater sorrow 
or regret among its citizens than that of General Charles C. Walcutt. Gen- 
eral Walcutt was a native of Columbus and was born in 1838. In his early 
life he attended the public schools of the city, acquiring the rudimentary 
branches of an education, and afterward went to the Kentucky Military 
Institute, where he graduated in the class of 1858. Upon completing his edu- 
cation he returned to Columbus, where his business life began. The first 
office which he filled was that of county surveyor, to which he was elected 
shortly after his return from college. This position he retained until the 
commencement of the war of the Rebellion, when he resigned it, when, offer- 
ing his services to the government, he raised a company and was commis- 
sioned its captain. His promotion in the army was rapid, and as early as the 
second year of the war we find him advanced to the rank of lieutenant colonel 
and participating in the memorable battle of Shiloh, where he was struck by 
a ball which he carried through life. He participated also in the battles of 
Vicksburg and Jackson in Mississippi, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga and 
Kenesaw Mountain ; and after the death of General McPherson he was pro- 
moted to the rank of brigadier general. He fought a remarkable battle and 
the only one during the march of General Sherman from Atlanta to the sea 
and known in history as the battle of Qriswoldsville. His gallantry and 
bravery in this battle elicited such praise and commendation, and was so 
pointedly referred to and complimented by General Sherman, that he was 
in consequence brevetted major general. After the conclusion of the war 
General Walcutt returned to Columbus and was shortly afterward appointed 
warden of the Ohio penitentiary, which he held for a .number of years, and 
under his management of its affairs the institution for the first time in its 
history returned a revenue to the state treasury. He was a brave and gallant 
officer, a courtly, refined and cultured gentleman, and in his death Columbus 
sustained a loss in respect of citizenship and manhood not easily supplied. 

The Editor. 

THE DEARDURFFS, 1798 to 1901. 

When Franklinton was' but a yearling of the forest, Abraham Deardurff, 
of southeastern Pennsylvania, came by wagon, over mountain-trail, through 
forest, following the blazed trees to the wild little settlement, having started 
"out west" early in March of that year and arriving at the west banl<s of the 
Scioto about April 13, 1798, accompanied by his eldest son David. 

It was partly a trading expedition, as the wagon was laden with desirable 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 27 

goods obtained in Philadelphia, consisting of axes, plowshares, nails, spikes, 
augers, gimlets, awls, knives, scissors and such articles as would be in demand 
by the white settlers ; then about eight or twelve in number. But there were 
in the load also, gay glass beads, bright colored chintz, and a variety of bells, 
sleigh-bells, cow-bells, a couple of hand bells and one larger than the others 
that might have answered for a meeting house. These were to be exchanged 
with the natives for whatever might be obtained of them, principally baskets, 
jerked venison, bear-skin, wdld honey, buckskin, and hides; these latter the 
Indians cured in a superior manner never attained by the whites. 

Apropos of the large bell, there exists an old family tradition related to 
the writer (then a child) by the widow of David Deardurff many years ago, 
beside the great fireplace with its brass' andirons, hickory back-log and black 
crane, amid the sweet sound of crackling flames. This tale was later corrobor- 
ated by William Deardurff, Sr., her stepson, in December, 1890. He had 
often heard his father tell, about it as follows: Some Indians whose wig- 
wams were down the Scioto river near Salt Lick southwest of the present 
court house site, took a fancy to the bells, and bartered with Abraham Dear- 
durff for several of them, and before nightfall, it is said that every Indian 
squaw, pony and dog about the camp had on a bell. One very tall old red- 
skin whom they nicknamed "Deerlegs," was out hunting, and being attracted 
by strange new sounds, the tinkling bells, he crept through the tall grass; up 
near the clearing, and there, lying flat on the ground, peering out through 
the hazel and sassafras bushes, he spied the large bell suspended on a pole near 
the camp fire surrounded by a number of braves, squaws, pappooses and two 
white lads, who were delightedly ringing the bells. Deerlegs, in his lurking 
place, was no less pleased. He lay watching and waiting for a long time, when 
he finally saw the party disperse in the evening shadows. As the last Indian 
departed, or fell asleep, he stealthily crawled to the pole and quietly made off 
with the bell to his own camp, near Alum creek. Next day search brought to 
the hunters' ears sweet peals from Deerleg's wigwam. Upon being detected 
he is said to have snatched the bell and quickly springing upon his pony, cling- 
ing by one hand to its mane and grasping with the other the precious bell, his 
long legs dragging in the underbrush, he disappeared into the woods, a ludi- 
crous figure. Some days later a white man, aiming at a squirrel, spied a shin- 
ing object in a tall oak tree. This proved to be the stolen bell, which he 
secured and returned to Franklinton. 

Abraham Deardurff soon finished his trading, procured by barter ten acres 
cf rich bottom land, planted this in corn, and left his son David, a lad of about 
fourteen years, to tend the crop, and work in the clearing. He camped near 
the white settlers, then eight or ten in number. Returning to Pennsylvania 
Mr. Deardurff, who was a railmaker by trade, soon made a sale, told his east- 
ern friends of the fertile Ohio valley, turned part of his' property into money, 
and then set out for Ohio. He was accompanied by his family, consisting of 
his wife, Katherine Deardurff, who was born in north German v, his three 
sons, Samuel, Daniel and Joseph, and his daughters, Elizabeth and Polly 



28 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

or Pauline. A stout ox team brought the great wagon over the mountains' in 
the fall of 1798; the family traveling by day and camping by? a spring or 
stream by night. They brought with them a fresh cow, and a large bull dog 
for night watch, as Indians were lurking near the trail. Bears, panthers and 
wild cats were numerous and wolves prowled about. In the wagon there were 
large walnut chests, ("kiesters") from Germany, well filled with homespun 
linen, bedding, and some favorite pieces of china; there were the necessary 
three-legged kettles, the crane and the spider or Dutch oven with its iron lid 
for cooking corn dodgers. Several pieces brought to Franklin county at that 
time are yet in the possession of the family. A small china tea set, three pieces 
of Brittania ware, a pair of sheep shears, a tailor's goose and 'Shears, a large and 
a small spinning wheel, a reel, some brass candlesticks, candle molds, some 
good strong linen and "coverlets" in colors, some wearing apparel of those 
times, and some very fine needlework, are all highly prized, and carefully kept 
by the great-grandchildren. They speak eloquently of ye olden days. 

On a bright spring morning, in ninety-seven, 
As the sun shone out in the eastern heaven, 
Lending the rose her brightest hue. 
Tinting the hilltops with diamond dew, 
There rose, in the rude log hut, a wail, 
A strange new sound, from where did it hail ? 

In the fireplace corner, away from the damp. 
In a hewed out log from the "Sugar Camp" 
On a mossy pillow, in coonskin wrap. 
In a "dimity" slip and "bobinet" cap, 
A sweet girl babe in this cradle lay. 
Her blue eyes wide with the open day. 

Her garments had come from that home in the east. 
Snugly stowed in the till of the old walnut chest, 
•To the new forest home in Ohio so wild. 
Where our pioneers cherished their first born child. 
Comely and strong grew this maiden fair ; 
Learned to spin, weave and sew with greatest care. 

Linsey, counterpane, coverlet, wove she without fears. 

That they would wear out in a hundred years; 

So strong, so pretty, and so well made. 

That they cast our goods of to-day in the shade; 

They are dear to our eyes, our hands, and our hearts 

For they attest Great-grandmother's housewifely arts. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 29 

LAPSE OF FIFTY YEARS. 

As the sun steals low o'er the western plain, 

Great Grand Dame nods at us rogues again^ 

As we beg for a tale she has thrice told, 

That is ever new, nor will it grow old, 

Of the dear old pioneer days long gone, 

Of the conquests made, and the hard tasks done. 

The dear far-away days, when she was young, 

Of the games they played, and the songs they sung, 

Of the swift wild deer in the forest path. 

Or the howling wolves, and the panther's breath. 

Of the sly fox lairs, skulking Indians' trail : 

Thus she spins us many an old, old tale. 

As she patiently turns to poke up the fire, 
And softly smiles at our white grandsire. 
While we silently wonder how 
With her toilworn hands and wrinkled brow. 
Her trembling voice and tottering knee 
Was she ever so young and supple as we. 

(The above was dedicated to and written for the Old Ladies' Quilting, 
Knitting and Spinning Bee, at the Franklinton Centennial, at Columbus, 
Ohio, September 4, 1897, by Alice Gillespie (Deardurff) Allen, M. D.) 

The movers arrived in Franklinton on the 3d day of October, 1798. 
All hands fell to work. David had got ^some of the settlers to fell a number 
of trees ; these he had trimmed and hewed himself ; and with the ever-ready 
aid of the men already sheltered, there was soon a good log house built with 
its outside chimney, puncheon floor and clapboard roof. On the 28th day of 
November, "while the first snowflakes fiew," this became the first Buckeye 
home of the Deardurffs. The father continued to take trips east semi-annu- 
ally for the purpose of carrying various articles of merchandise and mail; 
later a stage line was established ; a toll gate erected on the west bank of the 
Scioto, near where the national pike was soon to be built, and this was kept 
by Daniel and his mother for some time. 

Joseph Deardurff moved farther west upon attaining his majority, and 
after a few years all trace of him was lost, he failing in time to write home. 
In a few years Daniel Deardurff moved to a settlement near Urbana and 
bought and cleared a tract of government land, which he farmed for years. 
He also kept up a trading business with the Indians from Sandusky, who 
still stuck to their old trail through his "Big Woods" across his well tilled 
farm. He made regularly each year a trip clear to Baltimore. 



30 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Spring- and fall brought always a string of Indians over the trail. One 
fall "Big- Medicine Man" found Uncle Daniel flat on his back with "shakin' 
ager," or malaria, then prevalent in all the new country. As he was a favorite 
with the friendly Indians, this one at once volunteered to "sweat" him, as 
he often afterward described to his grandchildren : "White man heap sick, eat 
much salt, me give him corn sweat, me make him well." Accordingly he 
asked for ripe corn in the ear. Placing a bushel of this in the large iron 
kettle outside, over a bright w^ood fire, just covering it with water, he soon 
had this boiling; removing it, he then poured off the water into a wooden 
keeler or tub over a double handful of red pepper pods, broken in this water. 
When some cooler he placed Mr. Deardurff's feet in thi-s for about ten mm- 
utes, until they were quite red ; he then placed him on a feather bed, rolled in 
a warm homespun blanket; he next placed the steaming ears of corn around 
his body, covering him with a second feather bed. He then gave him to 
drink a large "noggin" of hot spice bud tea. In les's than an hour he was 
covered with great beads of perspiration ; his headache and nausea gone ; and 
he was hungry as a bear. That ended his ague. 

About 1820 he returned to Columbus with a two-horse wagon to re- 
move his mother, Katherine Deardurff, to his home. As she was very old 
and daily called for "Dan'l," she gladly went with him, but insisted upon 
having her own house. This he built of logs, near his, own, and here she 
lived in peace, with her ash floor sanded, shining and white, her bright row 
of tinware on the wall, her open fireplace and her high feather bed. At the 
red hearthside, in her split-bottom chair, wnth her knitting and her old Dutch 
Bible, she spent many an 'hour reading the "Gutes Buch" or counting her 
"geld," as she called her little hoard of gold pieces. In 1844 she died, 
at the age of 94, and was buried on the farm. Her Bible, brought by her 
husband Abraham Deardurff, from Germany, in 1780, was kept by Daniel. 
At his death, about 1850, it w^as given to his eldest daughter, Katherine, who 
in turn gave it to her youngest brother, Daniel, who went in 1876 to the 
Black Hills. As he died there among strangers, it is lost. It contained in 
German the old records of four generations. The old lady had feared the 
Indians, and used to say that once while she was w^ashing her boiled corn 
grains, in the old-fashioned hulling process for what was called dye or 
witch hominy, stooping over her tub, she saw a shadow. Raising her head, 
she was, confronted by a red face with tw^o black, hungry eyes watching her. 
With one scream she made a dash for her door, and, being alone that day, 
she barred it and waited in terror for the return of her "men folks," which 
was an hour later. They eagerly looked in the w^oodshed for her visitor, 
but found instead an empty tub, a fine large deer, and some muskrat hides; 
these the hungry but harmless redskin had left in exchange for a large "mess" 
of half hulled hominy. 

Samuel Deardurff, the second son of Abraham and Katherine Deardurff, 
married Betsey Barker, of Charleston, Virginia. He purchased and kept a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 31 

tavern at the old house now standing at the southeast corner of Skidmore 
and Broad streets; its quaint woodwork and outside plastered walls attest its 
age. The smithy, just opposite, was kept by him, and the little brick store 
just west was conducted as a bakery by his wife. They had one child, Per- 
cival, who married Sarah Davidson. He was for 's.everal years on the Little 
Miami Railroad. He died in 1874. His widow and daughters, Clara, Lucy 
and Anna, with their brother Orrin, still occupy the old homestead. One 
son, Irving, is dead ; the others, George, William, and Gustave, are living on 
the west side in good homes. 

Abraham Deardurff, in the spring of 181 5, mounted on his trusty riding 
horse, started east on a business trip to dispose of the rest of his property, 
amounting to considerable. Several weeks pa9s,ed, when some newcomers 
led into the town his riderless horse, picked up near the border of Virginia - 
The saddlebags, supposed to have contained a goodly sum in gold, were slit 
open and empty. It was afterwards learned that his dead body, with a dirk- 
knife thrust in the side, had been found and interred in the woods by travelers. 
His sons. David and Samuel, identified a few articles found on his person. 

David Deardurff's numerous progeny still occupy some of the old town 
property, now grown valuable. One piece, costing but fifty dollars in 181 5, 
is now valued at ten thousand dollars. The old family Bible now owned by 
William Deardurff, of Newark, Ohio, (lost sight of for many years, ])ut 
recovered in 1891), shows the following recorded in the early days of the old 
town: David Deardurff, born February 6, 1785, died February 12, 1844. 
Elan King, born April 28, 1783, married. in October, 1807. Our first born, 
a son, Daniel David, August 7, 1808; Elias King, born August 7, 1809; John, 
born September 16, 181 1 ; Andrew Person, September 12, 1813: Eliza, March 
16, 1817; Margaret, February 26, 1819; William, March 27, 1821 ; and 
Griffin, November 24, 1822. John, Eliza, and Daniel died in youth. Elias 
King grew up, married and lived in his grandmother's house, at the corner 
of Gift and Culbertson streets;, Franklinton. During the cholera siege of 
1848 his last wife, Charity Clowson, himself, and two sons all succumbed 
to the plague in one week. 

]ylrs. Katherine Deardurff, after the death of her husband Abraham, 
lived alone in the above named house, built by her son David, who had a log- 
raising about 1816. It was on one of the old Sullivant plat lots, on South 
Gift street. This old relic was pulled down by boys in 1896. Then ^Villiam 
Deardurff, the III, only survivor of Elias, Avho had kept up the taxes for over 
twenty-five years, had the court to make him a deed ; then he sold it at a round 
sum to the Columbus Dash Company. They erected a large factory thereon. 

David's house, on the opposite corner, still stands in good condition. 
It was built by him in 1807, of heavy walnut logs, cut along the "run" just 
east of it (later used as a mill-race, now Seward and Mill streets proper). 
These logs, carefully hewed, fitted, "clumked and daubed," formed a wall 
that is to-day as intact as when put up in the woods, ninetv-four vears, ap^o ; 



32 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the woodwork is of oak, dovetailed in ; the fireplaces, high mantel-pieces, and 
heavy doorways, held up by huge wooden pins, show t'le old care-taking and 
skill of a true pioneer. There is in the cellar a queerly shaped pit, stone 
lined, for milk crocks. The old folks say it once held sweet, cool spring 
water. As the front room was used for the first gostoffice ever kept in the 
old settlement, the broad oak and ash floorboards show the imprint of many 
a long-forgotten foot. The heavy hand-hewed sills are in perfect preserva- 
tion. David's son William was "bound out" to a tailor. When his "time" 
was up he married Miss Lizzie Smith, who died early. He afterward mar- 
ried Mrs. Martha Hanger, nee Hancock, of Logan countv, Ohio. He lived 
for over thirty years in Franklinton in the employ of the Little Miami Rail- 
road. In 1889 he removed to a fine farm near. Urbana, but his new cares 
proved too much for this toilworn old man, and soon he laid aside his burden 
to rest in the "Land Ahead." His widow^ now almcst blind, survives to. 
mourn the absence of that calm, peaceful life of his that shed sunshine on all 
who knew the noble man. His sister Margaret went to Colorado in 1840 
and died there, leaving a daughter at Storm Lake, Iowa. 

Andrew Person moved to Monticello, 111., and conducted a grocery. 
He died in 1882, leaving one son, David, now a farmer in Ross county, Ohio. 

David Deardurff's first wife. Elan, died in 1822. The following fall 
he found himself and his business, "postmaster and squire," hampered by so 
many little ones. He then married Elizabeth Griflin, a beautiful but frail 
young lady. With the advent of her pretty babe her sweet life went out, 
and she was tenderly placed beside Elan in the old Frankiinton graveyard, 
where twenty-six Deardurffs lie in a row. 

To Darby Creek settlement about this time there came two brothers, 
Joshua and Benjamin Ford, also their sister Rachel, a tall, handsome, robust 
southern girl, originally from North Carolina and later from Maryland. She 
had been reared on her father's plantation, where blacks were numerous, but 
she, having Methodist ideas, freed her twenty-five slaves, for which 
she was disinherited. After this she came north with her brothers. 
Coming to town to trade, the family became acquainted with the Deardurffs, 
and Rachel, who had been taught by her old slave "mammy" to spin, knit, 
sew, bake and brew, was selected by Squire David for his last helijmeet, in 
1823. Thus follows the last record: Rachel Ford, born at Ford Plantation, 
Maryland, January, 1798, granddaughter of Benjamin Ford, of England, 
and Elizabeth Benjamin, of Wales; daughter of Frederic and Margaret Ford, 
of Maryland. Harvey Broderic Deardurff, born March 12, 1824; Mary 
Jane, April, 1826; Matilda Angeline, February, 1828; Eli Gwynne, July, 
1830; Samuel, September, 1832; Malinda (three pounds) and Clarinda (five 
pounds), twins, August 6, 1834; and Elizabeth, September 8, 1839. 

Harvey Broderic Deardurff married Elizabeth Young about 1852. His 
was the lot to leave the old family name in the old town. He was a rail- 
roader for years, and after an accident he became a grocer. He was an ac- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 33 

tive member of the city council. Thrifty and industrious, by his energy he 
'accumulated considerable real estate. He died in 1881, leaving a family 
of eight children. His son William has a son and two daughters; James D. 
has six sons; and one daughter; Charles is a bachelor; Mary, Edward and 
Samuel are dead. One son and three daughters are left by Edward, and 
Mary left one daughter, Christina Sands, of Milwaukee, Wis. ; Katherine, 
Mrs. Albert Rickenbacher, has two sons and five daughters. Charlotte, Mrs. 
John Frank, has two daughters. The men mentioned above are sturdy 
workers and home owners in Franklinton. Mary Jane, David's eldest 
daughter, married Joseph Davidson and died in 1868, leaving eight children. 
Her eldest son, George, is a successful lousines'si man. His line bearing and 
Christian character, perseverance and energy are but some traitsi of the old 
stock cropping out. His popular store is but one square south of the old 
postoffice on South Gift Street, corner State Street — his mother's home- 
stead. He is an active member of the Gift Street Methodist Episcopal church, 
the outgrowth of old Heath Chapel, where old "Daddy" Heath preached to 
his grandparents. 

Matilda Angeline married Jacob Bauman, M. D., of Bellefontaine, Ohio, 
in 1844. Two sons and two daughters were theirs, but they have all passed 
over Time''S threshold, and are no more. 

Eli Gwynne married Martha Gautz, of Grove City, in 1851. He was 
a carpenter by trade, migrated to Burlington, Iowa, became a railroad bridge 
contractor and is now retired comfortably at seventy-one years of age. He 
has a daughter, Frances Barcus, and a son, Jeremiah, of Fairfield, Iowa. 
Samuel D. died of typhus fever in 1853. 

Elizabeth Deardurff died of peritonitis in 1859. 

The twins were Malinda and Clarinda. The latter lives at North Co- 
lumbus, or near by, and is hale and active. She married Jonathan IMoats 
in 1853, and is the mother of five living 'Sons and three daughters. Malinda 
Deardurff married George Davidson, Sr., and aided him in raising his four 
sons. He was a noble, upright man, descended from an old Virginia fam- 
ily who settled here early in 1800. A stroke of apoplexy ended his busy life 
in 1 88 1. He was missed in the Methodist Epi-xopal church and Magnolia 
Lodge, I. O. O. F. Malinda, who had resided in the city with her husband, 
then returned to the old place, which held for her peculiar charms, .^trange 
to say. she was the last of David's children to live on the old street ; she pur- 
chased a cottage on the north end of it, and there in comfort spent the last 
eighteen years of her life with her daughter Alice, now a prominent physi- 
cian, and her two grandchildren, Carol and Bernice Gillespie. Here she 
pieced her two beautiful centennial quilts that created so much comment at 
the one hundredth anniversary of the settling of Franklin county, in Septem- 
ber, 1897 — pieced to commemorate the date of her grandfather's arriving in 
the new country. One is a double compass of one hundred pDintf to the 
block; the other "Eastern Star," one hundred and twenty-eight pieces to the 



34 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

block, joined accurately, quilted feather pattern and neatly done. She was 
always noted for her fine needlework and excellent cooking. She and Clar- 
inda were counted the belles of the place when girls, and two finer, hand- 
somer, healthier women were not to be found at sixty-five. They were the 
finest looking old ladies of their class. By an unexpected attack of kidney 
trouble, on April 3, 1899, she breathed her last, bravely crossed from the 
dear old scenes where with the passing years changes had come and gone, 
changing a wild forest to a thriving city of one hundred thousand withii; 
sight of her first home. Thus went out the life of the last one of the old 
family left on the old site. 

EMERSON E. WHITE, A. M., LL. D. 

Emerson Elbridge White, Master of Arts and Doctor of Laws, was 
born in Mantua, Portage county, Ohio, January 10, 1829, and spent his boy- 
hood on the farm. His father, Jonas White, was a descendant of Captain 
Thomas White, who settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, as early as 1632, 
and whose father was a member of the "long" parliament of England. 

Between the ages of five and ten years he attended the district school 
three months in winter and three months in summer, and between ten and 
sixteen three months in winter. When he was seventeen he taught a winter 
school in a neighboring district; attended the Twinsburg Academy the fol- 
lowing autumn; and taught a district school in Mantua the next winter. In 
the spring he returned to the academy to prepare for college. He paid his 
way in the academy in good part by teaching, but stopped one year to take 
charge of the academy in Mount Union, Ohio, now Mount Union College. 

He entered Cleveland University under President Mahan, and soon took 
extra work as an instructor in mathematics. Early in his senior year he 
was induced to take charge of one of the Cleveland grammar schools for two 
months, in place of the principal, who was ill. Suspending his duties for the 
time, he undertook the double work of teaching a city school and also two 
university classes out of school hours. At the close of this service he was 
surprised by an appointment as principal of a new grammar school to be 
opened in February. He had planned to begin the study of law on complet- 
ing his college course, but needing money he accepted the position, intending 
to fill it but a year and a half, meanwhile completing his university studies. 
He resigned at the close of his fourth year, but was at once appointed prin- 
cipal of the Central high school, at an increased salary. He gave up law and 
continued school work. 

It was in these two Cleveland schools that Mr. White won his spurs 
as a superior teacher. In the grammar school he discarded th^ traditional 
rote work and introduced new and more effective methods of teaching the 
several branches — methods that awakened interest and secured rapid progress. 
English grammar was put out of the lower grades and language work insti- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 35 

tilted. The methods used in teaching gejDgraphy were pubHshed in a Httle 
manual that was widely used for years. The same improved work char- 
acterized the high school. Its little chemical laboratory for actual work by 
the students, started by the former principal, Mr. Andrew Freese, was one 
of the first, if not the first, in the country. Only natural incentives were 
used in both schools and they were apparently "self-governing." 

In 1856 he resigned his position in the Cleveland high school to accept 
the superintendency of the public schools of Portsmouth, Ohio, a position 
which he filled with eminent ability and success until i860. Here he intro- 
duced reforms in teaching years in advance of prevailing methods. He 
accepted this position on the expressed conditions that he was to be entrusted 
with the internal management of the schools, including the assignment of 
teachers, the course of study, the grading and promotion of pupils, and similar 
work, and further, that he should not be subjected to the annoyance of an 
annual election, it being understood that he would resign on receiving due 
notice from the board' that his work was not satisfactory. His relations 
to the board and the teachers was characterized by the highest confidence and 
harmony. The schools were thoroughly and wisely reorganized. 

Early in 1861 he removed to Columbus to take charge of the Ohio Edu- 
cational Monthly, which he purchased. He conducted the journal for fif- 
teen years, making it the leading educational journal in the country. In 
1870 he published a national edition of the Monthly with the title of the 
National Teacher, a journal of wide circulation and great influence. In these 
two journals were advocated most of the reforms in school administration, 
instruction and discipline which have since been realized in the best schools. 

In 1863 Mr. White was honored by an appointment as state commissioner 
of common schools of Ohio, and in that position he was instrumental in secur- 
ing important legislation for the improvement of the schools, the more notable 
measures being the law which created the existing institute system of Ohio, 
the law creating the state board of examiners, and the provision requiring 
all teachers to possess an adequate knowledge of the theory and practice of 
teaching. In 1865 he prepared a codified edition of the school law, with 
opinions and directions, the whole constituting a valuable manual for school 
officers. His last service was the submission to the general assembly of a 
special report (authorized by the previous assembly by a joint resolution), 
recommending a plan of organizing needed normal training for the teachers 
of the state. Mr. White was the youngest man who has been called to this 
important position, being but thirty-four at the time he entered upon its duties, 
but no other commissioner prior to 1890 had rendered more important serv- 
ice. He retired from the commissionership in 1866 and the succeeding ten 
years were spent in conducting bis two educational journals and in lecturing 
in teachers' institutes in Ohio and other states, his service in this capacity 
being in wide demand at the highest compensation paid. 

In 1876 Dr. WHiite was called to the presidency of Purdue University, 



36 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Lafayette, Indiana, bringing to the position unnsnal qualifications and 
resources. He laid the foundation of the young institution on an original 
plan, and so wisely that no essential change has since been made. The insti- 
tution has grown like a tree putting out new branches. He continued in this 
position for over seven years, during which the number of students increased 
over seven-fold! He resigned in 1883 and removed to Cincinnati to engage 
in literary work, and he' was thus employed when elected, in 1886, superin- 
tendent of the public schools of the city. As superintendent of the Cincin- 
nati schools Dr. White introduced reforms in instruction and management 
of the most beneficial character (changes that attracted the attention of the 
country), and the legislature of the state indicated its high confidence by 
entrusting him with the appointment of all teachers employed in the schools, 
subject to the board's approval — a new departure in school administration. 
At the close of bis first term of service he was unanimously re-elected, and 
his salary raised from thirty-five hundred to forty-five hundred dollars a 
year. He retired from the position in 1889 and has since engaged in literary 
work. 

Dr. White has been the instructor and lecturer on psychology and peda- 
gogy in several of the leading summer schools in the country, has been called 
to instruct teachers in scores of cities, and is increasingly in demand as an 
instructor in teachers' institutes and other associations. No educator in 
the country has a higher reputation as a lecturer on education, and he has 
few superiors as a platform orator, being often compared with Wendell 
Phillips. 

Dr. White has been prominent for many years in state and national edu- 
cational associations. He was the president of the Ohio Teachers' Associa- 
tion in 1863; of the National Superintendents' Association in 1868; of the 
National Educational Association in 1872; and of the National Council of 
Education in 1884-5. He has taken high rank as a writer, especially on edu- 
cation. His papers and addresses before associations and conventions are 
noted for great excellence. Several have been published by the United States 
Bureau of Education, and widely disseminated. His masterly addresses on 
"Moral Training in Public Schools," "School Administration in Cities." "The 
Country School Problem," "Election in General Education," "The Duty of 
the State in Education," and other subjects, have exerted a wide and salutary 
influence. Dr. White's recent contributions to educational journals deal 
with live questions in a virile and able manner and are read with keen appre- 
ciation. 

Dr. White has written a number of text-books for schools which have 
met actual school requirements in a very satisfactory manner. In his twenty- 
fourth year, when the principal of the Clinton street school, Cleveland, he 
prepared a "Class Book of Geography," which had a large sale. Four years 
later he wrote the "Bryant and Stratton Commercial Arithmetic," which was 
widely used in the business colleges of the country and also in counting-houses. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 37 

His school arithmetics, first issued in 1870, have been especially popular and 
are extensively and increasingly used in the best schools of the country. The 
new series, consisting of "Oral Lessons in Number'' (for teachers), the 
"First Book of Arithmetic" and the "New Complete Arithmetic," are believed 
to have no superior. They present in practical form the most approved meth- 
ods of instruction. In 1894 Dr. White edited the "Elements of Geometry," 
written by Professor Macnie, and in 1896 prepared his "School Algebra," 
which has received the highest commendation of the teachers of mathematics 
in colleges and secondary schools. 

Dr. White's works on pedagogy for teachers have been remarkably suc- 
cessful. His "Elements of Pedagogy," issued in 1896, was received with 
great favor, being declared by competent judges to be "the ablest treatise on 
the subject written by an American." It has been used as a text-book in 
nearly all the normal and training schools in the country. His "School Man- 
agement," issued in 1893, was at once recognized as a work of the highest 
practical value. It is believed that no other book on pedagogy has so wide 
a circle of readers. In these two books Dr. White has presented a system 
of pedagogy at once scientific, clear and practical. He is now preparing a 
work on "The Art of Teaching," and other works may follow. 

In 1866 Dr. White read a paper before the National Superintendents' 
Association, at Washington, advocating the establishment of a national bureau 
of education. The paper was adopted by the association and Dr. White was 
made the chairman of a committee appointed to memorialize congress on the 
subject. He prepared an able memorial, and, at the request of General Gar- 
field, framed the bill for the creation of the new department, with the title 
of the "Bureau of Education." Both the memorial and the bill were intro- 
duced into congress by General Garfield and the bill, amended by substitut- 
ing Department for "Bureau," became the law under which the bureau has 
been administered. 

In 1890 Dr. White prepared for the National Bureau of Education a 
monograph on "Promotions and Examinations in Graded Schools." The 
large edition issued was early exhausted, and, to meet the continued demand 
for it, a second edition was published in 1898. This monograph has exerted 
a wide and wholesome influence on school administration in cities. 

Dr. White has long been a prominent layman in the Presbyterian church. 
In 1877 and again in 1896 he was sent as a lay delegate to the \\'orld's 
Presbyterian Council held respectively in Edinburg and Glasgow, Scotland, 
and in 1890 he was appointed by the general assembly a member of the com- 
mittee to revise the confession of faith. He has been for years the presi- 
dent of the board of trustees of Lane Theological Seminary, of Cincinnati. 

Dr. White received the degree of Master of Arts from the ^^'e?tern 
Reserve University, and in 1876 the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was 
conferred by the Indiana State University and also by Marietta College, Ohio. 

He was married, in 1853, to Mary Ann Sabin, of Hudson, Ohio, by whom 



38 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

he had five children. He now resides in Cokimbus, Ohio. stiH in the prime 
of his powers. In Dr. White are strikingly exemphfied those characteristics 
and principles which are necessary in positions demanding eminent moral and 
executive ability. His life has been a succession of high achievements and 
honors. 

THE "OLD NORTHWEST" GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY 

This society was organized in the city of Columbus, on April 27, 1897, 
by Professors Edward Orton and Samuel C. Derby, oi the Ohio State Uni- 
versity; Major Harry P. Ward, Messrs. Frank T. Cole, Daniel H. Gard. 
Wordsworth Gard, William G. Pengelly, Kenneth D. Wood, Mrs. Mary E. 
Rath-Merrill, Mrs. Angeline B. Chapiin, Miss May M. Scott, and Dr. Lucius 
C. Herrick. After adopting a constitution and by-laws, the following officers 
were elected: President, Edward Orton, Ph.D., LL.D. ; vice-president, Samuel 
Carroll Derby, A. M. ; secretary and librarian, Lucius Carroll Herrick, M. D. ; 
treasurer, William George PengeHy; executive committee — Frank Theodore 
Cole, A. B., LL. B. ; May Mermod Scott, A. B. 

On May 22, 1897, a meeting was called for the purpose of making appli- 
cation for a charter, and the charter was issued by the secretary of state of 
the state of Ohio. The purpose of the society is thus set forth in a circular 
which was .sent out soon after its organization : "To collect a library pri^ 
marily devoted to local history and genealogy; to gather material for the 
history of particular events, localities, and persons closely connected with the 
settlement and development of the states formed from the Northwest Terri- 
tory ; to ascertain the location, amount and condition of the various public and 
private records wdiich are, or may become, accessible to students of genealogy 
and local history; and to aid investigations of this nature by combining the 
efforts and resources of its members. The society wdll seek also to direct 
public attention to the value of complete and exact public records and to em- 
phasize the necessity of unremitting care in their collection and preservation." 

In January, 1898, the society issued the first number of its magazine, 
the "Old Northwest," a genealogical quarterly, which has been issued regu- 
larly ever since, under the editorial supervision of the secretary. Dr. Herrick, 
taking at once a respectable position in thi& country wherever it has become 
known. Among the various matters it has published and rescued from obliv- 
ion are monumental inscriptions from two abandoned burial grounds in 
F'ranklin county; also, at its beginning, it commenced the publication of the 
marriage records of Franklin county, which wall comprise all now at the 
probate office, from the first organization of the county to the year 1830. It 
has also published valuable records from the Episcopal church at W^orth- 
ington. 

The society now occupies a room at No. 106 East Broad street, Colum- 
bus, where the secretary is in attendance during tlje afternoon of each w^eek- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 39 

day. The membership consists of the following kinds : life, resident, asso- 
ciate, corresponding and honorary. Resident membership is confined to 
residents of the states formed from the old Northwest Territory, and associate 
members are those residing in other states. The membership of the various 
kinds now extends throughout the length and breadth of the country, and 
Great Britain, Ireland and Canada are represented in its corresponding mem- 
bership. 

The library, started with a few books and pamphlets, presented by mem-, 
bers, and others donated by authors for notice in the quarterly, now has six 
hundred and seventy-five entries in its accessions book, all acquired by donation 
in the same way, the society having no money with which to purchase books. 
It now possesses some books of great value, and the number and value of its 
acquisitions rapidly increase as times goes on, — showing that the objects of 
the society and the value of its publications are being appreciated in the same 
ratio that they are becoming known to the genealogical world. 

At the present time, 1901, the principal officers of the society are : James 
Buckingham, of Zanesville, Ohio, president ; Colonel William A. Taylor, vice- 
president for Ohio; Lucius C. Herrick, M. D., secretary and librarian; 
Alexander W. Mackenzie, treasurer; Professor Samuel C. Derby, A. M., 
historian, all residents of Columbus, — besides which are a vice president and 
honorary vice-president for the states of Indiana, Illinois', ]\Iichigan and 
Wisconsin, and an honorary vice-president for such states as have associate or 
corresponding members. 

SCHUYLER ORVILLE GIFFIN, M. D. 

The medical profession is well represented in Columbus, Ohio, and 
among the successful and prominent practitioners is Schuyler Orville Giffin, 
who was born in Cass county, Indiana, coming with his family to Ohio when 
but an infant. He is the son of John V. and Anna (Young) Giffin, residents 
of Miami county, Ohio, and was there reared and attended the public schools. 
Choosing medicine as his profession, he put forth every educational effort 
in that direction, finally graduating at the Medical College of Ohio in 1886. 
As soon as he had completed his professional course he entered into practice 
near his old home in Pleasant Hill, Miami county, Dut removed to Columbus 
in September, 1887, locating in the northeastern part of the city, where he 
has built up a large and lucrative practice. 

Dr. Giffin has taken a deep interest in the development of his section of 
the city, as a member of the council for the years 1888-9. He was appointed 
a member of the board of commissioners of Franklin county, and in May, 
1900, was made the secretary of the board. He is also the secretary of the 
League of Ohio Municipalities. He is a Republican in his political opinions 
and has been active in the councils of his party. Socially he is a member 
of the Masonic fraternity and of the Junior Order of United American ]\Ie- 



40 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. , " 

chanics, having just retired from the office of past state counselor. He Is 
also a member of the Columbus Academy of Medicine. 

Dr. Giffin married Miss Minnette Vause, of Columbus. He has one 
brother, George E., in the Philippines, connected with the hospital corps. 
During his residence in Columbus Dr. Giffin has shown so much public spirit 
that he is recognized as a leader in the enterprises calculated to be of benefit 
to the city. He is personally popular and possesses the esteem of a large 
circle of friends. 

JAMES KILBOURNE. 

Jamesi Kilbourn'e, one of the most distinguished citizens of Columbus, 
whose name figures prominently in connection with business, social and polit- 
ical events in the capital, was born October 9, 1841, in the city which is still 
his place of residence. He comes of a family noted for its patriotism and 
good citizenship. His grandfather, Colonel James Kilbourne, was one of 
Ohio's first pioneers and the first to' represent his county in congress. His 
father, Lincoln Kilbourne, was a leading merchant of Columbus, and thus for 
many years the family has been prominently identified with the commercial 
history of the city. 

James Kilbourne was graduated with high honors at Kenyon College in 
1862, and two years later received the degree of master of arts. The day 
after he passed his last examination, he enlisted in the Eighty-fourth Ohio 
Volunteers, was transferred to the Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and 
served with distinction from the beginning to the end of the war, being pro- 
moted through the various grades to that of captain, and being breveted major, 
lieutenant colonel and colonel of the United States Volunteers. During a part 
of this period Colonel Kilbourne served on the staflfs of General J, M. Tuttle 
and General John MacArthur. His war record is one of great gallantry. 

After the close of the war Colonel Kilbourne entered the Law School of 
Harvard, where he was graduated in 1868, but he very soon decided to take 
up a more active occupation than law and entered business with his father. 
A few years later, he founded The Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Com- 
pany, the largest corporation of its' kind in the world, and of which he became 
president and general manager. He is one of the largest employers of labor 
in Ohio, and his relations with his employes have always been ideal. Neither 
against him nor the company managed by him has there ever been brought a 
suit of law, and never have the wages of any man employed by him been 
reduced. He was a director, and in 1895 was president of the board of 
trade of Columbus ; was vice-chairman of the Franklinton centennial committee 
in 1897; has been a director of the Columbus Club and four times its presi- 
dent, and also one of the earliest presidents of the Arlington Country Club. 
He is a director of the First National Bank and the Clinton National Bank, 
of the Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo, and of the Columbus, Cincin- 




JAMES KILBOURHE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 41 

nati & Midland Railways, and of many private business corporations, and 
political and social organizations. 

For many years he has been president of the board of trustees of the 
Columbus Public Library, and largely instrumental in the growth of that 
institution. He is president of the Kenyon College Association of Central 
Oliio, also president of the Central Ohio Harvard Club. He is a life member 
of ihe Ohio Archaeological Society, and vice-president of the Old Northwest 
Genealogical Society. His fondness for children and* his sympathy for them 
led him to institute the Columbus Children's Hospital, of which he w^as presi- 
dent for five years. He is the president of the Columbus Neighborhood Guild 
Association, and is a member of of the board of managers, of the Associated 
Charities of Columbus'. He attends the Protestant Episcopal church and is 
a vestryman at St. Paul's. 

An elocjuent, persuasive speaker. Colonel Kilbourne is continually called 
upon by his party to address the people, and has often been publicly urged to 
serve as candidate for mayor, governor, congressman and senator. He was 
a delegate from the Twelfth Ohio congressional district to the Democratic 
i.'ational conventions in 1892 and in 1896, and at the Ohio Democratic 
state convention in 1898 received two hundred and thirty-seven votes 
for the nomination for governor. In 1900 he was a delegate at large 
to the convention at Kansas City and was chairman of the delegation. He w^as 
nominated by acclamation for governor at the Democratic state convention 
at Columbus, July 10, 1901. He was appointed by Governor Campbell one 
of the commissioners from Ohio to the Columbian Exposition at Chicago, 
but w'as compelled to decline from stress of business cares. In 1898 he was 
appointed a member of the Ohio Centennial Commission, and although the 
majority of the commission were Republicans, he was by nearly a unanimous 
vote elected president. 

Besides being a member of the Grand Army, the Union Veteran Legion 
and the Loyal Legion, Colonel Kilbourne was formerly vice-president of the 
Society of the Army of the Tennessee. He also belongs to the Sons of the 
American Revolution. At his home, also, was organized the Columbus Cuban 
League, which accomplished much in aid of the people of that island. Since 
its organization he has been president of the league. When the Spanish- 
American w^ar broke out his services were tendered immediately to the gov- 
ernor, and the loyalty of his family was further attested by the offer of the 
services of his three sons. Of the sons and' grandsons of Colonel Kilbourne's 
father, ten offered their services and seven were in the army, all but one see- 
ing active foreign, service. 

On the 5th of October, 1869, Colonel Kilbourne was' married to Anna B. 
Wright, the eldest daughter of General George B. Wright, and they have four 
children, three sons and a daughter. James Russell, the eldest, was born 
December 24, 1870, and is vice-president of the Kilbourne & Jacobs Manu- 
facturing Company. He attended the University of Virginia and is a member 



42 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the Sigma Phi fraternity. In 1895 he was elected as a Democrat to 
represent FrankHn county in the s'eventy-second general assembly, receiving 
the largest majority given any member of the delegation from that county. 
He was at one time a lieutenant of Battery H, First Light Artillery, Ohio 
National Guard. He was abroad at the beginning of the war with Spain. 
Returning he recruited a company of cavalry, but was unable to secure its 
acceptance by the government. George Bancroft, the second son, is presi- 
dent and general manager of the Kentucky Extract Company, is a graduate 
of Williams College, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society and of the 
Sigma Phi fraternity. He enlisted as private in the Fourth Ohio Volunteers, 
served in Puerto Rico, and was promoted to second sergeant for gallantry 
in action, and was one of four officers and men in his regiment recommended 
to receive a medal for bravery. His youngest son, Lincoln, born September 
30, 1874, is purchasing agent of the Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Com- 
pany. Presented himself for enlistment during war with Spain, but was 
rejected on account of sickness at the time. He attended Williams College, 
and is a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity. Alice Kilbourne was born 
August 7, 1877. 

WILLIAM A. KELLERMAN, Ph. D. 

Professor William Ashbrook Kellerman, of the department of botany in 
the Ohio State University, was born in Ashville, Ohio, May i, 1850. When 
he was five years of age his parents removed from the village to a farm in 
Fairfield county, where their large family of children had the usual propitious 
advantages of country life and a fair public school. 

His father, who was of German descent, was a man of energy and abil- 
ity, prominently identified with local public affairs, being especially active 
in promoting improvements in the roads, schools and schoolhouses and taking 
an active interest in the agricultural fair, the grange, the township cemetery 
and other public concerns. He was also deeply interested in politics, and 
occasionally accepted a township office, but firmly resisted the repeated requests 
of his fellow townsmen that he should become a candidate for a county office 
or for representative to the state legislature; his farm dtities were urged as 
a sufficient excuse. There his work was neat and thorough and his neighbors 
characterized his place as a model farm. He kept improved breeds of stock 
and new machinery, and the best implements were found upon the place, 
including good, light tools, suitable for boys. 

The mother of our subject, who was of German lineage on the paternal 
side and of English descent on the maternal side, was a woman of unflagging 
energy, marked conscientiousness and was unselfishly devoted to the interests 
of her family. Both parents were deprived' of good school advantages in 
their early days, but fully appreciated the necessity and importance of proper 
education. Books, newspapers and' pictures were found in the home. A 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 43 

more propitious environment for tlie development of tlie ten children could 
scarcely be desired, and all the members of the family duly profited by their 
opportunities. 

The subject of this sketch, like the other children, aided in the work, 
joined in the play, and attended the district school until sixteen years of age. 
Though going to school only upon persistent, daily urging in his earlier years 
— his reluctance attributed mainly to timidity and bashfulness — later he fully 
appreciated and keenly enjoyed the school. At about the age of twelve the 
distinct purpose of teaching as a life work had become fixed in his mind, 
and all of his subsecjuent study and reading was influenced by that determina- 
tion. One book, the first scientific book he ever read, Darwin's Origin of 
Species, should here be mentioned, because its slow and careful perusal exerted 
a marked influence on the taste and trend of thought, and may be said to 
have determined the department of knowledge that in later life was to be his 
field of mental work. 

At the age of seventeen Professor Kellerman taught a winter term of 
school in a township adjoining that in which he resided. The following 
summer he continued preparation for his chosen calling, as a student in an 
academy ; in the succeeding winter he taught a country school nearer home, 
after which he began regular preparation for college in the Fairfield Acad- 
emy, at Pleasantville, Ohio. The work here was mainly in the languages 
and mathematics, yet the elements of various branches of the national sciences 
were not wholly neglected. About that time he began the study of botany 
and it proved to be so attractive that it was never afterward relinquished. 
In the winter of 1870 the principalship of the school at Lithopolis, Ohio, was 
held by him, and in the following September he became a student in Cornell 
University. There most of his attention was given to the natural sciences, 
botany receiving the major portion of his time and energy. In 1874 he 
won the degree of Bachelor of Science and immediately afterward received 
an appointment to a professorship of natural science in the Wisconsin State 
Normal School, at Oshkosh, on Lake Winnebago. Here in a new institution 
was opportunity for pioneer work both in the way of improved science-teach- 
ing and developing an educational museum of s'cience, and his work in that 
direction was pronounced successful in a high degree during the five years 
of his connection wath the institution. 

In 1879 Professor Kellerman resigned that position for the purpose of 
attending the German universities during thie followins- two years. One 
year was spent in north Germany, at the University of Goettingen, and one 
year in the University of Zurich, in Switzerland. Besides the chief work 
in botany, especially in mycology, some of the courses of lectures were heard 
on related branches of natural history. The degree of Doctor of Philsophy 
he received in 1881, this being awarded with high encomium. It was here, 
under the guidance of the late Dr. George \\^inter. one of the most eminent 
of the German mycologists, that the special study of fungi was seriously and 



44 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

enthusiastically undertaken, and it has since been the specialty to which Dr. 
Kellerman has devoted his attention, not, however, in the meantime abating 
his efforts in the matter of up-to-date science-teaching, lecturing and writing. 

In 1 88 1 he was tendered and accepted a professorship in the State Col- 
lege of Kentucky, but the facilities there were primitive or altogether absent, 
and the college finances were unsatisfactory. These conditions suggested 
the desirability of a change of location and accordingly the position was 
resigned at the close of the first year, and for a few months thereafter be gave 
his attention to the completion of a school text-book on botany on an alto- 
gether different plan from those extant in the country at that time. It was 
modeled after and largely imitated the scope of German botanies and Ger- 
man science. Though unsuccessful from the financial point of view since it 
found its way into but few^ schools, and not being revised, was soon out of 
date, yet it received the attention of botanical writers, the judgment being 
at the time that "it conies nearer to filling a serious gap in botanical literature 
than any other thus far published." 

In 1883 Professor Kellerman accepted a professorship in the Kansas State 
Agricultural College and in that institution opportunity w^as again offered 
him for the development of a botanical department practically dc novo, with 
the scope and method of teaching broader and more liberal than previously 
had been possible of attainment. The study of plants and animals, — for 
zoology as well as botany was included in the Work, — rather than the study 
of a text-book about them, and direct observation of the organisms in their 
natural environment, was the keynote and spirit of study and teaching, and 
of course could not be otherwise than acceptable and successful. It implied, 
too, the accumulation of material, and hence the foundation, of an educa- 
tional museum and local or state herbarium, since developed to a high degree. 

When the Hatch agricultural-experiment stations were inaugurated in 
1888 Professor Kellerman was made the botanist to the Kansas station. In 
conjunction with W. T. Swingle, as assistant, he began research into the 
smuts of the cereals, which investigation yielded important scientific and 
economic results, embodied mainly in the station botanical bulletins for that 
and the succeeding three years. The crossing of maize varieties to secure 
a better kind for the southwest, the study of the sorghum disease and other 
subjects in practical botany received his attention. He also held the position 
of botanist to the state board of agriculture. During his continuation of the 
professorship in the college a small flora of Kansas was issued and many 
papers were read before the Kansas Academy of Science, and occasional 
botanical articles for the ]oress were prepared. Professor Kellerman also 
gave lectures each winter before the state farmers' institutes, and' he also 
began the publication of the Journal of Mycology, the first of the kind pub- 
lished in the country and the only one in this country then devoted to this 
s^^ecial department of botany. It was begun as a monthly publication, with 
the co-operation of J. B. Ellis and B. M. Everhart. This was continued 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 45 

under the same plan for four years, and during this time much technical mat- 
ter of significance was published. Suggestive of the mycological work done, 
especially in the way of discovering a large number of new species of fungi, 
a new genus based on material furnished was named Kellermannia, and sev- 
eral specific names of new fungi and one of a moss were named by botanists 
Kellermani and Kellermanniana. 

In 1 89 1 Dr. Kellerman was made the professor of botany in the Ohio 
State University. A separate professorship of this subject had been estab- 
lished by dividing that of horticulture and botany, and opportunity was offered 
to inaugurate and develop more comprehensive work in classroom and labora- 
tory, to build up a general herbarium, develop a state herbarium, a botanical 
museum, and to carry on investigations of the state flora. Suffice it to say 
that a state herbarium rapidly growing and now of nearly twenty thousand 
mounted sheets of specimens: a general herbarium now more than twenty 
times the size it was when the professorship was accepted ; a full collection of 
the Ohio medicinal plants arranged for exhibition in the museum room; an 
illustrative set of specimens showing twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit, transverse 
section of trunk or board, panel, and the bark of each of the forest trees 
growing in Ohio, and other museum specimens; well equipped laboratories for 
work in plant histology, vegetable physiology, systematic botany and phyto- 
pathology, with large classes taking advance work, may indicat'e, at least in 
a general way, what has been accomplished in regular college work during 
the past ten years in which Dr. Kellerman has been the professor of botany 
in the Ohio State University. 

He has also accumulated a private herbarium of about twenty thousand 
specimens, mostly of parasitic fungi. He published, in conjunction with Mr. 
Werner, a full catalogue of the Ohio plants in 1893. prefi^^ed by a complete 
bibliography of Ohio botany. This was an annotated list of all the plants 
which had at that time been reported for the state. In 1898 he issued the 
fourth State Catalogue, which was a check list of the Pteridophytes and 
Spermatophytes. with distribution by counties as shown by specimens in the 
State Herbarium. The following year a supplement to the above was printed. 
Professor Kellerman published a Spring Flora of Ohio, in 1895, and in 1898 
prepared an Elementary Botany, with the Spring Flora, a book of three hun- 
dred pages; also Practical Studies in Elementary Botany, and a herbarium 
portfolio. — called Phytotheca, — all of which are published by Eldredge & 
Brother, of Philadelphia. He has also lectured each year before Farmers' 
Institutes and teachers' meetings in various parts of the state, and furnished 
numerous minor articles for the botanical press. 

In 1876 Professor Kellerman was married to Stella \^. Dennis, a daugh- 
ter of Dr. A. Dennis, a ladv of literary and scientific tastes. Of the three 
children. Ivy was born in \\'isconsin in 1877, and was graduated with the 
degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Ohio State University, in 1898. from Cor- 
nell University, in 1898. with the degree of Master of Arts, and is now a 



46 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

special student in Greek ant! comparative philology. The second child, Karl 
F., born in Germany in 1879, was graduated m Cornell University with 
the degree of Bachelor of Science and besides carrying on graduate work is 
at present also assistant in botany in Cornell. Maude, born in 1888, in Kan- 
sas, is now attending the public school of Columbus. 

RICHARD A. HARRISON. 

Hon. Richard A. Harrison, of Columbus, is a native of our mother coun- 
try, that land which shares with ancient Rome the honor and glqry of originat- 
ing the legal and judicial system that is the pride and model of our modern 
civilization. He was born April 8, 1824, in the city of Thirsk, Yorkshire, 
England. His father was Robert Harrison, a mechanic and a local min- 
ister of the gospel in the Methodist society, a man of sterling character and 
pronounced intellectuality. His mother was Mary Almgill, a woman of good 
English stock of the beautiful and prosperous shire of York. Richard came 
to the United States with his parents in 1832; the family were induced to 
make this transplanting of their home from "merrie England" to the ''land 
of the free and the home of the brave" by the accounts which they had 
received from a son who had preceded them in the emigration. They first 
settled in Waynesville, Warren county, Ohio, and shortly thereafter removed 
to Springfield, Clark county. Richard at this time was but eight years of 
age, and was the youngest of nine children. His parents bestowed upon the 
boy all that parental love could prompt, and the thrift and frugality of a 
noble home could: spare. But Richard's training was mostly in the pre- 
paratory school of adversity and later in the broader university of the world's 
affairs. The rudiments of his education were acquired in the public schools 
of his village, especially the Springfield high school, from wdiich young Rich- 
and graduated during the principalship of the scholarly and accomplished Rev. 
Chandler Robbins. While still in school he contributed to his own support 
by faithfully filling the humble duties of "devil" in a printing office, and at 
the age of twelve, thrown solely upon his own resources, he sought and obtained 
employment in the office of the Springfield Republic, then edited and managed 
by John M. Gallagher, at one time the speaker of the Ohio house of repre- 
sentatives, the editor of the Ohio State Journal for several years, and a man 
of great ability and encyclopedic information. The Republic was in those 
days the influential Whig paper of the state. Under this most practical and 
valuable tutelage Richard remained until 1844. 

It W'-as the formative and informing period of the boy's mind, and in this 
academy of the "art of arts" — the printing office — which has graduated self- 
made men whose merited laurels in life's struggles have out-shone the honor 
of many another's college degrees, Richard, like that other "Poor Richard" 
of Benjamin Franklin, became accomplished in the accurate knowledge and 
facile use of his mother tons^ue, as well as endowed with that knowledo:e 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 47 

of multitudinous affairs that it is the providence of the press to gather and 
disseminate. Without doubt .it was in these years, when he stood plodding 
patiently at the compositor's case, that the foundation was laid of his ready 
and precise diction, so that both in speech and with the pen "his words, like 
so many nimble and airy servitors, trip about him at command." The true 
lawyer, like the genuine poet, is born, not made, and the natural and irre- 
sistible bent of Richard's mind was in the direction of the legal profession, 
and he readily accepted the opportunity of becoming a student in the law 
office of William A. Rogers, one of the most eminent members of the Ohio 
bar. This he did in the year 1844. The late William White, a judge of the 
court of common pleas ten years, of the supreme court of Ohio twenty years, 
and at the time of his decease a judge of the United States district court, 
was a schoolmate of Mr. Harrison and a fellow student in the law office 
of Judge Rogers in Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Harrison, after eighteen month's 
study under the direction of Judge Rogers, entered the Cincinnati Law School, 
the first law school established west of the Alleghanies, at that time having 
such admirable instructors as William S. Groesbeck and Charles Telford. 
The full course of the school was but six months and he graduated in the 
spring of 1846, and by virtue of his diploma was admitted, without further 
examination, to the bar on his twenty-second birthday, April 8, 1846, at 
London, Ohio, by Judges Hitchcock and Wood of the supreme bench. At 
that time the supreme court consisted of four judges, and' at the close of the 
December term in March, held in Columbus, the court divided and two judges 
went upon the circuit which lay north of the National road, and two upon 
the southern circuit. London was the location of the first court to be held 
in the southern division. Mr. Harrison, who was then, as he has been heard 
to relate, "poor as Lazarus," — even being compelled to purchase on credit the 
few books of his office library, — at once began tlie practice of his profession 
at London, where he resided until May, 1873, when he removed to Colum- 
bus. His rise was not meteoric, like the "flight of Mercury," but steady, 
sure and permanent, like the enduring growth of the oak which ]Mr. Harri- 
son so much in solidity of mind and stability of character resembles. His 
clients came cautiously at first, soon confidently and in numbers. 

An amusing incident occurred during the trial of the first case in which 
Mr. Harrison appeared as counsel in a court of record. On the morning of 
the day before the trial he left his boots to be mended, explaining to the shoe- 
maker that the work must be done before the court met the next morning, as 
he had no other footwear except a pair of old-time "carpet slippers." He 
was assured that the boots would be ready at the appointed time without fail, 
but the promise was not kept. The case was called. The shoemaker hap- 
pened to be a witness for the plaintiff, and his journeyman had been sub- 
poenaed as a witness for the defendant, wdio was Mr. Harrison's client. On 
cross-examination of the shoemaker Mr. Harrison asked him whether he had 
not made certain statements to his journeyman which were very different 



48 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

from his testimony in chief. The witness admitted he had made such state- 
ments, but explained that when he made them to the journeyman he was not 
under oath. Mr. Harrison then inquired, "John, you are still under oath, 
are you?" The witness said, "Yes." "When, then, will you have my boots 
mended?" "By to-morrow noon," was the answer. The boots were done a 
couple of hours before the time fixed under the solemnities of a judicial oath! 

Mr. Harrison's practice was that of the usual practitioner of the day, the 
''circuit traveler" with its crude means of transit, its romantic and varied 
experiences in court and tavern. Not only throughout southern Ohio but in 
other parts of the state ajso his clientage called him. Mr. Harrison has never 
been an office-seeker; public office has never been in the line of his ambition 
or his taste, but, true citizen that .he is, he has discharged bis duty to the 
commonwealth of both state and nation Avhen called upon by his fellow men. 
His political honors have been many and to the gift of each he has added 
the luster of his learning, the value of his in^■incible integrity, sound wisdom 
and indefatigable devotion to duty. 

In politics he was first a Whig and then a Republican. In the fall of 
1857, when Salmon P. Chase was re-elected governor of the state, j\Ir. 
Harrison was elected a member of the house of representatives from Madison 
county. It was an exciting and close contest, Mr. Harrison, 'as the Repub- 
lican candidate, being opposed by a formidable combination of the adherents 
of the Democratic and Know-nothing parties. Mr. Harrison was successful 
by a majority of twenty-four. In the Ohio house of representatives, which 
convened in January, 1858, Mr. Harrison met as colleagues such members as 
Judge J. A. Ambler, of Columbus; Judge AY. H. West, of Logan; Judge 
J. M. Briggs, of Fayette; Judge W. R. Rankin, of Franklin; James Monroe, 
later the veteran congressman from Lorain ; Judge Isaac C. Collins, of Hamil- 
ton ; and Judge William B. Woods, of Licking, later of the United States 
supreme court. Amid this galaxy of gifted scholars and statesmen Mr. Harri- 
son was accorded at once conspicuous rank. It was a largely Democratic 
body. The judiciary committee consisted of seven members, with Judge 
Rankin as chairman. Messrs. Harrison and Ambler were the only Repub- 
lican members, but to Mr. Harrison was accorded a very large share of the 
work, and in this field his legal learning, unerring judgment and fervid 
patriotism found ample employment. Through this committee Mr. Harri- 
son introduced, and caused to be enacted, many of the leading laws of our 
state. Among these were the bills concerning the relation of guardian and 
ward ; providing for the semi-annual payment of taxes ; for the relief of the 
district courts and others of equal importance. Little opportunity, however, 
was given to Mr. Harrison for the development or dispby of his forensic 
powers. 

Those were the days when party lines were closely drawn, and important 
measures, especially of a political nature, were dictated by that tyrant of party 
politics. "King Caucus," and propelled l)y partisanship through the house with- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 49 

out proper public deliberation or debate. But toward the second session, 
the winter of 1858-9, Mr. Harrison's eloquence burst forth in the discussion 
over the report of the commission appointed at the preceding session to 
investio-ate the state treasury defalcation. Governor Chase was serving- his 
second term, having been re-elected by the Republican party. By this report 
of the commission his political opponents attempted to implicate and besmirch 
the character of the governor. In his special message communicating the 
commissioners' report to the house, the governor called attention to the invid- 
ious criticism embraced in the report. To rebuke the governor, it was moved 
to print the report of the commission without the message of the governor 
accompanying it. The gross injustice of this political partisanship aroused 
Mr. Harrison, and he obtained the floor for the defense of the wronged gov- 
ernor. In the delivery of his speech, the earnestness of his efforts brought 
on a sudden attack of hemorrhage of the lungs. His friends, alarmed at the 
incident, insisted that he should not proceed with the discussion, but despite 
their importunities, after a brief respite, he continued his speech to its forcible 
conclusion. He was borne from the room in a condition of complete exhaus- 
tion. But his persuasive, logical and just argument dominated the house, 
and the message of the governor was published with the report of the com- 
mission and the attempted partisan thrust at Mr. Chase fell unavailing. It 
was a dramatic scene, but characteristic of Mr. Harrison's fearlessness and 
love of justice and fair play. 

In 1859 Mr. Harrison was promoted by his constituents to the state 
senate. The senate of 1860-61 was distinguished for the ability and bril- 
liancy of its members, among whom were : James A. Garfield, afterward the 
president of the United States; Jacob D. Cox, later a general of the army, 
governor of the state and member of General Grant's cabinet ; Judge Thomas 
C. Jones ; Judge Thomas M. Key ; James Monroe ; F. A. Ferguson, and others, 
whose names have since been illustrious in the annals of our state and nation. 
Mr. Harrison was made the chairman of the judiciary committee and was 
elected president pro tempore of the senate. In this position he exhibited 
the qualities of an admirable presiding officer; calm, dignified, impartial, with 
a thorough comprehension and a ready application of the principles of parli- 
amentary law. The session of 1861 was one of the most memorable in the 
history of the state. It was the period of the outbreak of the great rebellion 
and the nation's peril. During that session questions of the greatest 
moment, not only of state but even of the nation, were considered and acted 
upon. Those were the times that tried men's souls and called for the exercise 
of the utmost calmness, the deepest wisdom, the most unflinching courage 
and unwavering patriotism, and often the sacrifice of life-long party prin- 
ciples. 

Among the matters brought before the members were tb.e measures^ to 
strengthen \he public credit, provide ami^le currencv, raise and ecjuip armies, 
and provide wavs and means for the common defense and the maintenance 



50 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the federal Union in all its entirety and integrity. To all these Mr. Harri- 
son gave courageous, efficient and zealous support. The power and resources 
of his minjd, the strength of his character, the deep devotion of his loyalty, 
were all consecrated to the opportunities and duties of the hour in behalf of the 
cause of the country of his adoption. Before the Rebellion shook the nation 
with its initial reverberations, Mr. Harrison, as a loyal lover of peace and 
humanity and a disciple of law and order, did all in his power to avert the 
storm of civil war. James Buchanan was still the president, and, in view of 
the threats of the southern states, had sent a special message to congress on 
the subject of the contemplated uprising of the south against the federal gov- 
ernment, in which he had ostensibly taken a position in favor of the main- 
tenance of the Union. Mr. Harrison with his colleagues took the ground 
that they should assun^ic the integrity and sincerity of President Buchanau in 
his message, and in support of such a policy Mr. Harrison had the honor, 
on January 12, 1861, to introduce in the Ohio senate the following resolu- 
tions, of which he was author : 

"I. That the people of Ohio, believing that the preservation of the 
unity of government that constitutes the American people one people is essen- 
tial to the support of their tranquillity at home, of their peace abroad, of their 
safety, of their prosperity, and of that very liberty which they so highly prize, 
are firmly and ardently attached to the national constitution and the union 
of the states. 

"H. That the general government cannot permit the secession of any 
state without violating the obligations by which it is bound under the com- 
pact to the other states and to every citizen of the United States. 

"HI. That whilst the constitutional rights of every state in the Union 
should be preserved inviolate, the powers and authority of the national gov- 
ernment must be maintained, and the laws of congress faithfully enforced, in 
every state and territory until repealed by congress, or adjudged to be uncon- 
stitutional by the proper judicial tribunal; and that all attempts by state 
authorities to nullify the constitution of the United States, or the laws of the 
federal government, or to resist the execution thereof, are revolutionary in 
their character, and tend to the disruption of the best and wisest system of 
governmen<t in the World. 

'TV. That the people of Ohio are inflexibly opposed to intermeddling 
with the internal affairs and domestic relations of the other states of the 
Union, in the same manner and to the same extent as they are opposed to any 
interference by the people of other states with their domestic concerns. 

"V. That it is the will and purpose of tlie people of Ohio to fulfill in 
good faith all their obligations under the constitution of the United States, 
according to the spirit and intent thereof, and they demand the faithful dis- 
charge of the same duty by every state in the Union ; and tlius. as far as may 
l)e, to insure tranquillity between the state of Ohio and the other states. 

"VI. That it is incumbent upon any state having enactments on their 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 51 

statute books conflicting with, or rendering less efficient, the constitution or 
laws of the United States, to repeal them; and it is equally incumbent upon 
the general government, and the several states, to secure to every citizen of 
the Union his rights in every state, under that provision of the constitution 
which guarantees to the citizens of each state all the privileges and immunities 
of the citizens of the several states ; and thus inspire and restore confidence 
and a spirit of fraternal feeling between the different states of the Union. 

"VII. That the Union-loving citizens of those states who have labored, 
and still labor, with devotional courage and patriotism to wathhold their 
states from the vortex of secession, are entitled to the gratitude and admira- 
tion of the wliole American people. 

"VIII. That we hail with joy the recent firm, dignified and patriotic 
special message of the president of the United States, and that the entire 
power and resources of Ohio are hereby pledged, whenever necessary and 
demanded, for the maintenance, under strict subordination to the civil authority, 
of the constitution and laws of the general government by whomsoever admin- 
istered. 

"IX. That the governor be requested to forward, forthwith, copies of 
the foregoing resolutions to the president of the nation, and the governors 
of all the states of the Union, and to each of the senators and representatives 
in congress from this state, to be by them presented to each branch of the 
national legislature." 

Well has a distinguished contemporary said that those resolutions, so 
patriotic in their spirit, merit for Mr, Harrison a just immortality. The}r 
passed the senate with but one dissenting voice, and received but two oppos- 
hig votes in the house. 

In February following, when Abraham Lincoln, president elect, was on 
that memorable journey to Washington, he stopped at Columbus, and, while 
the guest of Governor Dennison, Mr. Harrison was presented to him as a 
member of the state senate. The president elect at once inquired if he was 
the Harrison who was the author of the patriotic and timely resolutions, and, 
upon being assured, expressed great pleasure at meeting the author. At the 
special request of Mr. Harrison, the venerable Thomas Ewing. one of the 
most honored and trusted of Ohio's statesmen and jurists, was appointed by 
Governor William Dennison as one of the commissioners to represent Ohio 
in a conference of tli^tates, called by invitation of the Virginia legislature, 
to assemble at Washington, D. C, on the 4th of February. 1861, to consider 
the then impending crisis. But the God of battles could not lie stayed ; the 
purity and perpetuity of our federal government could be secured only by 
the baptism of blood. The guns of treason belched forth their fire upon 
Sumter and the nation, horror-stricken, trembled at the issue. Naught but 
physical frailty prevented Mr. Harrison from enlisting in his country's service, 
but there was sore need of stanch citizens at home no less than courageous 
soldiers at the front. ]\Ir. Harrison was foremost in that noble number of 



52 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

loyal statesmen who in the legislative forum foug-ht as persistently and 
patriotically to sustain the national government as did the "boys in blue" on 
the tented field. 

Shortly after the adjournment of the legislature in 1861 Mr. Harrison 
was chosen by the electors of his district to the seat in congress made vacant 
by the resignation of ex-Governor Thomas Corwin upon his appointment 
as minister to Mexico. He took his seat in the national house of representa- 
tives at that momentous extra session called by President Lincoln, and w^iich 
convened July 4, 1861. Here Mr. Harrison was called to cope with the 
great questions that presented themselves to the legislative body of a nation 
tossed in the throes of armed rebellion. Mr. Harrison's particijpation in the 
deliberations of this session need not be related in detail. The acts of that 
congress are a memorable part of our national history. The voice of Mr. 
Harrison, when uplifted, but echoed the patriotic inspiration of his purpose, 
and his vote on every question but emphasized the loyalty and wisdom of his 
action. 

The close of this congress, March 3, 1863, marked the retirement of Mr. 
Harrison from public life. By the legislative reapportionment of the congres- 
sional districts of Ohio, in 1862, Madison county, in which Mr. Harrison 
resided, was attached to the Franklin district, in which the Democratic 
majority was large, and Mr. Harrison w^as succeeded by Samuel S. Cox. 
Since that retirement from the political field Mr. Harrison's pursuits have 
been exclusively confined to the line of his profession. His stew^ardship as a 
statesman, so creditable to himself and so valuable to his country, ripened 
his experience, broadened his knowledge and enlarged his mental vision, bu1i 
did not allure him from his profession, for which he was by nature so emi- 
nently fitted, and which he has by his achievements so splendidly adorned. 
As has been noticed bv one of his distinguished biographers. Judge W. H. 
\\'est : 

"The opportunities of Mr. Harrison, while pursuing his legal studies, 
were most fortunate. The bench of Springfield was adorned by the modest 
learning of Judge J. R. Sw^an, its bar by the sterling qualities of Edward Cum- 
mings, the courtly dignity of Sampson Mason, and the brilliant genius ancH 
gifted versatility of William A. Rogers. The lessons of precept and of 
example derived from these model gentlemen of the old school ripened into 
fixed and most agreeable traits of professional character. Not less fortunate 
was the opening of Mr. Harrison's professional career. The ancient 'circuit 
practice had for him a fascination which yet continues. The intricate sys- 
tem of land titles peculiar to the Virginia Reservation, within which his 'cir- 
cuit' lay, had not ceased to be a fruitful source of litigation. The magnitude 
of individual estates in the Scioto valley often gave rise to controversies about 
their succession. His rapid rise at the bar soon opened to him these fields of 
legal contention, in which he was early accustomed to encounter, and often 
successfullv contend with ex-Justice Swavne. John W. Andrews. P. B. \\' ilcox, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 53 

Governor Nelson Barrere, the lamented Judg-es Briggs, Sloan and Dicky, 
Jonathan Rennick, distinguished for his great good sense, the late Hocking 
H. Hunter and occasionally to meet the venerable Thomas Ewing. In these 
rencounters he early learned that there could be no excellence without labor; 
that undisciplined genius may transiently soar, but only toil can maintain the 
ascent it makes. To have once achieved success in those contests was worth 
ambition; to maintain the conflict on equal terms through a succession of years 
was its goal. To this he bent his powers and he has not been disappointed. 
Jealous a mistress as is the law, he paid her assiduous devotion, crowning her 
with garlands gathered from every department of her domain. Studying her 
precepts as a system of philosophy, he applied them as a science, not as an 
art. Not omitting to cultivate familiarity with adjudicated cases, it was 
rather to extract from each its underlying principle than to employ it unin- 
telligently as judicial 'ipse dixit: Aided in this by strong sense, quick per- 
ception, discriminating judgment and great power of analysis, he has united 
familiarity with the intricacies of procedure to a substantial mastery of judicial 
construction and interpretation, and the general principles governing in the 
adjudication of the multiform rights which spring from the ever-colliding 
relations of life." 

Mr. Harrison's early practice was, as before intimated, under the old 
regime of the "circuit-travel" days, which gave a far wider and more varied 
field for observation and experience with men than do modern methods. On 
this subject we cannot do better than quote a passage by Mr. Harrison him- 
self, concerning the "early Ohio bar," to which subject he so felicitously 
responded at the Thurman banquet, November 13, 1890: 

"In the early history of Ohio each judicial circuit was composed of many 
counties, and each county was very large. The lawyers traveled with the 
president judge of the circuit from county to county, on horse, over wretched 
roads, a great part of the year, with their papers and books in their 'saddle- 
bags,' and some of them not without 'flasks' and 'packs.' They were often 
compelled to lodge two-in-a-bed, thus carrying into practice Blackstone's 
theory that the Science of the law is of a sociable disposition. A session of 
a judicial court in a county was an event of interest to all the inhabitants 
thereof. It was largely attended by mere spectators. The lawyers were 
thereby stimulated to do their best, much more than they were by the pittances 
received from their clients. The elegant courtrooms of the present day, 
devoid of spectators, are by no means as favorable schools or theaters for 
advocacy and oratory as the primitive log court-houses, crowded with appre- 
ciative listeners. The early lawyers were noted for their mother wit. their 
knowledge of human nature, and their knowledge of the underlying prin- 
ciples of jurisprudence and of right, and the facility and accuracy with which 
they applied them. There were active and influential politicians, and they 
sought the gratification of their ambition by service in public life. In these 
times, to render the state some service was regarded as honorable and praise- 



54 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

worthy, as to have rendered service to the nation. (Would that this view 
were again adopted!) The early lawyers were not dwarfed by the barren 
littleness of the profession when followed as a mere trade. They were less 
anxious about fees than they were to win the applause and gain the suffrages 
of their fellow citizens. They practically illustrated the notion which regards 
the fee of the lawyer as the offering of gratitude, not as the wages of labor, 
and that a lawyer is the servant of his fellow men for the attainment of his 
justice, in which definition is expressed both the lowliness and the dignity of 
his calling. There were no stenographers in the times of the early lawyers. 
Trials were of short duration. The lawyers went straight to the material 
points in controversy and the fray was soon ended. A trial was not a siege, 
but a short hand-to-hand contest. 

"The early Ohio bar cultivated a warm professional feeling, and their 
standard of professional integrity and honor was high. There were then 
no bar associations with disciplinary jurisdiction. None were needed. Pro- 
fessional ethics and professional honor were very rarely violated, and, when 
vitiated, the offender was at once completely ostracized by his brethren and 
his occupation was gone. The free, open, fraternal and honorable character 
of the profession of the law has never been better illustrated than it was by 
the early Ohio bar." 

In 1870 Mr. Harrison was a candidate for judge of the supreme court 
of Ohio, but with his colleagues on the ticket he was defeated at the election. 
In 1875 Governor Hayes, recognizing the superior fitness of Mr. Harrison for 
the position, appointed him a member of the supreme court commission of 
Ohio, and the senate promptly and unanimously confirmed the appointment; 
but Mr. Harrison declined. He could ill afford to sacrifice a large and 
lucrative practice for the inadequate emoluments of judicial office. After- 
ward, upon the decease of Judge William W. Johnson, in 1887, Governor 
Foraker tendered a seat upon the supreme bench to Mr. Harrison, but he 
declined the honor. I 

Mr. Harrison's life, so fraught with the results of acts accomplished, is 
a striking illustration of the rewards received for unceasing and untiring 
effort. His genius is that genius which Carlyle designates as "hard work." 
Though endowed with talents of the highest order, though armored in mind 
with all the weapons of wisdom, knowledge and experience, yet he bestows 
the utmost conscientious and painstaking labor in the preparation of his cases. 
It is his habit upon occasion not merely to burn the midnight oil but not 
infrequently his task also finds him tireless at his desk till "night's candles 
are burned out," and "morn, waked by the circling hours, wnth rosy hands 
unbars the gates of light." His briefs are clear and exhaustless treatises, 
not only upon the principles but also the application of the law to the facts 
pertinent to the points at issue. They are models in logical and legal arrange- 
ment of the case at the bar, recited in all the potency and perfection of a 
masterful command of language. Nor have his herculean labors, the hand- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 55 

maid of his natural powers, been restricted to the immediate pursuits of his 
practice. Possessed of a large and fruitful mind, he has chosen for his 
intimate and familiar companions the leaders of thought, speech and action 
in all ages. A constant reader, with a remarkably retentive memory, his 
mind is stored with the choicest productions of ancient and modern classics. 
One who has been both his associate and his antagonist in the legal forum has 
said of him : 

"His style is logical, terse and compact, though not barren of illustration 
and embellishment. His singularly agreeable voice, distinct enunciation, 
candor of statement, and great earnestness of manner, win sympathy, secure 
confidence and carry conviction. In this, hardly less than in the logic of his 
words, lies the secret of his success. But the magic of his power is the courage 
of conscious right, and the boldness of thorough preparation, which dis- 
tinguishes him. Armed with these his attack is direct, pinioning wrong by 
exposing its deformity, and rearing about justice a fortress of truth. Mastery 
of self is the strength of his armor. Ever subordinating temper, his quick- 
ness of repartee and keenness of sarcasm render him invulnerable; yet so play- 
ful and pleasantly does he employ these weapons that, while their victim rarely 
wishes to provoke their second employment, his .repartee punctures without 
sting, and his sarcasm cuts without wounding." 

It is in consideration of questions of constitutional law that the mental 
acumen and legal ability of Mr. Harrison have found their most adequate 
and fitting field. As a constitutional lawyer his reputation is national, and 
he is ranked among the foremost of American lawyers. His success in the 
Boesel Railroad cases, reported in Granger's Ohio Supreme Court Reports 
(1872), established his eminence as a lawyer on constitutional questions, 
while, at the same time, it saved the people from the imposition of an oppresive 
system of taxation that would yield no return. Since that time Mr. Harrison 
has appeared either on one side or the other, before the supreme court, in the 
leading contests concerning the validity of legislative enactments. J\Ir. Har- 
rison proceeds to the presentation of his case in absolute frankness and fair- 
ness, but with the facts and law marshaled like the forces of an unconquerable 
general, with every point of the line guarded for the attack, be it offensive 
or defensive. But, great as are his powers of argument and logic, his dis- 
position is judicial rather than disputatious, and, as has often been said by 
his acquaintances of both bench and bar. it is to be regretted that the highest 
position in his profession, a seat in the national supreme court, has not 
demanded his services. Indeed, it is an interesting incident that he was at 
one time selected for that position. George Alfred Townsend, the famous 
newspaper correspondent, relates in a recently published letter, that when a 
vacancy on the bench of the supreme court of the United States was caused 
by the decease of Mr. Justice Lamar, President Harrison, in a recent con- 
versation in New York with some members of the bar, stated that it was his 
intention to nominate ]\Ir. Harrison to fill the vacancy, but that a question 



56 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

arose as to Mr. Harrison's age. Ouiet inquiry developed that he had just 
passed his sixtieth birthday, which precedence has estabhshed as the time 
limit. That fact alone prevented his nomination. Though having declined, 
among other honors, appointments to fill vacancies of the supreme court of 
Ohio, President Harrison was satisfied that Mr. Harrison would have accepted 
the appointment he was about to tender him. It would have come as acknowl- 
edgment of Mr. Harrison's unquestioned qualifications for the position. 
The late Judge Howell E. Jackson was appointed to fill the vacancy. In 
many cases in the federal and state courts Mr. Harrison has acted either as 
referee or special master of chancery. Some of them are reported. In each 
case his decision, except in so far as his conclusions were founded upon 
express direction of the court of first instance, was sustained. 

Mr. Harrison was the third president of the Ohio State Bar Associa- 
tion. 

To him the principles of the law more than science, its' practice more 
than art — to liim the profession of the law^ is a mission, a sacred calling, 
demanding not only the highest attributes of the mind but also the consecra- 
tion of character, the honesty and integrity of the most exalted and noblest 
manhood. ' At the opening of the College of Law of the Ohio State Uni- 
versity, at Coiumbus, October i, 1891, Mr. Harrison delivered the address, 
and his tribute to his profession on that occasion deserves place in this sketch. 
He said : 

"Law is not merely the instrument of government. Many persons seem 
so to regard it. But this conception of law is an erroneous one. On the 
contrary the truth is, law is the basis of public liberty and also the safeguard 
of each individual citizen's public and private rights and liberties. This is 
at least what the law of the land is in every free country. It is pre-emi- 
nently wdiat I have described it to be, in our own state and country. Where- 
fore there must necessarily be in our ow-n, and in every free state, a body 
of men who have a thorough and profound knowledge, an enlightened appre- 
ciation, and an enthusiastic love of the fundamental principles which con- 
stitute the basis of public liberty, and the private and public rights and liberties 
of the individual citizen. These liberties and rights cannot be expounded 
and vindicated, and maintained in their integrity without such a body of men. 
From their ranks magistrates, known as judges, must be chosen to administer 
the constitutional, statutory and common law of the land, and thus dispense 
public and private justice and maintain the rights of every citizen. It is a 
plain truth — perhaps an obvious commonplace — that without an enlightened 
judiciary no one's life or liberty or property or reputation is safe; and the 
efficiency of the administration of the law depends as well upon the learning, 
ability and integrity of the bar as upon the learning, ability, impartiality and 
independence of the bench. They are correlatives. As showing that the pro- 
fession of the advocate and jurist is one of the principal supports of public 
liberty and individual personal rights and lil)erties, is the historical fact that 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 57 

this calling has tiourished most amidst free institutions, and under the most 
popular governments. Not only so. This profession, in any state or country 
or age, is an efficient activity in promoting the public welfare, especially when 
its controlling members are, before entering upon their active duties, deeply 
instructed not merely in the law of the land but also in the ethics of the 
profession of the bar as^ taught by those who are alone worthy of being its 
masters and guides." 

Mr. Harrison's considerate courtesy and uniform urbanity to all, old or 
young, with whom he comes in contact, are the rare qualities of the older 
school of gentlemen, alas! too little exemplified in the present generation. 
Such a one as man, citizen and lawyer, is Mr. Harrison. Those who have 
enjoyed the boon of his friendship, aye, even the privilege of his acquaint- 
ance, will acknowledge it but due praise to say of him that he is foremost of 
those 

"Men who their duties know. 
But also know their rights, and knov.ing, dare maintain." 

Through the characters and lives of such men in the noble purpose of 
their vocation are the lines of the poet true, that 

"Sovereign law, that state's collected will. 
O'er thrones and globes elate, 
Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill." 

Mr. Harrison's domestic relations have been as happy and delightful as 
his professional career has been honorable and brilliant. On December 21, 
1847, he was married, at London, Ohio, to Miss Maria Louisa Warner, a 
daughter of Henry Warner, one of the honored pioneers of Madison county. 
Three daughters and four sons- were the result of this union. One of the 
daughters and two of the sons^ are deceased. The youngest son, Warner, wdio 
gives promise of being a worthy son of his distinguished father, is now asso- 
ciated with his father in the practice of the law, the firm being located at 
Columbus and known as Harrison, Olds, Henderson & Harrison. The firm 
was formerly Harrison, Olds' & Marsh. Mr. Marsh, now deceased, was a 
son-in-law of Mr. Harrison. D. K. Watson, formerly the attorney general 
of the state of Ohio and a congressman from the Franklin district, is a son-in- 
law of Mr. Harrison. 

REV. SA^^'YER A. HUTCHINSON. 

AVhen the country became involved in Civil war there flocked to the stand- 
ard of the nation men who came from the workshops, from the offices and from 
the fields. Every station and class of life was represented and all were actu- 
ated with the same honorable purpose, the perpetuation of the Republic, which 



58 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was founded as the result of eight years of bloodshed and of war. As long 
as memory remains to the American people they will hold in grateful remem- 
brance those whose efforts perpetuated the Union, and everywhere the blue 
uniform of the soldier awakens interest and admiration. Mr. Hutchinson 
was among the number who followed the stars and stripes upon the battle- 
fields of the south, manifesting his loyalty and bravery on many occasions. 

His life record began in' Francistown, New Hampshire, on the nth of 
May, 1 82 1, his parents being Osgood and Hannah (Fuller) Hutchinson, the 
latter a daughter of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, one of the early graduates of 
Harvard University. The boyhood of our subject was passed in his native 
town, where he acquired an academic education. He was a close and earnest 
student, and after completing his own course successfully engaged in teach- 
ing for two terms in the public schools. Wishing, however, to devote his 
life to a higher and holier calling, he prepared for the ministry, entering the 
theological school at Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1847. He there pursued 
the regular course and was graduated in June, 1850. Subsequently he took 
a post-graduate course in Oberlin College, and in 1852 he opened a prepara- 
tory school on South High street, in Columbus, where he was engaged in 
teaching for fifty terms. During a part of that time he was also an instructor 
in the schools of Dublin. 'During his pedagogic career he also engaged in 
preaching the gospel, beginning his work in the ministry at the time when he 
entered Oberlin College for post-graduate work. For a half century he de- 
voted his time partly to the work of the ministry, being ordained about 1853 
as a member of the Christian church, belonging to the Ohio Central 
Christian Conference, in which all of his ministerial work has been per- 
formed, except for a period of eight years spent in Kittery, Maine, where he 
preached the gospel, carrying the glad tidings of great joy to many listeners. 

When the Civil war was in progress he offered his services to the gov- 
ernment in 1864, for one hundred days, enlisting as a member of Company 
C, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was mus- 
tered in with the rank of second lieutenant, and after joining the army was 
sent to Virginia. The regiment held the forts on the right wing of Grant's 
army. While there Mr. Hutchinson was detailed to command a force of one 
hundred men to cut away the timbers. He participated in a number of en- 
gagements, in one of which he was deafened by the concussion of cannons, 
and his hearing has ever since been impaired. He served his term of enlist- 
ment and was then honorably discharged, but has always continued social 
relations with his army comrades through his membership in Cicero Davis 
Post, of Dublin, Ohio, of which he is now chaplain, having held the position 
continuously since the organization of the post, with the exception of one year. 

Since the war Mr. Hutchinson has resided in Franklin county with the 
exception of eight years spent in Maine. In the spring of 1865 he went south 
for a comrade, and while between Fortress Monroe and city of Washington 
was examined by an officer to see if he was Wilkes Booth, the assassin of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 59 

then at liberty and hunted by the troops. \Miile on this trip 
Mr. Hutchinson took prisoner a man who had murdered four men, grabbing 
him as he was leaving the train and pulling him over the seat, thus holding him 
until he was shackled. Mr. Hutchinson has a hat rack made from pegs from 
the cabin of the Kearsarge after the fight with the Alabama. He also has in 
his possession a splendid collection of specimens and souvenirs of the Civil 
war, numbering over a thousand, including his regimental flag. He has taken 
a very active interest in promoting the cause of the soldiers wishing to obtain 
pensions, and his labors in this direction have been very effective. 

On the 8th of July, 1850, Rev. Hutchinson was united in the holy bonds 
of matrimony to Miss Anna Havlin, of Boston, Massachusetts, a daughter of 
John and Ellen Havlin, who were also natives of the Bay state. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hutchinson became the parents of five children, — George, Hattie and 
Harry, twins, Walter and Albert, but all are now deceased. The eldest son 
was occupying a position in the navy yard at Kittery, Maine, at the time of his 
death, and is buried there. Mr. Hutchinson has taken quite an active interest 
in politics, supporting Abraham Lincoln and the measures represented by the 
Republican party. His has been a noble and upright life, devoted to the wel- 
fare of his fellow men. He is a man remarkable in the breadth of his wisdom, 
in his indomitable perseverance and his strong individuality. His life at all 
times would bear the closest scrutiny, and his influence in behalt cf what is 
right, true and good has been most marked. He is public spirited in an emin- 
ent degree, national progress and local advancement being causes both dear to 
the heart of this thoroughly loyal son of the republic. In demeanor he is 
quiet and unostentatious in manner, is pleasant and genial — an approachable 
gentleman who enjoys the warm friendship of a select circle of acquaintances. 

REV. A. PFLUEGER, M. A. 

Rev. A. Pflueger, M. A., one of the professors of the Capital University 
of Columbus, has throughout the greater part of his life been identified with 
those interests tending to the intellectual and moral development of mankind. 
His time has been consecrated to those lines of labor which lift humanity and 
make the individual better prepared for the duties of this life and better quali- 
fied for the life to come. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, November 
27, 185 1, and as his name indicates, is of German lineage. His father, Henry 
Pflueger, came to the new world from Waldeck, Germany, in 1845, ^i^d on the 
Schneider. Professor Pflueger is their eldest child and the other members of 
the family are: Henry, who was born August 21, 1853, and is a physician 
23d of January, 185 1, in Fairfield county, Ohio, he married ]\Iiss Susanna 
at Rewey, Wisconsin, and Mrs. IMary P. INIarvin. She was* born February 
20, 1858, and w^as married in Columbus in 1882, becoming a resident of Find- 
lay, Ohio, where her husband died. 

On attaining the usual age Professor Pflueger entered the public schools, 



6o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and when he had mastered the various branches that form the curriculum of 
the city schools' of Columbus he entered the Capital University, where he 
pursued his studies from 1869 until 1871. He also pursued a theplogical 
course in that institution from 1874 until 1876. At the close of his university 
course he received a call to the Lutheran church in Baltimore, Maryland, where 
he remained as the pastor until 1878. In 1878-9 he ministered to the spirit- 
ual needs of the Lutheran congregation in Troy, New York, and then returned 
to Ohio, being located at Circleville until 1881. In the latter year he was in- 
stalled as the pastor of the church of Thornville, Perry county, Ohio, where he 
continued until 1885, when he was offered his present position in the Capital 
University. He has since been connected with his itlnia mater as one of its 
instructors, and the efficiency of the work done in that institution is due in no 
small degree to his efforts. 

Professor Pflueger was married on the 12th of September,_ 1878, Miss 
Margaret A. OehlJthlaeger becoming his wife. Their marriage has been 
blessed with the following named children: Luther, born in Circleville, 
Ohio, August 26, 1879; Charles W., born in Circleville, February 11, 1881; 
Edwin B., born in Thornville, June 7, 1883; George A., born in Columbus, 
December 20, 1885; Jesse P., born at Columbus, June 6, 1888; Martin T., 
born in Columbus, February 26, 1892; and Mary E. M., born January 7, 1895. 
Professor Pflueger is a man of strong individuality, of broad humanitarian 
principles, of keen discernment and of noble purpose, and these qualities have 
enabled him to exert a strong influence over the lives o| those with whom 
he has come in contact. His classical learning, his deep human sympathy 
and his Christianity have l)een potent elements for good in aiding those who 
have come under his' ministrations or instructions, and his life work has cer- 
tainly made the world better. 

EVERETT T. TIDD, LI. D._ 

Dr. Tidd, of Columbus, was born in West Virginia, near Parkersburg, 
in October, 1867, a son of Andrew C. Tidd and a grandson of Chas Tidd. 
The former was born in Monroe county, Ohio, and after arri\ing at years 
of maturity married Philena Knowles, a native of Meigs county, Ohio. 
After their marriage they removed to West Virginia, wdiere they remained 
for a few years, and the father carried on merchandising in INIarysville. His 
death occurred in that city May 19, 1900, but his' wife is still living, at the old 
homestead. She is a daughter of James and Harriet (Stone) Knowles. 

The Doctor spent his early boyhood days in the state of his nativity, where 
for a time he attended the public schools. He also continued his education in 
private schools and later acted as his' father's assistant in the store. Wishing 
to devote his energies to the practice of medicine, he began reading under 
the direction of Dr. E. W. Rine at Long Bottom. Ohio. In March, 1893, 
he was graduated in the Starling Medical College, at Columbus, and soon 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 6i 

afterward located in the capital city at No. 112 Schiller street, and has con- 
ducted a general practice to the present time. 

On the 22d of November, 1898, Dr. Tidd was united in marriage to ]Miss 
Linna C. Sass, of Columbus', a daughter of Fred C. and Elizabeth Sass. So- 
cially he is connected with Germania Lodge, No. 4, K. P. He is a young man, 
energetic, resolute, ambitious, and the.'^e qualities are salient features of a 
successful career. 

EMMETT A. BRENNEMAN. 

Among the most educated and respected residents of Prairie township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, who have made a success of horticulture, must be 
mentioned Emmett A. Brenneman. The grandfather, Christian, and the 
father. Solomon, were both natives of York county, Pennsylvania, and both 
grew up as farmer boys, the latter engaging in the milling business. The 
mother of our suliject was Rebecca (Zeller) Brenneman, who came to Ohio 
with her parents, at the age of ten years, from Berks county, Pennsylvania. 

^^l^en the gold excitement swept through the country. Solomon Brenne- 
man was amongst the first to go to the Golden State, California. The trip 
to the mines was overland, and for four years he mined in the most noted 
mines in that state. Returning with the benefits' of his infinite labor, he then 
became the leading miller of Rickley's Mill, on the banks of the Scioto river; 
and later he purchased one hundred acres in Prairie towaiship, living for eight 
years in a double log house, and then, tearing it down and replacing it by a 
brick residence, he enjoved the new dwelling but two years when he was called 
aAvay by death. The mother survi\-ed him until 1881. J\Ir. Brenneman was 
a Republican in his political views, and for some years both beloved parents 
were members of the Methodist church. Their children were: Julia E., 
\vho is now Mrs. Koch and resides with our subject; Susan E., who is now 
Mrs. Fred Stanch; Emmett, the subject of this review, who was married 
June 5, 1901, to Laura Planck, of Franklin township, one of the most success- 
ful and exemplary teachers of that township for the past seven years; and 
Edward G.. who married Ella Colvin, all of whom resick in Prairie township. 

Emmett A. Brenneman, whose name introduces this record, was born on 
the 3d o^f February, 1866, and attended the district school until he was fifteen 
years old, after which he was obliged to remain at home. He was naturally 
very ambitious and studious, and of a very apt nature. He grew\ like the 
great and admired character, Horace Greeley, occupying every spare moment 
at his books. He took a course in shorthand writing and for three years 
taught it by mail. He also took up the scientific course of Chautauqua in- 
struction, which he pursued through four years and received a diploma for 
the same. Owing to increasing farm duties he has been obliged to curtail 
his hours over his beloved books; yet hi? whole life in every respect remains 
as a model or guide to others. 



62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

In 1890 Air. Brenneman engaged in the small-fruit business, and now 
has fifty-seven acres devoted to every profitable variety. He has been a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran church since youth, and has taught in the Sunday- 
schools since he was seventeen years old, and has become one of the best and 
most prominent church workers in the neighborhood in which he resides. In 
politics Mr. Brenneman calls himself an independent, although he cast his first 
vote for Harrison. He does not wish to be bound by any party lines and casts 
his' ballot for the men he believes will best protect and defend the interests of 
the country. One of his greatest enjoyments is his understanding of scientific 
topics, and he owns a fine and complete library on these subjects. 

JOHN L. MILLER. 

Xo matter how much one may indulge in fantastic theorizing as to the 
cause of success, the superstructure of prosperity will be f(^und to rest upon a 
foundation of earnest and indefatigable labor, of capable management and 
honorable dealing. It is thus that Mr. Miller has won a place among the sub- 
stantial citizens of Franklin county and his record has ever been fiich as to 
command for him the respect, confidence and good will of those with whom 
he has been associated. He w^as born in Harlem township, Delaware county, 
Ohio, January i, 1838, his parents being John and Nancy (Cockrell) Miller. 
The father was born in Muskingum countv, in 1808, and when a youth of nine 
years removed to Delaware county wi"h his parents, being there reared to 
manhood. After his marriage he settled on a farm of one hundred acres in 
Harlem township, wdiere he remained for fifteen years, when the farm was 
sold for taxes' and he purchased it, making it his place of abode up to the 
time of his death. After his purchase of the farm he removed the old cabin 
further from the road and erected a commodious frame residence. He also 
made many other substantial improvements upon the place, transforming it 
into a valuable property. 

He wedded Nancy Cockrell, who was born in Harlem township, Delaware 
county, in 181 2, and was a representative of an old Virginia family. Her 
death occurred in 1862, and three of her five children are yet living, namely: 
John Leroy; Mathew A., a teacher of Fort Smith, Arkansas'; and Sarah, the 
wife of Frank Haroun, of Delaware county. After the death of his first wife 
the father married Miss Hannah Barr, a native of Virginia, and she is still 
living, her home being in Centerville, Delaware county. The only child born 
of this marriage w^as Ida, the wife of Frank Orndorff, of Delaw^are county. 
The father died in March, 1880, and the community thereby lost one of its 
most valued and representative citizens. He gave his political support to the 
Democracy and' in- early life he joined the Presbyterian church, but during 
the war he withdrew from that denomination and united with the Christian 
church, in which faith he died. For many years he served as a deacon and he 
took an active part in church work, doing all in his power to promote the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 63 

cause of Christianity among his fellow men. His word was as good as' any 
bond that was ever solemnized by signature or seal. He was highly esteemed 
for his honesty and uprightness of character and his' example is certainly 
well worthy of emulation. 

John Leroy Miller spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old 
homestead and early became familiar with the work of field and meadow, 
assisting in the plowing in the spring time, in the cultivation of the crops 
through the summer and in garnering the harvests in the autumn. His' edu- 
cational privileges were limited, as he had no opportunity to attend school 
until his sixteenth year, for the school house was a mile and a half from his 
home and he was very frail, a frailty succeeded, however, by a vigorous man- 
hood. After entering busines's life he realized the necessity and importance 
of education and did the most to improve his opportunities. Business experi- 
ence, observation, reading and investigation in later years have made him a 
well informed man and he is now numbered among the intelligent and valued 
residents of his township. 

On the 17th of Feljruary, 1859, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to 
Miss Julia A. Adams, a native of Delaware county, Ohio, and a daughter of 
William and Sarah Adams, the father now deceased, while the mother is in 
Westerville. Mr. and Mrs. Miller became the parents of three children, but 
only one is now living, John R. The mother died in 1867, and on the 19th 
of March, 1868, Mr. Miller was joined in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Gorsuch, 
a native of Harlem township, Delaware county. Her death occurred in Janu- 
ary, 1 88 1, and on the 19th of March, 1884, was celebrated the marriage of 
Mr. Miller and Miss Celia H. Dent, a native of Trenton township, Delaware 
county. Her father, Edward H. Dent, was born in Licking county, Ohio, 
and after his marriage took up his abode in Delaware county. Elder L. B. 
Hanover, who is still living, performed all three ceremonies for our subject. 
The children of the present marriage are Ethel D. and Leroy D., both of whom 
are attending school. 

After his marriage Mr. Miller resided upon a farm belonging to his 
father-in-law until the fall of 1866, when he operated the William Hunt farm 
for a year. He subsequently worked on the Jonathan Batesson farm for a 
year, receiving three hundred and fifty dollars for his services, and then 
removed to the Bigelow Bennett farm, near Centerville, renting that land. 
In 1868 he took up his abode on the farm now owned by Melvin B. Rich, in 
Harlem township, and a year later he removed to the Williams farm, for which 
he paid cash rent for two years. He made money in this way, it being his 
first notable success. In the spring of 1870 he removed to a tract of land in 
Plain township, Franklin county, owned by his father-in-law, Thomas Gor- 
such. > Li 1868 he began operating a thresher and soon afterward began the 
manufacture of lumber, conducting a sawmill during the winter season for two 
years. He continued his threshing: operations to a greater or less extent until 
1895, when his interests at home demanded his attention and he gave up that 



64 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

industry. After two years' spent upon his father-in-law's place he purchased 
fifty-six acres of his present farm, for which he paid seventy-five dollars per 
acre. He made a cash payment of five hundred dollars, giving his note for the 
balance, and as he prospered he cleared off all indebtedness and added to the 
place until the homestead now comprises two hundred and sixty-two acres of 
vahial>le land. He also owns one hundred and fifty-six acres in Delaware 
county, which he purchased in 1885. He has been engaged in buying and sell- 
ing stock and has been an extensive feeder of hogs, finding this a very profit- 
able source of income. He is als'o one of the directors of the Westerville 
Bank and owns residence property in Westerville. 

In his political views Mr. Miller is a Democrat, giving an unswerving 
support to the principles of his party. He served as township trustee for fif- 
teen year? and has often been solicited to become a candidate for other offices, 
but has always refused. Fraternally he is connected with Caledonia Lodge, 
No. 416, F. '& A. M., of New Albany, and he belongs to Mispah Chapter, 
No. 38, Order of the Eastern Star, of Westerville. Handicapped in his youth 
by a lack of education, he has, nevertheless, conquered an adverse fate, work- 
ing his way steadily upward to afikience. His life his'tory stands in exempli- 
fication of what may be accomplished through determined and earnest pur- 
pose when guided by sound judgment. In all his dealings he has sustained 
an unassailable reputation and his worth as a business man and citizen is 
widely known. 

WILLIAM O. THOMPSON. 

The Rev. William Oxley Thompson is one who has devoted his life to 
the work of the ministry and to the task of instructing the young along lines 
of mental advancement which are the source of preparation for the respon- 
sible duties which devolve upon each individual as he puts aside the text- 
books to take up the work which must follow the labors of the school room. 
He is numbered among Ohio's native sons and has gained more than a state- 
wide reputation as a minister and teacher. He was born in Cambridge, Guern- 
sey county, Ohio, September 5, 1855, and is a son of David Glenn and Agnes 
Miranda Thompson. His paternal grandfather, David Thompson, was a 
native of the north of Ireland, and on emigrating to America took up his 
abode in Guernsey county, in the year 181 3. He was a weaver by trade, but 
became a farmer upon his removal to the Buckeye state. His son, David 
Glenn Thompson, was born May 7. 18 14, and spent hi? life in Guernsey, Musk- 
ingum and Licking counties, his death occurring in New Concord, Ohio, on 
the 25th of October, 1892. Upon leaving the farm be learned the trade of 
shoemaker and followed that occupation throughout his active business career. 
He enlisted as a soldier in the National Guards in 1864, becoming a member 
of the One Hundred and Sixtieth Regiment, with which he served chiefly 
in the Shenandoah vallev. He married Agnes ^liranda Oxley, a daughter 




WILLIAM 0. THOMPSON. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 65 

of Joel Murrey Oxley, who was born January 6, 1808, in Smithfield, Jeffer- 
son county, Ohio, and was a woolen manufacturer. Mrs. Thompson's birth 
occurred March 26, 1824, and she now resides in New Concord, Ohio. 

William Oxley Thompson was educated in the village schools of New 
Concord, Ohio, and of Brownsville. In early youth he worked upon a farm 
until he was able to attend college. When he found it possible to continue 
his studies he entered Muskingum College, where he completed the classical 
course and won the degree of bachelor of arts in 1878, being graduated at 
the head of his class. In 1872 he went to Lawn Ridge, Illinois, where he 
was employed as a farm hand through the summer months and in the win- 
ter devoted his attention to teaching school. In this way he gained the 
capital necessary to enable him to continue his studies. Wishing to devote his 
life to a work that Avould benefit his fellow men, he pursued the study of 
theology in the Western Theological Seminary, in Allegheny City, P'ennsyl- 
vania, where he was graduated in the class of 1882. His olma mater con- 
ferred upon him the degree of master of arts in 1881 and that of doctor of 
divinity in 1891, while the Western University of Pennsylvania, at Allegheny 
City, conferred upon him the honorary degree of doctor of laws in 1897. 

After completing his course in the theological school Mr. Thompson went 
as a home missionary to Odelbolt, Iowa, where he remained until 1885. He 
was licensed by the presbytery of Zanesville, at Dresden, on the 13th of April, 
1 88 1, and was ordained by the presbytery of Fort Dodge, in Fort Dodge, 
Iowa, July 13, 1882. In 1885 he removed to Longmont, Colorado, where he 
served as the pastor for a little more than six years, during four years of 
which time he was also the president of the newly projected Longmont Col- 
lege. In 1 89 1 he was called to the presidency of the Miami University, at 
Oxford, Ohio, where he served until 1899, when he was o.^ered and accepted 
the presidency of the Ohio State University, at Columbus, and is now thus 
connected with the educational work of the state. He has not only main- 
tained but has raised the high standard of this institution and is continually 
in touch with the progress that is being made in educational circles. He is 
not only a man of broad scholarly attainments but also of broad humanitarian 
principles, and he regards education not merely as the acquisition of knowledge 
but as a preparation for life that one may correctly perform the duties which 
come to him, gain success and develop a character that commands the admira- 
tion and respect of the world. 

^ JOHN E. BECIv\MTH. 

One of the oldest passenger engineers in the Pennsylvania Railroad ser- 
vice is John E. Beckwith. who residesi at No. 821 North Fourth street, in 
Columbus. He was born July 17, 1835, '^^'^ Somerset; Ohio, and represents one 
of the honored and prominent old families of the state. His grandfather, 
Hon. David Beckwith, was for a numl^er of years' judge of the court of com- 



66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

mon pleas of Perry county, Ohio, and died at his home in that county in 
1818. 

John Beckwith, the father of our subject, was born in Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania, May 9, 1791, and prior to the second war with England he lo- 
cated in Perry county, Ohio. During the war of 1812 he joined the service 
under Colonel Joel Strong. In July, 181 8, he was appointed clerk of the 
courts of Perry county and acceptably acted in that capacity for ten years. 
Then, after an interval of four years, he was reappointed^ in 1832, continu- 
ing in the office until 1839. Once more, in 1848, he was appointed to that 
office. His service in the one office covered about a third of a century; and 
the fact that he was several times re-elected after an interval in which some 
one else held the office shows that his work was regarded as superior to that 
of any other incumbent. He died December 3, 1873, and his wife, Mrs. 
Isabel Beckwith, who was born in Middletown, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, 
passed away on the 15th of December, 1880. 

They had three sons and three daughters', namely : John E. ; David, 
who died at the age of five years; Joel, who died in 1854; Emma, now de- 
ceased, who became the wife of Benjamin Stone, who died September 29, 
1849, '^"d on the 14th of August, 1853, she became the wife of Dr. Dorsey, 
now a resident of Dalta. Dalta county, Colorado, who served in the Third 
Ohio Infantry in the Civil war; Catherine, the widow of J. H. O'Neill, 
a prominent attorney of Somerset, Ohio, who once represented his county in 
the state legislature ; and Elizabeth, the wife of Dr. Spellman, formerly of 
Somerset but now a resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

John E. Beckwith of this review acquired his early education in the state 
of his birth and began work in tlie employ of a railroad company on the 9th 
of February, 1862, acting as a fireman on the Piqua division of the Pan- 
handle road under Engineer James Fleavy, with whom he ran until 1863^ 
He was then placed on a passenger engine under Engineer James Gormerly, 
continuing on that run until the middle of May, 1865, when he was made yard 
engineer in the Piqua yards of Columbus. He acted in that capacity for 
twelve months, when he was promoted to the position of engineer in the 
roundhouse in Columbus, sierving until January, 1867, when he was made 
road engineer. In January, 1871, he was appointed engineer on the passenger 
train and has continuously served in that way since. He has never had a 
wreck or collision and has never sustained any personal injuries while in the 
railroad employ. For a quarter of a century he hasi been a member of the 
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The great care which he exercises 
in performing his duties is indicated by the fact that his work has been en- 
tirely free from accident of any description. 

On the 3d of July, 1857, in Cincinnati. Ohio, by Archbishop Purcell, Mr. 
Beckwith was united in marriage to Miss Mary Clossick, and unto them have 
been born the following named : Mary I., born April 2, 1870; John H., May 
I, 1872; Lillian C, February 24, 1876; and William F., December 17, 1878. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 67 

The elder daughter was married, by the Rev. Father J. B. Eisi, on the 15th of 
October, 1896, to John C. Cornell, and their children are: Mary C, born 
August 30, 18*97; Isabel ]\I., October 30, 1898; and John D., September 2, 
1900. John H. Beckwith, the elder son of the family, was married October 
18, 1893, to Miss Cora Belle IMellon, of Columbus, where they now reside. 
The Rev. Father J. B. Eis also performed that ceremony. 

Mr. Beckwith joined the Methodist church when a young man but is not 
now a member of any church, while his wife and children are all members 
of the Sacred Heart Catholic church of this city. Mr. Beckwith's' connection 
with railroad service covers almost forty years, during which time .he has 
gained a reputation in the line of his chosen calling that is indeed creditable 
and enviable. 

JOSEPH WRIGHT. 

Among those who have in former years been prominent in the business 
affairs of Franklin county, and are now numbered among those who have made 
their way to that "undiscovered country from wdiose bourne no traveler re- 
turns," is Joseph Wright. He came to Franklin county in 1846 and took up 
his abode in Clinton township in ,1854, being long identified with its agri- 
cultural interests. At that time he purchased fifty acres of partially improved 
land and to its further development and cultivation he gave his energies, mak- 
ing it a very valuable property. He married Miss Nancy M. Sharp and when 
they came to Franklin county they were the parents of three children, namely: 
Samuel P., Mary A. and Rosetta M. The elder daughter became the wife 
of Levi Johnson and died in April, 1900, while Rosetta is the wife of iMartin 
Rauck, wdio resides in Mifflin township. 

Mrs. \A^right was a daughter of C^ornelius Sharp, one of the pioneer set- 
tlers of Ohio, who came to the west from New York. He located i:i Blen- 
don, Franklin county, where his wife died. ~Mv. Sharp had a family of chil- 
dren, namely : James. Peter, Cornelius, Carlyle, Anson and Nancy M. For 
his second wife Mr. Sharp chose Mrs. Munger,'a widow. He lived in Frank- 
lin county throughout his remaining days and died in January, 1869, on the 
old homestead which joined the farm now occupied by his grandson, Samuel 
Wright. He was a man of deep religious convictions and in early Kfe was 
an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal church. At the time of the war of 
181 2 he entered his country's service and participated in the battle of Platts- 
burg. In his political affiliationsi he was a Democrat, giving unswerving sup- 
port to the principles of the party. Joseph Wright and his wife also held 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and were exemplary Christian 
people, widely known and honored for their many excellencies of character. 
The former died in July. 1896, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife 
passed away in February. 1884, at the age of sixty-five. 

Samuel P. Wright, their only Pon and eldest child, was born in Sun- 



68 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 

bury, Delaware county, Ohio, March 20, 1843, ^"d in 1846 was brought by 
his parents to Frankhn county where he pursued his education in the pubHc 
schools and assisted in the work of the home farm until the inauguration of 
the Civil war when his patriotic spirit was aroused by the attempt of the 
rebellious south to overthrow the Union. He enlis'ted in May, 1864, when 
twenty-one years of age, becoming a member of the boys in blue, of Company 
C, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for one hun- 
dred -days' service. He was soon transferred to the seat of war, the com- 
mand being first located at Parkersburg, West Virginia, and afterward at- 
tached .to General Butler's army. He saw active service during his entire 
term and- was honorably discharged at its close in August, 1864. 

Samuel Wright was married on the 26th of February, 1868, to Miss 
Leora A. Mock, who was born in Franklin county in 1848, a daughter of 
Joseph and Minerva (Innis) Mock, early settlers of the county. Her father 
was; born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, being a son of Michael Mock, 
a native of Pennsylvania, who at an early day came with his family to Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, locating in Clinton township, upon a farm. He was among 
the first settlers in this portion of the state and secured his land from the 
government. Not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made 
thereon, but he cleared and improved the fields and in the course of time his 
labors' were rewarded by bounteous harvests. There he lived through the 
remainder of his days. In his family Avere the following children: Mich- 
ael, Elizabeth, Catherine, Jacob, John, who remained in Pennsylvania, Samuel, 
Joseph and ]\Iary. Joseph Mock was a young lad when he came to Franklin 
county with his- parents. He married Miss Minerva Innis, a daughter of 
the Rev. Henry and Isabel (Pegg) Innis. The young couple began their 
domestic life upon a farm and spent their remaining days: in Franklin county. 
Mr. Mock served for three months in the Civil war as a member of Company 
A, of the One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was 
then honorably discharged. In the family were six children, namely : Me- 
lissa L., the deceased wife of L. S. Wood;- Clifford, who died at the age of 
twelve months; Leora A., the wife of S. P. Wright; Henry A., who married 
Eliza Swartz and is now deceased ; Ida, the wife of J. V. Harrison ; and Charles 
E., who married Rebecca Martin. The father of this' family died on Sep- 
tember 23, 1885, at the age of sixty-seven years, his birth having occurred in 
1818. His wife was born in i8ig and died in 1879. Both were members of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, being long identified with that organization, 
and their lives were consistent with their profession. Mr. Mock was a stanch 
Republican and took an active interes't in political afi"airs, doing all in his power 
to advance the work of his party. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wright lias been blessed with t'^n chil- 
dren, of whom eight are living, as follows: Minerva M.. the wife of E. G. 
Burwell; Alary A., the wife of Armie Burwell ; Emerett N.. the wife of L. 
E. Rhodes; Leora L., the wife of C. W. jNIiles; Carlisle and S. Lerov at home; 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 69 

Earl C. and Williard F., at home; Ida R. died December 31, 1898, at the 
age of thirteen years; and Joseph M. died in 1869 two days after birth. Both 
Mr. and Mrs. Wright have membership connection with the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, to which the latter has belonged since twelve years of age He 
is a member of Henry C. Burr Post, No. 711, G. A. R., of Worthington, 
Ohio. His farm comprises one hundred and thirty-six acres of land all of 
which is under a high state of cultivation and the many fine improvements 
thereon are in keeping with the progressive spirit of the age. 

ALVIN LEE NICHOLS. 

Prominent among the business men of Grove City is numbered A. L. 
Nichols, a general merchant of that place. No one is better known in this 
vicinity, for his entire life has been spent here, and all his interests from 
boyhood have been closely associated with this locality. In business affairs 
he has met with excellent success, and by the energy and zeal he has mani- 
fested he has won the confidence and esteem of the public. 

A native of Franklin county, Mr. Nichols was born in Jackson township 
November 2, 1859, and is a son of William and Sarah (Alkire) Nichols, the 
former a native of Lewis county, West Virginia, the latter of Franklin county, 
Ohio. His paternal grandfather was Philip Nichols, a native of Virginia. 
The maternal grandfather, Jesse Alkire, came from West Virginia to Ohio 
at a very early day, and became one of the pioneers of Franklin county. He 
located in the forest of Franklin township, and there cleared and improved a 
farm. Wlien about sixteen years of age he took up his residence in this county, 
where he worked at his trade as a plasterer, and also owned and operated a 
mill at Grove City for a number of years. Politically he was a supporter of 
the Democratic party, and as one of the leading citizens of his community he 
was called upon to fill several local offices, serving as township trustee and a 
member of the school board for some time. He died July 19, 1900, hon- 
ored and respected by all who knew him. His wife is still living and makes 
her home in Grove City. In their family were two children : Alvin Lee, our 
subject ; and Alice, at home with her mother. 

Alvin L. Nichols was reared in his native township, and began his edu- 
cation in the public schools of Grove City. Later he attended business col- 
lege for some time, and pursued a course at the normal school in Lebanon, 
where he was fitted for teaching. At the age of sixteen he turned his atten- 
tion to that profession, his first school being in Jackson township, and for 
ten years he continued to engage in teaching in Truro, Franklin and Jackson 
townships, the last three years being employed in the Grove City school. 
Before laying aside that pursuit he embarked in merchandising at Grove City, 
and has conducted a general store at that place for sixteen years, his father 
being a partner in the business for a time. Mr. Nichols' has also been inter- 
ested in the lumber business, at one time operating three sawmills, in which 



70 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

were sawed the lumber for the trestle on Big Run, about one-fourth of a mile 
long. He has owned an interest in other business enterprises, including the 
canning company of Grove City, which during the busy season furnishes 
employment to eighty hands. He is also a member of the Grove City Fair 
Association, of which he was president two years, and is one of the most 
prominent and influential business men of the place. 

In June, 1890, Mr. Nichols married Miss Nora Cruces, and to them 
have been born four children, namely: Pearl, Lorene, Mabel and Beatrice. 
The parents are both members of the Presbyterian church and in the social 
circle of Grove City occupy an enviable position. I\Ir. Nichols' popularity 
hasi been shown by his election to important official position. He served as 
mayor of the city for two years and during his administration did more in 
the way of improvements than had been accomplished in the ten years pre- 
vious. As a member of the city council he took an active part in advancing 
the interests of the place, and has always given a liberal support to any enter- 
prise for the public benefit. He also served as clerk of Jackson township 
seven years, township treasurer two years, and is now a member of the 
school board of Grove City, and the Democratic candidate for county treas- 
urer. Politically he has always been a stanch supporter of the Democracy, 
and for eight years he held .the office of postmaster of Grove City. Frater- 
nally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows. He is the patentee of a tally sheet used in the election pre- 
cincts throughout Ohio known as the Nichols talley sheet, and has also copy- 
righted a school register, with many new and interesting features. In all 
his undertakings he has prospered thus far, his excellent success being but 
the logical result of his careful and correct business methods', and he now 
occupies an enviable position in business, political and social circles. 

CLARK WORTHINGTON. 

Clark Worthington Avas born January 3, 1855, on the old family home- 
stead in Pleasant township, which is still his place of abode. His father, 
Robert Worthington, an ov;n cousin of Governor Worthington, of Ohio, was 
born near Doylestown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, November 9, 181 3, and 
there remained until he had attained his majority. His privileges and oppor- 
tunities were few, for his father died when the son was but seventeen years 
of age, and Robert Worthington was then bound out to Thomas Kilbourne, 
of that county, remaining and working upon his farm until he was twenty- 
one years, of age. He also studied surveying to some extent. On attaining 
his majority he started for Ohio, traveling part of the way by stage and cars 
and walked the remaining distance. He was accompanied by John Mad- 
lock, a youth of his own age. On reaching his destination Mr. Worthington 
secured employment on the farm of John Stump, of Pleasant township, where 
he remained for a vear, receiving eight dollars per month in compensation 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 71 

for his services: He then went to Clinton county and worked for four years, 
driving a team and there he received from thirteen to fifteen dollars per month. 
He afterward returned to the home of Mr. Stump and married his daughter 
Ann, the marriage being celebrated ]\Iarch 12, 1839. She was born in Bucks 
county, Pennsylvania, in 181 7, and there remained until thirteen years of 
age, when with her parents, John and Catherine (Walters) Stump, she came 
to Pleasant township, Franklin county, Ohio, where she grew to womanhood. 

After his marriage Robert Worthington purchased one hundred and 
twenty-live acres' of wild land, now owned by Charles E. Worthington, and 
in the midst of the forest he erected a cabin home sixteen by eighteen feet. 
It was built of hewed logs and contained two rooms, the house being heated 
by a fireplace, over which the meals were also cooked. He cleared and devel- 
oped his farm and was familiar with many of the struggles and hardships 
incident to pioneer life. The work of cutting away the forest trees and pre- 
paring the soil for cultivation, how^ever, he lived to see, the entire district in 
which he located being transformed into one of the best farming portions 
of Ohio. Quick to note and improve opportunities he made the mosl; of his 
advantages and became very successful. In 1857 he removed to his farm of 
one hundred and twelve and a half acres at Pleasant Corners, for which he 
paid six dollars and a quarter per acre. As the years passed, however, he 
added to his landed possessions until his accumulations comprised five hun- 
dred and twenty acres. His business and executive ability was superior and 
his enterprise and keen discrimination enabled him to advance steadily upon 
the path to prosperity. Upon the homestead at Pleasant Corners he remained 
until his death, October 24, 1888, and was actively associated w^ith the culti- 
vation of his land until that time. He took an active interest in politics, 
being a stalwart Democrat, and for several years he served as trustee of his 
township, while through a long period he acted as school director, but would 
never consent to become a candidate for a county of^ce. He was reared in 
the faith of the Society of Friends, but was liberal to all churches, giving 
freely of his means in support of the various denominations and for charit- 
able purposes. Plis wife held members'hip in the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and survived her husband about thirteen months. He w^as a useful citizen 
in his neighborhood, had the marked regard of many friends and the deep 
love of his family, for he was a tender and considerate husband and father. 
Mr. and Mrs. Worthington became the parents of six children : Jane, now 
the wife of Maurice Bradfield, who is living near West Jefiferson^ Ohio ; John 
W., who married Harriet England, and served as a soldier in the Civil war 
and died on the home farm; IMary C, who became the wife of Jacob White, 
and died at Pleasant Corners, in 1900; George W., who married Sarah Ann 
Smith and lives in Pleasant township; Sarah, who became the wife of Will- 
iam Rush, and died in Pickaway county, Ohio; and Clark, of this review. 

When our subject was' in his third year his parents removed to Pleasant 
Corners, and when he had attained the usual age he entered school there, 



72 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

continuing his studies until twenty years of age. During the summer months 
he assisted in the work of the home farm. At Pleasant Corners, on the 21st 
of February, 1878, he married Miss Josephine Wade, of Pleasant township, 
a daughter of Abner and Annie (Gorrell) Wade. For eleven years after 
their marriage Mr. Worthington remained with his father and at the latter's 
death took possession of the farm, which was his share of the estate. He 
built his present home in 1892 and has a very fine homestead which stands 
in the midst of highly cultivated fields. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Worthington have been born seven children, namely : 
Grace, now the wife of Harry E. Cardiff, of Ashville, North Carolina; Elmer 
C, who was killed by lightning at the age of fourteen years; Mary C. ; Hat- 
tie M.; Leona; Carmen McDowell; and Reva Nell. The parents hold mem- 
bership in the United Brethren church, in which Mr. Worthington is serving 
as' trustee and treasurer. In politics he is a zealous advocate of the Democ- 
racy, and for six years has served as trustee of Pleasant township. He was 
re-elected in the spring of 1901, for another term of three years, and his 
public duties have ever been discharged in a manner highly satisfactory. 

EMILIUS O. RANDALL. 

Emilius Oviatt Randall, a lawyer, professor and editor, was born ar 
Richfield, Ohio, October 28, 1850, the only son of David Austin and Harriet 
Newton (Oviatt) Randall. His mother was the daughter of Captain Heman 
Oviatt, who emigrated from Connecticut to Hudson, Ohio, in 1800. Her 
grandfather served in the continental troops, while on the paternal side, two 
great-grandfathers, John Randall and Patrick Pemberton, fought in the Rev- 
olutionary war. 

Emilius Randall was brought to Columbus when but a few weeks old 
and it has been his home ever since. His education was begun in the public 
schools of Columbus, and he was prepared for college in Phillips Academy, 
Andover, Massachusetts, entered Cornell University in the fall of 1870, and 
graduated in the literary course of that university with a degree of Ph. B., 
and later pursuing a two-years course, post-graduate, there and also in 
Europe. 

From 1878 to 1890 Mr. Randall gave his attention to merchandising and 
literary pursuits in Columbus, and in the intervals of business read law under 
the direction of Frank C. Hubbard, of the Columbus bar. He was admitted 
to practice by the supreme court of Ohio, June 5, 1890, and was graduated 
at the law school of the Ohio State University in 1892 with the degrees of 
LL. B. and LL. M. He is a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon and Phi 
Delta Phi college fraternities. In 1892 he was made instructor of commercial 
law in his legal alma mater and professor of commercial law in the same 
institution in 1895. 

Mr. Randall has received so many honors and appointments from his 




E. O. RANDALL. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 73 

fellow citizens and legal associates that there is no doubt of the esteem i:i 
which he is held. On the 14th of May, 1895, he was appointed reporter of 
the supreme court of Ohio by the judges of that court, and he has edited and 
published twelve volumes of the decisions of the court. He was elected the 
president of the Columbus Board of Trade for the year 1887 and was a mem- 
ber of the board of education of Columbus from 1887 to 1889, declining a 
re-election. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Columbus 
Library, having been first elected to that office in 1884 by the city council 
and re-elected every two years since that time, and is also a member of the 
American Bar Association, the American Library Association, American 
Historical Association, Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and 
the Ohio State Bar Association. In February, 1893, be was appointed by 
Governor McKinley a trustee of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical 
Society, to which position he was reappointed by Governor Bushnell in Feb- 
ruary, 1896, and has acted as the secretary of that society since February, 
1894,^ also editing six volumes of that society's publications. He is the 
author of several monographs on literary and historical subjects. 

In politics Mr. Randall is a Republican. He was a member of the com- 
mittee of seven chosen by the Columbus Constitutional Convention in Janu- 
ary, 1891, to draft the charter of the present municipal government of the city. 

Mr. Randall's preparation for practice at the bar was far superior to 
that of the average lawyer. His literary attainments were broad and high; 
his judgment was mature; his experience in affairs large and varied; he 
knew much of business and of men; he was familiar with the practical side- 
of life through the intercourse of business and trade. This accumulation 
of experience was invaluable and gave him at once a standing at the bar 
which young lawyers without such aids attain only after years of effort and 
struggle. He is patient and a thorough student of the problems of law, his 
mind being trained to study and investigate is satisfied with nothing less than 
a clear understanding of the principles and the philosophy of constitutional 
and statute law. He is widely known as a lecturer, is a ready and entertain- 
ing speaker and is especially successful as an after-dinner orator, and is as 
giftecl with his pen as with his tongue. 

Mr. Randall was married, October 28, 1874. to Mary, a daughter of 
John H. and Catherine A. (Granger) Coy, of Ithaca, New York, and they 
have three children. Rita, a daughter, and two sons, — David Austin and 
Sherman Bronson Randall. 

DEXNIS J. CLAHAXE. 

The subject of the present sketch, Dennis J. Clahane. is a prominent 
business man and public official of the city of Columbus. Ohio. He was born 
in this city in 185 1. a son of James and Mary (Hanlon) Clahane, both of 
whom were born in Ireland, having emigrated from that country to America 
when young. They married in Boston, Massachusetts, where they resided 
until 1846, when they came to Columbus, Ohio. Here Mr. Clahane pur- 



74 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

chased a small tract of vacant property on what is now West Broad street, 
which later became very valuable, and upon this he located and here reared 
his family. His death occurred in 1893, his wife surviving him until 1898. 
Both of them had been devout and consistent members of the Holy Family 
Catholic church and they left a large circle of mourning friends, who had 
respected them during life and will long cherish their memory. 

Our subject, Dennis J. Clahane, received his education in the excellent 
public schools of his native city, graduating at the high school with credit. 
He then entered the store of his father, who was engaged in the grocery 
business, and remained in his employ until 1892, at which time he formed 
a partnership with his brother, John E., under the firm name of D. & J. 
Clahane, retail and wholesale grocers, at 295-7 West Broad street, Colum- 
bus, Ohio, which continues at the present time. The firm has built up a 
fine business and have an extensive patronage. 

Mr. Clahane is a progressive and enterprising man and works faithfully 
for the best interests of the city, of which he is pardonably proud. He was 
instrumental in the organization of the Hanover Pressed Brick Company in 
1892, and upon the organization of the same he was made its president, 
which responsible position he holds at the present time. The business has 
grown to vast proportions and is now reckoned among the important indus- 
tries of the city. 

One of the finest flat buildings of the city, on \\'est Broad street, was 
erected by Mr. Clahane, in 1898. It is modern in every way, an ornament to 
the locality. In conjunction with this most valuable piece of real estate INIr. 
Clahane is the owner of other property and deals in holdings for others. 
In 1898 he erected his beautiful residence, which is both convenient, with all 
the improvements of the latest utility, and attractive both outside and within. 
The marriage of Mr. Clahane took place in 1896, Miss Ethel Dennis, 
a daughter of Hugh Dennis, an old and prominent citizen, becoming his wife. 
Mr. Clahane has always taken a very active part in all political matters, 
is a strong Republican, and in 1897 was made chairman of the Republican 
executive committee. From 1888 to 1892 he served as a member of the city 
council, of which he was president one year. In May, 1900, Mayor Samuel 
J. Schwartz appointed him to the position of sewer commissioner, which posi- 
tion he has filled acceptably ever since. He is a genial, whole-souled gentle- 
man, a progTcssive citizen and an honest and efficient official. 

LORENZO TAYLOR. 

Lorenzo Taylor is numbered among the native sons of Franklin county, 
his birth having occurred July 28. 1828, upon the farm where J. Buren Taylor 
now resides. He is one of eight children whose parents were Anthony W. 
and Melinda (Trumbo) Taylor, but onlv three of the number are yet living, 
namely: Lorenzo, J. Buren and Rose F., the last named being the wife of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 75 

Robert Wille, a retired business man of W'orthington, Franklin county. The 
father was born in Hardy county, \'irginia. July i6. 1/9/, and was a son 
of Caleb C. Taylor, a well known teacher of the Old Dominion who spent his 
last days in Missouri. Anthony \\'. Taylor was reared under the parental 
roof and in early life learned the tanner's trade. About 1818 he came to 
Ohio, locating- in Cincinnati, where he followed his trade for a year, after 
which he returned to Virginia, and in 1820 he was united in marriage to 
Miss Melinda Trumbo. 

Two years later, in 1822, he came to Franklin county, Ohio, with his 
wife and one son, and here purchased a farm of one hundred acres- in Plain 
township, the place being now^ occupied by his son, J. Buren. Casting in his 
lot wdth the early settlers, he lived in true pioneer style, his home being a log 
cabin fourteen by sixteen feet, standing in the midst of the virgin forest. 
About six years later he erected a more pretentious hewed-log- house of two 
stories, it being then considered one of the best residences in this locality. 
On the old home he then established a tannery and continued business along 
that line for several years. In his farming operations he was likewise suc- 
cessful and was known as an excellent business manager. His investments 
were judiciously made and he became the owner of one thousand acres of 
land, which in later life he largely divided among his children. He passed 
away March 4, 1883, in his eighty-sixth year. The pike on which his home 
was located and which was begun prior to his death is named in his honor, 
being- called the Wayne Taylor free pike. In politics he was a Jacksoniaii 
Democrat and kept well informed on the issues of the day, but refused all 
offices. His life was partially given to Christian work, however, for he was 
a minister in the old school Baptist church and filled the pulpit for more tha^ 
half a century, riding on horseback through this section of the country in 
the early pioneer days in order that he might proclaim the gospel to the set- 
tlers living upon the frontier. He never received a dollar for his church 
work, but did it through love of the cause and his fellow men. His wife, 
who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, July 28. 1800, w^as a daugh- 
ter of John Trumbo, a farmer and slave holder of Rockingham county, where 
he spent his entire life. Mrs. Taylor died April 24, 1874. She, too, was a 
member of the Baptist church and an earnest Christian woman whose many 
excellent characteristics gained her uniform regard and esteem. 

The boyhood days of Lorenzo Taylor were quietly passed upon the home 
farm and in the common schools near by he pursued his education. He 
assisted his father until his marriage, which occurred June 24, 1858, IMiss 
Martha E. Whitsell becoming his wife. She is a native of Truro township, 
Franklin county, and a daughter of Daniel Whitsell, who emigrated from 
the vicinity of Chambersburg. Pennsylvania, about 1800. and took up his 
abode in Ross countv, where" he remained until after his marriage, when he 
came to Franklin countv. Two children graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
Taylor, but only one is now living, Herman \\\. who married Carrie E. Har- 
ward and now operates the home farm. 



com- 



76 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

After his marriage Mr. Taylor located upon his present farm, then 
prising one hundred and forty-seven acres of land, which had been deeded to 
him bv his father. He took up his abode in an unpretentious log cabm and 
lived therein for about six years, after which he burned the brick and built 
his magnificent country seat, his home being one of the finest in this section 
of the ''state. He has been very successful" in his farming operations and 
everything about the place indicates his thrift and careful supervision. Fhie 
buildings stand upon his land and are surrounded by well tilled fields, which 
yield to him a golden tribute. In politics he is a Democrat and for twenty- 
one consecutive years has served as justice of the peace. He is a member of 
the Baptist church and the principles of Christianity have permeated his 
career, making his life record one that has awakened admiration and respect 
and is well worthy of emulation. 

JOSEPH MYERS. 

Joseph :\Iyers was born in Circleville. Pickaway county, Ohio, Novem- 
ber 18, 1819, and died July 31, 1878, the community thereby losing one of its 
valued and representative citizens, a man who had been honored and respected 
by all who knew him. He represented an old family of Pennsylvania, his 
father, Mathias Myers, having been born in the Keystone state, whence he 
emigrated to Pickaway county, Ohio, at an early period in its development. 

Mr. Myers, of this review, became a resident of Franklin county in 1850. 
He was a bridge contractor and built almost all the old wooden bridges in 
the county. As a companion and helpmate on the journey of life he chose 
Miss Sarah J. Needles, their marriage being celebrated on the 6th of January, 
1 85 1. The lady is a daughter of William D. Needles, who was a leading and 
influential farmer of Madison township, Franklin county. He was born near 
Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 20th of January, 1799. and died in Columbus, on the 
6th of January, 1866, from the effects of a fall on his own doorstep. His 
wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Collins, was born near Lancaster, 
Ohio, November 20, 1802. They became the parents of ten children: Sarina, 
who died in infancy; Emily; William D. ; ^Irs. Myers; Delilah Ann; Matilda 
A.; Mary Eliza; Rebecca C. ; Elmira j\Iiria and ]\Ielvina S., twins. 

Mrs. Myers is the only living child of her father's family. She was 
educated in the district schools of Madison township and spent her girlhood 
days in Franklin county, where, in 185 1, she gave her hand in marriage to 
Joseph Myers. Their union was blessed with twelve children ; Alonzo, the 
eldest, now living in Truro township, married Lizzie Hickman, and they have 
three children, Seymore, Edith and Daniel. \\'inall P., a resident of Truro' 
township, married' Katie Lyda, and they have two children, — Clarence R. and 
Viola Mav. Paulena died' in infancy. ^lary is the deceased wife of John 
Rohr. a farmer of ]\Iadison township, and they have three children, — Elmer 
DeWitt. T'^'seph D. and Florence Alice. A\'ilHam D., deceased, married INIat- 



CEXTENXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 77 

tie Friend, who died four years later, leaving no children. Joseph Clinton is 
engaged in the livery business in Columbus, Ohio. James Hubert married 
Abbie Southard and has four children, — Norma, Ira Jay, Marie Drexell and 
Helena Jane. John Fletcher is now deceased. Viola Jane is the wife of Mr. 
Xau and resides on Oakwood avenue, in Columbus, with their two children, 
\\'alter Lee and Flora Alice. Eli is upon the home farm. Ira has also passed 
away. Leland R. is now visiting in California, but his home is in Truro 
township. 

Mrs. Myers has traveled quite extensively, having made one visit to 
California and been west three other times, while in 1893 she spent some time 
at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Since seventen years 
of age she has been a member of the ]\Iethodist church and has taken an active 
part in its work. When she and her husband first located at their present 
home the roads were an old form of corduroy, being made of logs. The 
first schoolhouse in which she pursued her studies was a log building, and 
amid the wild scenes of the frontier she was reared, spending her youth on a 
farm which was being reclaimed from its wild condition for purposes of 
civilization. She has watched with interest the progress of events as the 
years have gone by and is still numbered among the honored early settlers. 

EMERY J. SMITH. 

The ancestry of the Smith family to which the subject of this sketch 
belongs can be traced back to David Smith, who was born in Luzerne county, 
Pennsylvania. x\t the time of the great Wyoming massacre the members of 
his father's family were all killed save himself. With David Landon. a boy 
of about his own age, he was carried into captivity; but on the expiration of 
six months they ran aw^ay and succeeded in reaching their old home. David 
Smith, having arrived at years of maturity, wedded Sarah Murphy and after- 
ward emigrated to Ohio. He purchased a large farm bordering on what has 
since been called Yankee street in Galena, Delaware county. There he 
brought up his eight children, — David, Daniel, John, Alva, James, Chester, 
Sarah and Denurza. 

James, of the foregoing list, married ]\Ielinda, the eldest daughter of 
Marshall and Polly Black, of Orange township, Delaware county, and they 
had two children, — Marshall and George. The mother died in 1852, and 
the father afterward married Betsy Blanchard, the widow of Edwin Blanchard 
and a daughter of Levi and Polly Rose, of Granville, Ohio. They had one 
child, Levi R. Smith. 

Marshall Smith, the father of our suliject, was born in Sunlnu-}-. Dela- 
ware county, Ohio, November 5, 1837, and in early life began merchandis- 
ing in his native town. He also successfully managed a farm. In 1895 ^''" 
removed to Westerville and soon afterward became the president of the Bank 
of Westerville, succeeding his eldest son, Emery J. Smith, in that p-rsition. 



78 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

The latter had estahhshed the l3usiness in iS86 and had successfully managed 
it until 1895. iMarshall Smith is a thirty-second-degree Mafon and an enthusi- 
astic member of the Order of the Eastern Star. 

On the 14th of February, 1861, at Granville, Ohio, ]Mr. Smith married 
Miss Elvira Abbie Thrall, and they have had the following children : Emery 
J., who was born January 16, 1862; Hugh E., born August 6, 1863; Will- 
iam A., May 29, 1867; and Marshall A., ]\Iay 23, 1869^ All were born on 
a farm near Sunbury, Ohio, and are now^ engaged with their father and uncle, 
L. R. Smith, in the manufacture and sale of fertilizers. This company was 
organized in 1895, under the name of The Ohio Farmers' Fertilizer Com- 
pany, with a capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars. Employment 
is furnished to two hundred and fifty- men. The plant is located in Colum- 
bus, covers twelve acres and has a capacity of seven hundred and fifty tons 
a day. The output for 1895 was two thousand tons, but in 1900 was twenty- 
five thousand tons, and shipments were made to twelve different states. The 
machinery and apparatus are most modern and of the most highly approved 
patterns. The demand for the products of the factory is increasing so steadily 
that additions are constantly being made to the plant, and the output is con- 
tinually increasing. The present officers are: Emery J. Smith, president; 
Levi R. Smith, vice-president; William A. Smith, secretary; Marshall Smith, 
Sr., treasurer; and Marshall Smith, Jr., assistant treasurer. The offices of 
the company are located in the Shultz building on North High street, where a 
large staff of employes carry on the office work with perfect system. 

Emery J. Smith, the eldest son, acquired his education in the Ohio Wes- 
leyan University, at Delaw-are, this state, and June 2, 1886, was united in 
marriage with Miss Hannah Jane Hardy, at the home of her uncle, the Rev. 
I. V. K. Seeley, a mile north of Westerville. She was educated at Shepard- 
son College, a school for young ladies at Granville, this state. They no^v 
have six children, namely : Joy Hardy and Elvira Thrall, twins, born April 
8, 1889; Wayland Marshall, born June 4, 1S91 ; Niles Emery, born February 
5, 1895; Donald Hugh, born November 12, 1896; and Ernestine Jane, July 
20. 1900. All w^ere born at Westerville, Ohio. In the spring of 1901 Mr. 
Emery J. Smith, with his family, removed to Columbus and now resides at 
755 Dennison avenue. He is a member of Blendon Lodge, No. 339, F. & 
A. M. ; of Horeb Chapter. No. 3. R. A. M. ; and ]\Iount Vernon Commandery, 
No. I, K. T. 

Hugh E. Smith, the second son, was educated in Sunbury, Ohio, and in 
early manhood became his father's partner in his dry-goods store, hut left 
that enterprise in order to go to Columbus, where he has since been engaged 
in the real-estate business, being recognized as one of the leading- financiersi 
of this city. He married Miss Ina Z. Gunter, at the home of her father, 
William Gunter, of Oswego. Indiana. August 15, 1888. She was educated 
in Shepardson College, and now^ has three children : Lois Elvira, born Octo- 
ber 9, 1889; Paul Alden, March i, 1895; and Lloyd Ovid, July 23, 1899. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 79 

W^illiam A. Smith, the third son, is a grackiate of the high school of Sun- 
burv, Ohio, and attended a commercial college at Cleveland. Immediately 
afteV leaving that institution he became the cashier of the Farmers Bank 
at Snnbnrv where he remained for a number of years, until he became the 
cashier of the Bank of Westerville at Westerville, this state, in which capacity 
he is still serving. The other officers are: Marshall Smith, Sr., president; 
and Emery J. Smith and David Seeley, vice-presidents. He was married to 
Miss Weltha Pinney, at the home of her father, Perry Pinney, four miles 
south of Westerville", and they now have three children : Marian Elvira, born 
October 13, 1897; ^lildred Clorinda, March 15, 1899; and Eleanor Frances, 
Tune 2, 1900. 

Marshall A. Smith, the youngest of the four sons, was graduated at the 
Sunbury high school and then became an equal partner with his father m the 
drv-goods business. He was married, October 16, 1893, to Cora May, a 
dauo-hter of Newton Smith, of Columbus, and their marriage has been blessed 
with three children : Harold A., born July 24, 1896 ; Hurtha Marcia, January 
6 1898; and Marjorie Elvira. December 26, 1899. 

The members of the Smith family have been important factors in the 
business activity of Sunbury, Westerville and Columbus. They are all men 
of good business abilitv, of keen discrimination and sound judgment, of enter- 
prise and energy, and in the legitimate lines of business they have won suc- 
cess and attained positions of prominence in industrial and financial circles. 

CHARLES G. WOLF. 

Charles G. Wolf, who is serving as a passenger engineer on the Big Four 
(Limited) train, was born in Germany on the 14th of August. 1858. His 
father Jacob Wolf, came to this country from Germany m the year 1864, 
bringing with him his family. A location was made in Delaware county, 
Ohio and the father spent his remaining days in the new world, his death 
occurring in 1896, while his wife, Mrs. Dorothy Wolf, is still living at Dela- 
ware, the record of their children is as follows : Fred C. Wolf, who resides 
with his family at Mount Vernon, Ohio, is the owner of the Brick Kiln Com- 
pany • Jacob, who is married and lives in Dayton, Ohio, is a passenger engineer 
on the Big Four Railroad; Emanuel is^ a freight engineer on the same road 
and maintains his residence in Delaware; Benjamin is married and lives m 
Springfield, Ohio, where he is in the shipping department of a wholesale house; 
Georo-e is living in Columbus ; Mrs. William Reece resides upon a farm m 
Texas • Mrs Immel makes her home in Texas ; Mrs. Heller resided in Dela- 
ware until her death, in 1898; and Mrs. Watson, also of Delaware, died while 
visiting in Texas. 

Charles G. Wolf is a self-made man who has depended entirely upon 
his own resources for a living since he was fourteen years of age. At that 
time he began working in a brick-yard in Delaware, and at the age of six- 



80 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

teen he secured a position in the Big Four Raih-oad shops of that city. He 
began firing on the road in 1876, and so capably served that he was promoted 
as freight engineer in 1879. In 1885 he was made a passenger engineer and 
has since occupied that position. For the past ten years he has had preferred 
runs, being the engineer on the hmited train from Columbus to Cincinnati. 
In 1880 he became a member of Division No. 175, Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers. 

]\Ir. Wolf was married, in 1884, to Miss Estella Fruchey, of Delaware, 
Ohio, and their only child, Carl C. Wolf, born in 1885, is now a student in 
the high school of Columbus. Mrs. Wolf's father, Isaac Fruchey, and her 
mother, Mrs. Amanda Fruchey, are yet residents of the capital city. The 
former was born in Franklin county and the latter is a native of Pennsylvania. 
During the Civil war he served as a member of Company K, Fourteenth Ohio 
Infantry. Her uncle, William Parrish, was also in the same regiment, and 
died at Corinth, Mississippi, while four of her father's brothers "wore the 
blue" as members of the Federal army. Her maternal grandfather, Mr. 
Parrish. is now living in Henry county, Ohio, at the advanced age of eighty- 
four years. 

Mr. Wolf and hisi wnfe hold membership in the Presbyterian church 
and are people of the highest respectability, enjoying the warm regard of 
many friends. He belongs to Columbus Lodge, F. & A. M., and to Ohio 
Chapter, R. A. M. In politics he has ever been a stalwart Republican. 
Through the past decade he has resided in Columbus and now owns and occu- 
pies an elegant residence at No. 389 Hamilton avenue. 

CURTIS C. WILLIAMS. 

The name above is suggestive to the citizens of Columbus of such per- 
sonal characteristics as go to make the honorable lawyer and just judge, and 
of such a creditable record as only such a lawyer and judge can win. Curtis 
Chandler Williams was born at Hanoverton, Columbiana county, Ohio, Aug- 
ust 13, 1861, and is of Scotch-Irish and Welsh extraction. According to the 
family records his great-grandfather, in the paternal line, lived to the extra- 
ordinary age of nearly one hundred years. Joseph B. Williams, the grand- 
father, was a native of Washington countv. Pennsylvania, and wedded Mary 
Gilson. He became an early settler of Columbiana county. Ohio, and was 
an active and successful business man. His son. Dr. R. G. Williams, the 
father of the Judge, was born in Columbiana county, in 1837, and married 
Elmira Frost, a daughter of William A. Frost, one of the pioneers of the 
county and a native of the Keystone state. His wife bore the maiden name 
of Beulah Chandler. After a long and successful career as a druggist. Dr. 
Williams is now living a retired life in a pleasant home in Alliance. Ohio. 

Judge Williams obtained his primary education in the public schools and 
later attended the high school at Alliance, where he was prepared for college. 
His higher education was acquired in Mount Union College, at Alliance, where 




CURTIS C WILLIAMS. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 8i 

he was gTaduated with the class of 1883. Subsequently he engaged in teach- 
ing and was for two years superintendent of schools in northern Ohio. He 
then read law, beginning the study of his profession in the office of Converse, 
Booth &' Keating, of Columbus. In 1886, in the capital city, he was admitted 
to the bar and entered upon practice. In 1891 he was elected prosecuting 
attorney of Franklin county, on the Democratic ticket, and in 1894 was a 
candidate for re-election, but was defeated by one hundred and nine votes 
in a county which that year gave a Republican majority of twenty-three hun- 
dred. He was nominated for the office of common pleas judge in 1897 and 
received live hundred votes more than were given for the state ticket and 
was elected. His administration of the high office to which he has been 
called has been in every sense admirable. He has proven himself a consci- 
entious, careful and just judge, who respects the law and the people and, with 
a proper appreciation of the responsibilities resting- upon him, gives due con- 
sideration to all rights and interests involved in every case tried in his court. 
In 1893 Judge Williams was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Owen, 
of Columbus, and unto them have been born two daughters and a son, namely : 
Elmira Anne, Margaret lola and Curtis C, Jr. The Judge is a thirty-second- 
degree Mason, also a Knight Templar and a member of the Mystic Shrine. 
He also is well known and popular as a Knight of Pythias, Odd Fellow, Elk 
and Red Man, being identified with these various organizations. There is 
no movement tending to the advancement of the public weal to which he does 
not lend his encouragement and substantial help. 

JOHN PETZINGER. 

No better illustration of the characteristic energy and enterprise of the 
typical German-American citizen can be found than that afforded by the career 
of this well known farmer of Truro township. Coming to this country with 
no capital except his abilities, he has made his way to success through wisely 
directed efforts, and he can now look hack with satisfaction upon past 
struggles. 

Mr. Petzinger was born in Germany June 15, 1832, and is a son of Adam 
Petzinger, a carpenter and farmer, who spent his entire life in that country. 
His paternal grandfather was John Petzinger. who served nine years in the 
German army. Our subject is the third in order of birth in a family of five 
children, the others being Philip, Adam, Mary and Christine. Four of the 
number are still living. 

In his native land John Petzinger learned the carpenter's trade, and also 
became familiar with the duties which fall to the lot of the farmer. In 1S54. 
at the age of twenty-two years, he crossed the broad Atlantic, and from 
'New York came direct to Columbus, Ohio, where he had an uncle living. 
On his arrival here he found employment with a Mr. Carlyle, a carpenter, and 
later worked a year and a half for his uncle. Subsequently he did odd jnbs 
for a while, and then hired out to a Mr. Grev as a farm laborer, remaining 



82 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in his emi)loy for two years and a half. He was then enipli^yed l)y ^Matthew 
Brown for two and a half years, when he again spent one year with Mr. 
Grey. The following year he worked for John E. Kile, for the same length 
of time for Harris Johnson, and in 1864 for William Bulen. 

j\lr. Petzinger then purchased eighteen acres of land in Truro township, 
where he now resides, and on this place he has built a log house, making it his 
home until he cleared his small farm. The following year he was able to 
buy sixteen and a half acres adjoining his place, and a year later bought thir- 
teen acres, for which he paid one hundred dollars peracre. In 1878 he pur- 
chased the John Schaff farm of fifty-three and a half acres, paying for the 
same, one hundred and three dollars per acre. From John McGuffey he pur- 
chased one hundred and nine acres of land, for which he paid eighty-four dol- 
lars per acre, and two years later bought thirty acres from the same person 
for seventy-five dollars per acre. His^ farm, which now comprises two hun- 
dred and thirty-eight acres, is all under a high state of cultivation, while the 
improvements found thereon are estimated to be worth twenty-eight thousand 
dollars. His life affords an excellent example to the young, in that he com- 
menced life here without money, but having a determination to succeed he 
industriously applied himself until he has acquired a handsome property. He 
now devotes his time and attention to the collection of his rents and to the 
operation of his land. 

Mr. Petzinger was married, in Columbus, in 1861, to Miss Eva Weaber, 
also a native of the fatherland. They have become the parents of eight chil- 
dren, all of whom are still living, namely: John C, who married ]\Iary 
Pfantz. and has one child. Clara ; Louisa, who married John Pfantz, and has 
four children, — Eva, Charles, Harry and Walter ; Charles ; Mary ; George ; 
Kate, who married William Bickel and has three children, — Lydia, Mary and 
Herman ; Adam ; and Philip. They also have eight grandchildren, — Eva, 
Charles, Harry, Walter, Clara, Lydia, Mary and Herman. The family hold 
membership in the German Lutheran church, to wdiich Mr. Petzinger is a 
liberal contributor and in the work of which he takes. an active and prominent 
part. In national politics he supports the men and measures of the Democ- 
racy, but at local elections votes independently of party ties. For one year 
he filled the office of road supervisor and was school director two years. He 
is well known throughout his adopted county, having many warm friends 
within its borders, and by all is held in high regard for his sterling character 
and worth. 

EDGAR D. MINER. 

Among the w^ell known representati\'es of agricultural interests in Ham- 
ilton township, Franklin county, is Edgar D. Aliner, who is living on the old 
family homestead on section 35, where he owns and operates one hundred 
and seventy acres of land. He was born on this farm March 9, 1854, a son 
of Thomas Davidson and Maria (Swisher) Miner. The father was^ born in 
Vermont, and became one of the early settlers of Franklin county, Ohio, but 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 83 

died ill 1856, when our subject was only two years of age. . The mother was 
born in this county in 18 13, a representative of one of its honored pioneer 
famines, and her death occurred in her seventy-ninth year. Both parents had 
been previously married. By hisi first union the father had four daughters, 
three of whom are now living: Mrs. Asenath Bortel, Mrs. Fanny bhedd, 
of Columbus, Mrs. Elvira Sloosen, of New York. By her first marriage 
Mrs. Miner became the mother of four daughters and five sons, and by her 
second marriage she had two sons, Edgar D. being the older. His brother 
died in 1877, and he is therefore the only representative of the family living. 

Mr. Aliner remained on the old homestead until twenty-three years of 
ao-e, and during that time attended the district schools and assisted in the work 
of the farm. He then removed to Lockbourne, where lie remained for two 
years, and also spent two years in Shadeville. On the expiration of that 
period he removed to Pickaway county, where he resided for six years, en- 
gaged in farming. In 1887 he returned to the old homestead, where he has 
since resided, devoting his energies to general farming. He has here one 
hundred and seventy acres of rich and arable land, the greater part of which 
is under a high state of cultivation and the place is improved with all the 
accessories and conveniences of the model farm. 

Mr. Miner was married in Hamilton to Anna Brantner. a native of Ham- 
ilton township, who died leaving a daughter. Florence. wh(^ is still with her 
father. For his second wife Mr. Miner chose Emma Chittum. wlio was 
born in Pickaway county, Ohio, but was reared in Franklin county. They 
now^ have five children:' Neva A., Mary, Harry, Anna and Ethel, all at 
home. 

In his political afiiliations Mr. Miner is a Repuljlican, and i.- actively inter- 
ested in the growth and success of his party. Altliough the township is Dem- 
ocratic, he w^as elected a trustee in 1899, and is now filling that position, dis- 
charging his duties with promptness and fidelity. He is a member of the 
Masonic Lodge of Lockbourne, and belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. 
Of one of the oldest and most honored pioneer families of the county he is 
a worthy representative. Flis career has been an active and useful one. in 
which his w^ll directed efforts, guided l^y straightforward principles, have 
secured to him a gratifying competence. 

WASHINGTON T. REES. 

That sturdv and patriotic Pennsylvania stock which has proven so val- 
uable an element in the citizenship of the west contributed to a considerable 
extent to the production of Washington T. Rees, who lives on section 26, 
Hamilton township, Franklin county, Ohio, and is one of the leaders in pub- 
lic aft'airs in that township. 

Mr. Rees was born six miles northeast of Lancaster, Fairfield county, 
Ohio, February 22, 1837, a son of Amor and Julia A. (Hersh) Rees. Amor 



84 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Rees, a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, was married in that state 
to Mrs. Julia A. Frank, nee Hersh, and came to Ohio about 183 1 and located 
in Fairfield county. In 1840 he settled on the farm in Hamilton township, 
P'ranklin county, Ohio, now owned by Washington T. Rees, and he died 
there in 1865, in the sixty-third year of his age. Politically he was a Whig 
until the Republican party was organized, and after that he worked heart and 
soul with the Republicans and became known throughout the county as an 
influential man in the party. \A'hen he came to Hamilton township and set- 
tled in the woods but little had been done except by nature to provide for his 
future wants and those of his family, and nearly everything was yet to be 
done that a devoted and industrious pioneer could lay his hands to. He not 
only developed a good farm, but a& a patriotic citizen was instrumental in 
advancing the material and political interests of his county, and he died re- 
gretted by all who' had been familiar with his life and works. His father, 
John Rees, of W^elsh descent, was born, lived and died in Pennsylvania. 
Julia A., the wife of Amor Rees, was born in Pennsylvania, of German par- 
entage and could speak in German. She was a model wife and mother and 
nobly bore her part of the hardships of pioneer days in Ohio. She died in 
Columbus, Ohio, at the age of sixty-four vears. The only surviving member 
of her first family of children, by Mr. Frank, is Mrs. John Rathmell. 

Amor and Julia A. Rees had nine children, five of whom died in infancy 
and four of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, and of w'hom the sub- 
ject of this sketch is the only one living at this time. Washington T. Rees 
was the seventh child and sixth son of his parents in order of nativity, and 
was three years old when the family came to Franklin county, Ohio. He 
was brought up to assist in the work of the farm, which he helped to clear 
and develop, and his earliest recollections of school life bring up a picture of 
a little log schoolhouse with puncheon seats and slab writing tables. When 
he was twelve years old a brick schoolhouse was built in his home district and 
he attended school in it until he was seventeen. Then he became a student 
at the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, and after remaining there 
two years he returned home and assisted his father until he was twenty-one 
years old, when he took up the battle of life for himself. With his father and 
iDrother he was interested in a distillery until 1865, when they sold the enter- 
prise and from that day to this he has been a farmer, industrious, progress- 
ive and successful. 

February 6, 1862, Mr. Rees married Eliza Stimmel, a native of Frank- 
lin township, Franklin county, and a daughter of Jacob and Mary Stimmel, 
who were early settlers^ there. They have had two children. Their daugh- 
ter Bessie married W. B. Drum, now a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, and they 
have a son, named Mark Rees Drum. Their son, Ned E., married Julia E. 
Ditto and has a son named Hubert. He lives on a part of the family home- 
stead in Hamilton township. 

]\Ir. Rees is an unswerving Republican, who approves of the course of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 85 

the party in the past, is in accord with its present poHcy and has full confi- 
dence in its future, and while he is not an office-seeker, he wields a recognized 
influence in local politics and works consistently and conscientiously for Re- 
publican success. He has filled the office of trustee of his township and has 
been otherwise prominent in public affairs. As a representative farmer he is 
well known throughout the county, and his fine farm of three hundred acres, 
which is beautifully situated on Walnut creek, is one of the model farms of 
the state. 

WILLIAM WATTS. 

William Watts, one of the pioneer residents of Franklin county, Ohio, 
w^as born upon a farm near where he now resides, March 2, 1818, and was 
the son of John Watts, who was born near Albany, New York. He was 
married there to Sarah Goethschins, and they came to Franklin county, Ohio, 
in 1812. Then all the land was cheap in this county, John Watts being 
offered at that time the land upon which the city of Columbus is now built 
for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. With his family he settled 
in the heart of the woods, built a log cabin and engaged in the clearing of the 
land. He was a soldier in the war of 18 12 and always lived an exemplary 
life, his death occurring from the kick of a horse. His wife survived him 
until about the age of fifty years, when she died of consumption, leaving five 
children, — Nicholas, William, Hiram, Sarah and Catherine. 

William Watts was but four years of as'e when he was so unfortunate 
as to lose the care of his father, but as soon as able he endeavored to assist 
his mother, working for neighbors, and he also tried to save some money 
with which to pay for his education, the schools of that period being sub- 
scription schools. Eight dollars a month was paid him for his first attempt, 
the greater part of this being put aside, which finally amounted to enough 
to enable him to purchase fifty acres of land. Soon afterward he purchased 
thirty acres more, making a farm which he was able to sell for a good price. 
He then moved to his present farm, consisting of one hundred acres, which 
is now valued at one hundred and fiftv dollars an acre. He has been very 
successful in his farming operations and the land shows a fine state of culti- 
vation. 

Mr. \A'atts was first married to Margaret Chambers, of Franklin town- 
ship, and eleven children were born to them, a record of whom is given upon 
another page of this work. For his second wife Air. \\'atts married Demaries 
Johnson, and six children have been born of this union : Frank, who is a 
farmer and dairyman in this township ; Edward, who is a motorman on a 
street railway in Columbus ; Lester, wdio is also engaged in the dairy business ; 
Nettie, who is the wife of Charles Holt, a dairyman; and Chester and Harry, 
who died when young. 

Mr. Watts is an intelligent man who takes a great interest in the ab- 



S6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

sorbing questions now agitating the political world. He was a Whig until 
the formation of the Republican party, since which time his affiliations have 
been with it. He has served many times on the grand jury, has been trustee 
of his township and has also held the office of supervisor. Both he and 
his family are consistent members of the Methodist church, in which he takes 
a deep interest. He is well known through the county which has been his 
home for so many years and he possesses the respect of all. 

GEORGE GEYER. 

One of the most prominent farmers residing in Norwich township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, is George Geyer, the subject of this sketch. He was 
born in Bavaria, Germany, November 9, 1825, and was a son of Adam H. 
and Margaret (Koerner) Geyer, the former of whom was also a native of 
Bavaria and served in the German army. By trade he was a wagon-maker, 
but after reaching America he worked as a gardener, later becoming a resi- 
dent of Brunswick, New Jersey, where both parents died. The children 
were John, who died in Ohio, having married Margaret Fifer; Conrad, who 
married Margaret Smith in New York and finally died in Iowa; Andrew, 
who married Mina Swartz, located on Long Island; John George, who died 
at Brunswick, New Jersey; Susan, who married Henry Schweitzer and died 
in New York; George, who is our subject; and Adam, who married Cath- 
erine Rocht and resides at Booneville, Indiana. 

Until the age of fourteen our subject attended the schools in Bavaria 
near his home, then engaged in work as a farm hand until 1841, when he 
accompanied his parents to America. The long trip was made on a sailing 
vessel, and the little family had forty-one days of sea life before the welcome 
harbor of New York was reached. In that city our subject soon found em- 
ployment, entering an establishment where he learned the baker's trade, 
W'hich he followed for some time. 

Mr. Geyer was married on August 26, 1852, to Miss Mary Koerner, 
who was born in Germany March 6, 1831, a daughter of John and Susan 
(Snyder) Koerner. She was six years old w4ien her parents brought her to 
the United States, the vessel on which they sailed being named Republic, 
and belonging to the line between Bremen, Germany, and the city of New 
York. Her parents immediately located in Franklin county and her first 
school days were passed in Norwich township ; and Mrs. Geyer kindly remem- 
bers her first teacher, Sarah Ann Viddum, as it was this lady who taught 
her to speak the English tongue. The school sessions were held in a log 
house with a puncheon floor and a latch string hung at the door. Those 
were yet pioneer days and the children were not afforded any superior edu- 
cational advantages. 

After marriage our subject with his wife left the great eastern metropolis 
and started westward, locating in Norwich township. Franklin county, Ohio, 
where he and his brother bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 87 

this has been his home ever since. i\Ir. Geyer, assisted much by his esti- 
mable wife, finally acquired a total of five hundred and seventy acres in 
Norwich, Prairie and Brown townships, and has been very successful. In 
1872 he erected his present commodious and comfortable residence, the for- 
mer one having- been of logs, in dimensions twenty-two by eighteen. The 
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Geyer are : John Adam, a fine young man, 
\\dio died at the age of twenty-one; Stephen, who lived to be forty-three; 
George, who resides in Prairie township, married Elizabeth Carl; Veit, who 
married Mary Rankin; Annie, who married Charles Rankin; Andrew, who 
married Nettie Eiderman; Sovilla; and John A., who married Bertha Kuhn, 
and resides in Prairie township. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Geyer are consistent and valued members of St. 
Jacob's Lutheran church, where they possess the esteem of every one. In 
his political opinions our subject is a stanch Democrat. The whole family 
:s one known throughout the neighborhood for high character and sterling 
honesty. 

JOHN RATHMELL. 

John Rathmell, deceased, was for many years a leading and representa- 
tive farmer of Franklin county, and was a valued citizen, held in the highest 
respect by all who knew him. He was born in Madison township, this 
county, June 29, 1820. His father, Thomas Rathmell, was a native of 
Pennsylvania and one of the honored pioneer settlers of Franklin county, 
whither he came about 1816. He was a blacksmith by trade, and followed 
that pursuit for many years in this locality, but also developed a farm in the 
midst of the forest. He was of English descent, a representative of a very 
prominent family of Bolton, England, the Rathmells being actively con- 
nected with banking interests of that city. In Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 
he wedded Mary Smith, a native of the Keystone state. . Her father was 
of Pennsylvania German descent, was a blacksmith by trade, and made one 
of the first settlements in Franklin county. John Rathmell was the eldest 
of three children, two sons and a daughter. 

Reared in Franklin county, his education was obtained m the primitive 
log school house, supplemented by study in Central College, Blendon. Later 
he engaged in teaching through the winter months, while in the summer 
season he followed farming. At one time among his pupils was Susan 
Frank, and on the i6th of January, 1845, they were married. She was 
born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, December 3, 1825. and is a daugh- 
ter of Jacob Frank, who was born, reared and died in the same county. 
He was a miller by trade and followed that occupation throughout his busi- 
ness career. His father was a native of Bavaria. "Mrs. Rathmell's mother, 
v.hose maiden name was Julia Hersh, was also born in Pennsylvania. By 
her first marriage she had six children, the youngest of whom. Mrs. Rath- 
mell, was only about fifteen months old at the time of the father's death, 
and she is the only one now living. Her mother afterward became the wife 
of Amor Rees, and they had four children who reached mature years, but 



88 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Washington T. Rees is now the only one who survives. Mrs. Rathmell 
was only live years of age when brought to Ohio, the family locating in 
Fairfield county. They made the journey by wagon and were seventeen 
days upon the way, stopping at the old-fashioned taverns for the night and 
to obtain supplies. ^ She lived in Fairfield county for ten years, wdien the 
family removed to Franklin county, locating in Hamilton township. Her 
education was acquired in log school houses, furnished with split-log seats, 
while a slab placed upon pins inserted into the wall served for desks. 

After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Rathmell they located on the farm 
where the wadow now resides, and there the husband engaged in agricultural 
pursuits throughout his remaining days, placing his land under a high state 
of cultivation and thereby acquiring a gratifying income. The home was 
blessed by the presence of eight children : Thomas J., who married Crissie 
Vause, is a farmer of Hamilton township, and they have three children, — 
Allyn, Leonard and Florence; Julia A. is the wife of Michael Brantner, a 
farmer of Hamilton township; John R., a practicing physician, married 
Edith Beach, who w-as born at West Jefferson, Madison county. Ohio, a 
daughter of Dr. John Noble Beach, who was for forty years a practicing 
physician there, but is now deceased; Dr. Rathmell is a graduate of the Ohio 
Wesleyan University at- Delaware, and the Starling Medical College, and 
is now medical practitioner at Chattanooga, Tennessee. His wife was one 
of his classmates in the Ohio Wesleyan University, of which she, too, is a 
graduate. Their children are Maude E. and John Beach. Frank, the next 
member of the Rathmell family, an attorney of Columbus, married Emma 
Felch, of that city, and they have one daughter, Margaret Helen ; Jennie is 
at home with her mother; Mattie is the wife of C. H. Tingley, a grain mer- 
chant of Columbus, and they have three children, Herman, Lucy and Edwin 
Cowen; Hattie is the wife of Lewis L. Rankin, an attorney oj Columbus, 
and they have three children, Stanley, Bertha and Allen; and Ollie is a 
teacher and resides at home. 

In his political views Mr. Rathmell was a Democrat until the inaugura- 
tion of the Civil war, when he espoused the cause of the Union and became 
a Republican. He was a well-read man, keeping informed on all the issues 
of the day, political and otherwise. Before his marriage he was a member 
of the Presbyterian church, but afterward became a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church and took a very active part in its work, serving as a class- 
leader, steward and superintendent of the Sunday-school for many years. 
He withheld his support from no measure or movement which he believed 
would prove of general good along material, social, intellectual or moral 
lines. In manner he was kindly, and at all times honorable and upright, 
and he therefore enjoyed the high regard of those with whom he came in 
contact. He passed away October 24, 1885, his remains being interred in 
Walnut Hill cemetery, Mrs. Rathmell, however, still resides on the old 
homestead, which comprises one hundred and six acres of land and is oper- 
ated by her son Thomas. She has been a member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal church since 1842, and hers has been an earnest, consistent Christian life. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 89 

JUSTIN PINNEY. 

Throughout his entire Hfe Justin Pinney has made his home in Frankhn 
county. He possesses those characteristics which make a forceful man in 
the affairs of Hfe and is therefore a valued citizen. He hokls tenaciously to 
his honest convictions and it is doubtful if he ever weighed an act of his in 
the scale of policy or shaped it to gain public favor. His pleasing personality 
and his sterling worth have made him one of the most highly esteemed men 
of his community and the circle of his true friends is extensive. 

Mr. Pinney was born in Columbus, Ohio, January 27, 1839. His boy- 
hood was passed in the city and in the public schools he acquired a good prac- 
tical education. Under the parental roof he remained until 1859, at which 
time he entered the service of the Little Miami, Columbus' & Xenia Railroad 
Company as brakesman, in which capacity he creditably served for more 
than a year, when, owing to his splendid record, his adaptability and his trust- 
w^orthiness, he was promoted over others who had been much longer in the 
service and made freight conductor. Mr. Pinney was upon the road at the 
time the Civil war was begun. The call for troops' roused his patriotic spirit 
and he at once volunteered, joining Company B of the Columbus Videttes 
under Captain Henry Thrall. This was at the first call for seventy-five thou- 
sand troops to serve for three months. Mr. Pinney was mustered in as_a 
private and almost immediately the company was assigned to the Second Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry and transferred to the seat of war, then in the vicinity 
of Washington, D. C, He participated in the battle of Bull Run July 21, 
1861, This engagement was fought by the regiment after its term had 
expired, and be it said to the everlasting honor and credit of the men in the 
ranks that when the officers appealed to them to remain every man assented 
and did brave duty upon the field of action. 

Mr. Pinney with his command afterward returned to Columbus, where 
he was' mustered out, and the day following he was given charge of a train 
upon the road where he had previously been employed. He was subsequently 
tendered a captain's commission to command a company already recruited, 
and upon appealing to the officers of the road as to what he should do they 
informed him that his remaining on the road was a military necessity and 
that if he accepted the commission they would have him detailed for service 
on the road, as his aid in that direction was indispensable to the company. 
During the war, therefore, he remained with the corporation and in the 
interim took the train load of soldiers from Columbus to Dayton at the time 
of the Vallandingham riots to suppress the same, and marched at the head 
of the troops to the scene of the disturbance. During the entire period of the 
war he stood close to the company as its most trusted agent, and to his care 
were entrusted the most delicate duties, in the performance of which he 
invariably made a good record for himself. He followed railroading for 
twentv-one vears, being engaged for fifteen years on the Little ^liami, now 



90 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the Cincinnati division of the Panhandle road. He afterward worked under 
J. F. Miller, of the Indianapolis division, in ^•arious capacities, such as yard 
master and assistant superintendent, being thus employed for four years. 
He then took a passenger run on the Cincinnati Southern from Cincinnati 
to Chattanooga, tilling that position for two years. He was then tendered a 
position on the West Shore road out of New York city, as passenger con- 
ductor, but on account of his mother's illness he decided to remain and care 
for her during the last years of her life. Accordingly he settled in Sharon 
township upon a farm; here he has since engaged in the dairy business, meet- 
ing with good success in this undertaking. 

Mr. Pinney has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Maggie 
Beattey, the w^edding taking place in Columbus April lo, 1862. On the 
17th of June, 1 88 1, he married Miss Ida T. Webster. They have no chil- 
dren of their own, but are rearing two adopted children — Ida, a daughter of 
hisi brother Nathan, and Henry Gordon, who takes the name of his foster 
father. In Masonic circles Mr. Pinney has a state-wide reputation. He 
belongs to New England Lodge, No. 4, A. F. & A. M., and has been grand 
master of the grand lodge of Ohio for six years. He has taken the royal 
arch and council degrees and has attained the thirty-second degree of the 
Scottish rite. He is dimitted from Ark Lodge, No. 270, I. O. O. F., of 
Worthington, and belongs to H. C. Burr Post, No. 711, G. A. R., of Worth- 
ington, while for tv^'o years he was commander of Elias J. Beers Post, No. 
575. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party upon all questions 
at issue before the people and has been an active member of the party since 
its organization, doing all in his power to insure its success. For a number 
of years he has served as township committeeman and on a number of 
occasions has served as a delegate to the county and state conventions. 
Wherever he is known, in business life, in social circles or in politics, he is 
a man of his honest convictions, fearless in defense of what he believes to be 
right, and his worth is widely acknowledged. He is resolute in carrying out 
a course of action which he iDelieves is for the best without counting the cost 
or the consequences. He is clear and incisi^'e in his speech, logical in his 
reasoning, is quick to decide, never neglects the call of duty even though it 
is irksome and unpleasant. Would that the country had more such men! 
He is a true friend, an obliging neighbor and a good citizen, whose upright 
life and honorable character are indeed worthy of commendation and emu- 
lation. 

EBER H. HARMAN. 

Eber Hyde Harman, who holds the responsible position of state examiner 
of stationary engineers in the third district of Ohio, comprising seventeen 
counties, is a native of this state, his birth occurring in Fairfield county in 
1868. His father, Amos T. Harman, was born in Pickaway county in 1837, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 91 

and was a son of Jacob Harman, who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio at 
a very early day and settled in Pickaway county. The latter was a merchant, 
who was extensively engaged in buying and selling produce, which he rafted 
down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. For twelve years 
Amos T. Harman was one of the leading merchants of Rushville, and on dis- 
posing of his interests there in 1873 came to Columbus and accepted a posi- 
tion as a traveling salesman, being still on the road. He served in the 
militia in the Civil war, and while a resident of Fairfield county held the office 
of township treasurer for some time during early manhood. He married 
Miss Martha E. Hyde, and to them were born two children,— Eber Hyde, 
our subject, and Mrs. J. C. Pugh. Mrs. Harman is a daughter of Dr. Simon 
Hyde, of Rushville, who was born in Massachusetts, and studied medicine 
in the east. On coming to this state he located first in Franklinton, Frank- 
lin county, before Columbus was founded, but owing to the conditions here 
he moved to Fairfield county, where he enjoyed a large and lucrative practice 
for many years, dying there in 1866, when about seventy-five years of age. 

Mr. Harman, of this review, was educated in the public schools of 
Columbus and at a commercial college, and then took up the occupation of 
locomotive fireman for three years, and for the past eight years that of a 
stationary engineer. In 1898 he passed the required United States civil-serv- 
ice examination for engineer in the federal building, and was appointed to 
that position by Secretary Gage, but did not accept it. He received his 
present appointment in 1900 from G. T^I. Collier, the chief examiner of sta- 
tionary engineers for the state of Ohio, under Governor Nash, and at once 
entered upon the duties of the office, which he is now discharging in a most 
creditable and satisfactory manner. He was chosen for that position owing 
to his ability as; an engineer, and his term is for three years. He is one of 
the most prominent and popular members of his profession in the city, has 
been chosen as a delegate to state conventions of stationary engineers, and is 
a charter member of the Buckeye Association, No. 38, of the National Asso- 
ciation of Stationary Engineers, of Columbus, of which he was vice-presi- 
dent two years and secretary for three years, resigning the ofiice at the end 
of that time. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Harman is a stanch Reoublican, and takes 
an active and commendable interest in public affairs. Fraternally he is a 
member of the Independent Order of Foresters and of the Masonic order, 
and religiously is a member of the Methodist church. He is a wide-awake, 
energetic young business man, who has been found true tp every trust reposed 
in him, and justly merits the high regard in which he is held. 

NOR^IAN WOODRUFF. 

Norman Woodruff" is a representative of one of the pioneer families of 
Ohio, and throughout his entire career he has been connected with agricult- 
ural pursuits. His life record demonstrates the potency of industrv in the 



92 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

business world, and hisi indefatigable energy and resolution have enabled 
him to win a place of affluence in Franklin county. He was born in Fair- 
field county, Ohio, November 13, 1832, and is a son of Brace and Eliza 
(Cooper) Woodruff. His great-grandfather, Wiard Woodruff^ was a native 
of London, England, and his father was at one time lord mayor of the city. 
His mother bore the maiden name of Eunice Wiard. When a young man 
Wiard Woodruff came to America, and through more than a century represen- 
tatives of the name have been found in New England. There is well authenti- 
cated tradition that the family were attending church in Burlington, Ver- 
mont, on Sunday, September 11, 1814 — the day on which the battle of Platts- 
burg occurred, — and with their neighbors went out upon a hillock to watch 
with breathles's suspense the progress of the naval engagement then occurring 
on the lake, and witnessed the brilliant victory of the American fleet that 
checked the invasion of the British forces from Canada and caused them to 
make an immediate retreat. In the fall of 181 5 or the spring of 18 16 the 
grandfather of our subject emigrated to Ohio and took up his abode in Fair- 
field county, where he spent his remaining days. 

Brace Woodruff, the father of our subject, was born in Burlington, Ver- 
mont, in 1804, and when a lad of twelve summers accompanied his: parents 
tu the Buckeye state. He was a son of Wiard and Ruth (Brace) Wood- 
ruff, both of whom were natives of Connecticut, whence in early life they 
removed with their respective parents to Vermont and were there reared and 
married. At the time mentioned they came to Ohio, locating in Fairfield 
county, where they remained until called to their final rest. They had eight 
clnldren, who reached mature years, namely : George, Brace, Rice, Mabel, 
Hulda, Sally, Alma and Laura. As they attained to adult age the father 
gave to each of his sons eighty acres of land and his daughters: a similar 
amount or its equivalent in money. The grandfather was a blacksmith by 
trade and his sons cleared and developed his farm. 

Brace Woodruff was reared on the home place in Fairfield county, and 
after attaining to man's estate was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Cooper, 
who was born in Virginia August 25, 1807, and was a daughter of James 
and Elizabeth Cooper. Her father died in the Old Dominion, but his widow 
afterward came with her children to Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff began 
their domestic life upon the farm which had been given him by his father, 
and he erected there a log cabin, in which two of their children were born. 
Li December, 1836, however, he sold that farm and came to Franklin county, 
purchasing two hundred and fi'fty acres of land, at two dollars and a half per 
acre. Here he erected a cabin near the present home of his son Hiram, and 
on the farm which he cleared and improved he continued to reside until his 
death. He was an active supporter of the Whig party in early life and on 
its dissolution joined the ranks of the Republican party. Reared in the 
faith of the Presbyterian church, his sympathies w^ere with that denomina- 
tion, but he never became a member. He was, however, one of the sturdy 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 93 

pioneer characters and his word was as good as his bond, so that he enjoyed 
the unquaHfied confidence and respect of all who knew him. He passed away 
in 1 88 1, and his wife, surviving him several years, died January 12, 1889. 
They were the parents of nine children, four of whom are yet living: Xor- 
man; Polina, the wife of Wirt Whitehead, of Columbus; Hiram, of Jeffer- 
son township; and Minerva, the wife of Joseph Krumm, an agriculturist of 
Truro township. 

Norman Woodruff, whose name begins this record, spent his childhood 
days under the parental roof and experienced the hardships and trials which 
form a part of the lot of frontier settlers. He acquired a limited education 
in a primitive school held in a log building, and was early trained to the work 
of the farm, becoming familiar with the arduous task of developing the wild 
land and transforming it into richly cultivated fields. After his marriage, 
August 24, 1856, he engaged in operating a part of the home farm upon the 
shares! for two years. Long prior to this time, however, he had had "a desire 
to learn the tanner's trade, and in September, 1858, he purchased a small 
tan yard in Reynoldsburg. and hired a competent tanner to work for him 
by the day; he thus mastered the business both in principle and detail. He 
followed that pursuit during the war, doing a good business ; he was also 
looked upon as' one of the leading and influential men of Reynoldsburg. He 
was chosen to solicit substitutes to prevent the draft which was to be made 
in Truro township, and performed this task although he had to sacrifice his 
business interests to do it. In 1871 he removed to Iowa, but not finding con- 
ditions there as he had anticipated after a few months he returned to Ohio 
and purchased seventy-five acres of land, upon which he has since resided. 
Through the past twenty-eight years he has devoted his' energies to agricult- 
ural pursuits, but he recently retired from active business life, and in the 
spring of 1901 removed to Columbus, there enjoying a quiet retirement, tlie 
fruits of his toil. 

On the 24th of August, 1856, JMr. \\'oodruff was united in marriage 
to Mis's Eveline Doran, a native of Baker's Run. Hardie county. Virginia, 
and a daughter of John and Rhoda (Baker) Doran, who came to Ohio about 
1836, locating in Truro township, on Big Walnut creek. The marriage of 
Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff has been blessed with five children, only two of the 
number now living. William ]\I., the eldest, is a grocer of Columbus, and 
Charles W., the youngest, is a traveling salesman. The others are Rosa 
B., Eldora and Elmer W. The last named was a well known physician of 
the capital city, more extended mention of whom will be made later. ^Nlr. 
and Mrs. Woodruff hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and 
are consistent and faithful Christian people. He is a member of Truro Lodge, 
No. 411, L O. O. F.. of Reynoldsburg, and Reynoldsburg Lodge, No. 340, 
F. & A. M. In politics he is a Republican, and for two terms served as 
trustee of his township, while for many years he was school director. All 
who know Norman \\^oodrufif respect him for his sterling worth and his many 



94 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

excellent qualities. His word is as good as his bond. His life has been in 
harnionv with every manly principle and his kindly spirit has won him the 
warm friendship of a large circle of acquaintance;. 

ELMER W'lARD WOODRUFF, ]M. D. 

In the death of Dr. Elmer Wiard Woodruff the medical profession lost 
one of its prominent and valued representatives, the community one of its 
valued citizens and his parents a loving and devoted son. He was the s^econd 
son and fourth child of Norman and Eveline (Doran) Woodruff, and was 
born in Reynoldsburg, Franklin county, Ohio, June 23, 1863, his death 
occurring in Columbus on the 24th of May, 1900. The following history 
is taken from a biography prepared by Samuel Carroll Derby, A. M., pro- 
fessor of Latin in the Ohio State University : 

Elmer Woodruff's early years' were spent upon his father's farm and 
given to the varied duties and tiresome employments of a farm life. He 
was a good boy, quiet and industrious, and as he had opportunity studied, 
but was not precocious or especially quick, but was fond of reading. His 
rather limited general education was gained at the public schools of Reynolds- 
burg, and after attending one or more terms of normal school he engaged in 
teaching, in the autumn and winter of 1885-6, in Plain township, and through 
the following winter in Jefferson township. He spent a portion of the time 
from 1885 to 1887 in the employment of his uncle, R. J. Rhoads, who con- 
ducted a grocery and provision business in North Columbus. His evenings 
were employed in study at one of the commercial colleges of the city. At 
this time apparently he took the first steps toward preparing himself for the 
medical profession. The year 1887-8 was spent by him under the instruction 
and for the most part in the ofBce of Jacob T. Mills, M. D., of Jersey, Ohio. 
His attention was devoted to anatomy, physiology and materia medica and 
other branches of medical training. Dr. Mills describes him as a careful 
student, slow and cautious rather than quick in grasping new ideas, but one 
whose painstaking methods gave a tenacious hold upon the facts which hard 
study alone made him master. 

In 1888 Elmer Woodruff entered the Starling Medical College and w^as 
graduated in 1891. He then returned to Jersey and was associated in the 
practice of medicine there with his early friend and preceptor. Dr. Mills, 
who found him no les's agreeable as a fellow worker than he had formerly 
been as a pupil. After four years spent in the irksome country practice and 
still dissatisfied with his previous attainments, and with that growing appre- 
ciation of the value of a more thorough training which appears to have been 
one of his characteristic traits, he took a post-graduate course in the New 
York Post-Graduate School. He then came to Columbus, in September, 
1895, opened an office and began systematically to cultivate those connections 
and acquaintanceships which conduce to professional success. His associates 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 95 

in the profession characterized him as a cool and cautions but yet unselfish 
and sympathetic physician. Recognition of his worth came in due time. In 
1898 his alma mater appointed him instructor in minor surgery, and in that 
position he was a successful teacher, in favor alike with students and his 
associates in the college. At the Denver meeting of the American Medical 
Association in 1898 Dr. Woodruff was elected assistant secretary for the 
following year and was untiring in his exertion to promote the success of the 
meeting of that association held in Columbus in 1899. His efforts were 
highly appreciated and w^ere a distinct help in making that gathering of five 
thousand physicians creditable in its arrangements and satisfactory to the 
members. He belonged to the Columbus Academy of Medicine, the Ohio 
State Medical Association, the Mississippi Valley Association and the Amer- 
ican Medical Association. Many of these bodies, by carefully drawn resolu- 
tions, took official note of his death. The Columbus Academy of Medicine, 
on May 26, 1900, in substance, passed the following: 

"Resolved, that all recognize in Dr. Woodruff an honorable, conscien- 
tious co-worker, devoted to the highest interests of his profession as a prac- 
titioner and as a teacher in the Starling Medical College. 

"Resolved, that in his death the academy has sustained the loss of an 
active and useful member, whose high professional honor and exemplary 
life are worthy of remembrance." 

Dr. Woodruff was a member of many social and charitable societies 
and orders, including the Odd Fellows, Free Masons, the Red Cross and the 
Old Northwest Genealogical Society. Of the last named he became a mem- 
ber in October, 1897, manifesting a lively interest in its success and gen- 
erously opened his office for its meetings, and for a time furnished room for 
its library. During the Mills meetings held in the city Dr. Woodruff's atten- 
tion was newly brought to the need of a religious life and he very soon united 
with the King Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, of which he remained 
a consistent and beloved member during the remainder of his^ life. In poli^ 
tics he was a Republican. He was unmarried and made his home with his 
brother. William M. Woodruff, at No. 1300 Neil avenue. 

Dr. Woodruff was of splendid build, about five feet, nine inches tall, 
with very dark hair, hazel eyes and a dark complexion. His movements 
were quick, but his mode of speaking deliberate and studied. During the 
•spring of 1900 he was unusually busy with his professional work. The needs 
of his patients were so urgent and their calls so numerous that his strength 
was overtaxed in meeting them and his system exhausted by lack of sleep. 
On the 1 6th of May he was taken suddenly ill with acute pneumonia and died 
on the 24th of the same month. The funeral services were conducted by 
the Rev. Joseph Clark and the interment was in Greenlawn cemetery. Dr. 
F. F. Lawrence, of Columbus, an appreciative associate who knew him well, 
has thus sketched his character : "As a man he was above reproach, a physi- 
cian of rare quality; one whose sense of honor and high ideal in the medical 



96 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

profession is worthy of emulation ; a man whom to know meant to trust, to 
respect and to love. The loss to the community is great, the loss to the medi- 
cal fraternity one that will be keenly felt. His was a life not well to be 
spared." 

PROFESSOR JACOB A. SHAWAN. 

The superintendent of the Columbus public schools, J. A. Shawan, is a 
Buckeye by birth and education. He was born at Wapakoneta, Ohio, but 
soon removed to Champaign county, where he attended the common schools, 
going from there to the high school in Urbana, where, after attending some 
time, he quit, to teach before graduation. He was a successful teacher in the 
•schools of Champaign county for four years. After this period he went to 
Oberlin, Ohio, and graduated at college there in 1880, with the degree of A. 
B., and three years later the same institution granted him the degree of A. M. 
In 1893 Professor Shawan received the honorary degree of Ph. D. from 
Muskingum College. 

The career of Superintendent Shawan as an educator has been a success- 
ful and interesting one. During the years 1880-83 ^"^^ was superintendent of 
the schools at St. Mary's, Ohio, going later to Mount Vernon, where he re- 
mained until elected to the superintendency of the schools of the city of Colum^ 
bus, in 1889. Since that time he has been the honored head of the great school 
system of this city, each year growing more and more popular, gaining the 
affection of the pupils while he retains the confidence of their parents. The 
schools under his charge have made marked progress and to-day he is strongly 
intrenched in the regard and affection of the public. 

Professor Shawan was married to Miss Jennie Koch, in December, 1881, 
at Degraff, Ohio, and the family now consists of his estimable wife and three 
bright boys, — Harold, aged seventeen; Robert,- aged fifteen; and Jacob, aged 
ten years. 

WILLIAM MERION. 

William Merion was born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, May 6, 1787, 
and on the paternal side is of French lineage. His grandfather, Nathaniel 
Alerion, emigrated from France in early life and became a resident of Dor- 
chester. In 1749 he married Thankful Withington, an English lady of that 
place. Seven children were born to them, two sons and five daughters. Will- 
iam, the second son, joined Washington's army, was taken prisoner and died 
in the hospital in New York city. Nathaniel, the eldest son, married Lydia 
Gay. a daughter of David Gay, and a granddaughter of George Talbot, an 
English Puritan. They had eight children, — Millie, Elijah. Lvdia, Marv, 
William. Nathaniel, Hannah and David. 

\\'illiam Merion, the first child and the sul)ject of this review, received 




JACOB A. SHAWAN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 97 

such educational privileges as the village schools of that time afforded. When 
he was yet very young his father removed to a farm near Stoughton, Massa- 
chusetts, where he died when the son was ten years of age, leaving a widow 
and eight children. They had a small New England farm, one-half of \yhich 
was covered with rocks', while the other half was swampy, but the mother 
managed to keep her family together for four years, when she married Deacon 
Abner Crane, of Canton, Massachusetts. He was a Christian gentleman, 
kind-hearted, and he would not allow even his cows to be whipped. William 
Merion persisted in doing this and the trouble thus occasioned led him to 
leave home. He entered the employ of the village storekeeper, who also 
kept a dairy and slaughtered pigs, sheep and calves for the Boston market. 
He was to receive his board and clothing and five dollars per month and work 
in the store and also deliver meat and milk. As he had no expenses for board 
and clothing he was enabled to save his cash salary, and after three years, 
when seventeen years of age, he began learning a trade. He served a three- 
years apprenticeship to a carpenter and builder and then started for Ohio with 
a snug little sum of money which he had saved from his earnings and which 
was supplemented by his; sale of his share of the farm. Through an agent 
in Boston he and his brother Nathaniel and his sister jMiilie purchased eighteen 
hundred acres of refugee land in Franklin county, Ohio, paying two thou- 
sand dollars, — but a little more than a dollar per acre. 

In June, 1808, William Merion bade adieu to family and friends in the 
east and with only a pocket compass to point the way came on horseback to 
Ohio. There were 'no roads or bridges. He first located in Worthington, 
where there was a small settlement of New England people, and afterward 
went to Franklinton, now West Columbus, where he secured board in the 
family of Isaiah Voris. On one occasion Miss Sarah Wait, a daughter of 
Jenks Wait, stopped at the door of the Voris home. She would not consent 
to enter, knowing that the boarders were at supper, but while talking to Mrs. 
Voris Mr. Merion came out upon the steps and was introduced. Soon after 
she had resumed her homeward way he overtook her. a bridle in his hand, 
saying that his horse had strayed away and that he thought it was at the Salt 
Lick, which place was a short distance beyond her father's' house. They 
conversed pleasantly until they reached her father's home, when he passed 
on. swinging his bridle. His horse all this time had been in the Voris stable, 
and he had merely formulated the excuse to get to accompany the young lady. 
The friendship thus formed terminated in their marriage, February 14, 1809, 
the ceremony being performed by the Rev. James Hoge, then a missionary to 
the Northwest Territory. 

The young couple began their domestic life in Franklinton. ]\Ir. Merion 
working at his trade. He had located his land on the east side of the Scioto 
river, lying in and near the present city of Columbus. Along the east bank 
there was a dense forest of heavy timber, and there was not a clearing or cabin 
between the river and Alum creek. In the fall of 1810 thev located on his 



98 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

land, at what is now South High and Moler streets, Cohimbus. Mr. Merion 
cleared some ground, built a log house, covered the building with clapboards, 
nailed down, and constructed a brick chimney. The house was large in size 
for that time and had a movable partition of upright boards that could be 
taken out, throwing the two rooms into one for a party or dance. Their 
lives, of course, were of the pioneer style. The s'ugar-maple trees furnished 
them all the saccharine material, while game of all kinds was plentiful. On 
one occasion a dog chased a wild turkey through the open door into the 
house, and when it was captured it was found that it weighed twenty pounds. 
The early settlers also had the luxury of good wild grapes, plumsi and paw- 
paws. Wolves were very numerous. Money was very scarce at that time, 
and as there were no railroads or other shipping facilities it was very; difficult 
to send produce to market. Mr. Merion found his knowledge of carpenter- 
ing of great advantage. In return for a day's: work on a house a man would 
plow two days for him. On a rainy day he would take four walnut rails 
and make them into bedsteads, which he would exchange with a girl for four 
weeks' work at sewing, spinning, nursing or house work. 

Columbus was laid out in 1812. The same year the second war with 
England was inaugurated, and Mr. ]\Ierion belonged to the Franklin Dra- 
goons, a cavalry company, which was among the first to be called out. Not 
wishing to leave his young family he hired a substitute, — George Wait, his 
brother-in-law, — whom he furnished with a horse, saddle, bridle and uniform 
and deeded him fifty acres of land for his services. Later there was a gen- 
eral draft and Mr. Merion was after all forced to go to the front, but the 
war soon afterward ended. 

He continued his farming and also became much interested in raising 
fruit of all kinds. He sent for a barrel of apples, but after they had been 
hauled over the rough roads and corduroy bridges they were mashed into a 
pulp. However, he washed out the seeds, planted them, raised the stocks and 
grafted them and had the first grafted apples in the county. The work of 
clearing the land, grubbing out stumps, burning the brush and fencing the 
fields continued, and thus acre after acre was. prepared for the plow. In 
181 7 he had a large frame barn built upon his place. In 1818 plans were 
made for building a brick house, and the bricks were made that year. The 
cellar was walled with bowlders taken from the bottom of the Scioto river, 
and the following year the brick work was put up and the building was roofed. 
It was one of the first brick dwellings' in the county and is still standing, on 
South High street. The window-glass was thought particularly large, being 
ten by twelve inches. The parlor was very fine, the wood work being a pale; 
blue, while the mantel, of the same color, was as high as a medium-sized 
person could reach. The bricks in the hearth and fireplace were painted red 
and tlie baseboard was' partly plain and partly figured, about three feet being 
put in plain, after which the same length was striped with white, while another 
length was clouded and still another was adorned with large white roses on 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 99 

the pale blue ground. The first piece of furniture purchased for the new 
house was the old clock that for more than eighty years has registered the 
passing moments. 

There were times of financial depression and times when fortune was 
more favorable. Mr. Merion and his family suffered and prospered with the 
rest. From 1822 until 1826 prices were very low and there was much sick- 
ness among the settlers. In 1825 Mr, Merion became ill and resolved to go 
east for the benefit of his health. He was so feeble that he could not mount 
his horse alone, but in April, 1826, he started upon the journey, of nine 
hundred miles. At first he could ride only ten miles a day, but gradually 
his strength and health returned to him, and after visiting at his old home 
he sold his horse and took passage on a vessel for New York city, thence pro- 
ceeded up the Hudson river to Albany, to Buffalo by the New York canal 
and by vessel to Sandusky, where he visited with his brother David for a 
few days, proceeding thence to Columbus by stage. He returnea with 
improved health and found that his family had raised and sold a good crop 
and laid by some money. 

About this time the Ohio canal, extending from Cleveland to the Ohio 
river, was commenced, and the National road was being extended westward. 
Many workmen were therefore in the country and this created a demand for 
supphes, so that Mr. Merion sold his cropsi and stock at a good advantage 
and he stored his barns and granaries full of grain and meat ready for ship- 
ment as soon as the canal should be opened for business: It was finished 
in 1 83 1, and on the 23d of September of that year the first boat, called the 
Governor Brown, made its appearance. This was an occasion of universal 
rejoicing through this section of the country. In a month from this time 
boats were loading grain at the Merion landing and the National road wasi 
soon afterward completed to Columbus. The olcf bridge on Broad street 
was completed in 1833 and gave a new impetus to business. Mr. Merion 
engaged extensively in farming, raised stock of all kinds, purchased more 
land and carried on a very successful business ; but the heavy demand which 
he made on his time and strength brought on congestion of the brain. He 
was taken ill on his fiftieth birthday and died a week later. May 13, 1837. 
His death was a great calamity to his family and to the publx, for he was a 
very prominent and influential citizen. 

Mr. Merion was reared in the Calvinistic doctrine, but never joined the 
church. He harl great reverence for the Bible, the Sabbath, the church and 
the ministry, but did not recognize Christmas. He was' always a friend to 
homeless children, especially boys. There were no public charities at that 
time. Families would move into a new country, would be stricken, with some 
of the malignant diseases then prevalent and the parents would die, leaving 
orphan children. Never was one turned away from the Merion farm. They 
were taken in, furnished with something to eat and given good clothing, and 
told that they could stay as long as they behaved themselves ; and they usually 

L.ofC. 



100 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

remained. There were five or six sheltered under the Merion roof at the 
time of the death of Mr. Merion. This, of course, made extra care and 
work for Mrs. ]\Ierion, but she was always equal to the occasion. 

A most noble woman, sihe was well qualified to be a pioneer's wife. She 
was always found where duty called, was heroic in endurance of hardships, 
privations and loneliness, and was untiring in the prosecution of the many 
household duties that came to the wife and mother. There were no cooking 
stoves, sewing, knitting or wasihing machines to lighten the labor. Every 
garment worn by her family was made from raw material. The flax had to 
be spun, woven, bleached and' made into clothing, and table-linen, toweling, 
bedding and even the ticking and sewing thread were hand-made. The wool 
of a hundred sheep was brought in at shearing time and Mrs. Merion had it 
washed, picked, carded, spun, scoured, dyed, woven and made into flannel, 
jeans, linsey, blankets and stocking yarn. The milk of from fifteen to twenty 
cows was brought in twice a day to be transformed into butter and cheese. 
She also raised geese and plucked them that her family might lie on beds 
of down. She presided over the culinary department, roasting turkeys, geese, 
ducks, chickens:, beef and pork over or in front of the old-time wood fire that 
burned in the fireplace. The housewife "prided" herself on her ability in 
this line and the table was bountifully spread with many delicious dishes. 
Fruits were dried for winter consumption, for at that time the process of 
canning was unknown. Tomatoes were purely for ornament, a few plants 
being raisied in flower beds, and the table delicacy (tomatoes) that we now 
have being called Jerusalem apples, or love apples. Mrs. Merion was like 
the woman described by Solomon : "She seeketh wool and flax and worketh 
willingly with her hands; she layeth her hands to the spindle and her hands 
holdeth the distaff." In 1814, while she was one day returning on horseback 
alone from Franklinton, darkness came on as she crossed the river. Soon 
she discovered that she was followed by wolves, that chased her nearly to her 
own door. When asked if she was frightened she replied : 'T was a good' 
rider. I was on a horse nothing could overtake; what had I to fear?" She 
was one of the first members of the Presbyterian church at Columbus, uniting 
with it in Franklinton in 1808. Of that organization she was a consistent 
member until 1842, when, to please her cliildren, she united by letter with the 
Second Presbyterian church, of which she was a member up to the time of 
her death. She was born near Johnstown, New York, June 28, 1789, and 
died in Columbus January 24, 1856. 

As the years passed by there came to the pioneer home to bless the mar- 
riage of Mr. and Mrs. Merion several children. Their first child was born 
February 10, 1810, and to her they gave the name of Elmira, but she lived 
only a short time, passing away on the 15th of February, of the same year. 
William, the second child, was born September 10, 181 1. and died in Colum- 
bus at the age of eighty-two years. Nathaniel, who was born February 16, 
1814, died June 17, 1877. Eveline, who was born April 11, 1816. died Novem- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. loi 

ber I, 1885. Sarah A., born December 19, 1818, was; married, December 17, 
1835, to George W. Peters, and died in Columbus December 30, 1893, at the 
age of seventy-five. Emily was born August 19, 1822, became Mrs. Stewart, 
and is now in her seventy-ninth year. To her we are indebted for this his- 
tory of an honored pioneer family. The youngest of the family, George, was 
born March 4, 1829, and died February 19, 1866. 



NATHAN ALVIN McCOY. 

Among the prominent members of the Ohio National Guard wdio have 
an honorable military record to their credit is Nathan Alvin McCoy, the sub- 
ject of this sketch, now holding the position of captain of Company F, Fourth 
Ohio National Guard. He is a native of Columbus, Ohio, born here in 1871, 
a son of Alfred and Elizabeth (Rhodes) McCoy. The grandfather of our 
subject was a native of Ireland, but Alfred McCoy came to Columbusi from 
near Springfield, Illinois, in 1865. He entered the army and served through 
two enlistments, being twice wounded, and received promotion from corporal 
to sergeant. Three of his brothers also served through the Civil w^ar. The 
mother of Captain McCoy was born in Washington township, a daughter of 
Henry Rhodes, who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania. The parents are still 
living. The military instinct is no doubt inherited by our subject, as his 
grandfather also was a soldier. He was in the war of 181 2, acting as the 
lieutenant of a company which did good service. 

Captain McCoy attended the public schools in Columbus and took a 
course in a commercial college, and has ever since been engaged in business. 
In 1 89 1 he enlisted in Company F, Fourteenth Ohio National Guard, and was 
honorably discharged in 1893, but re-enlisted at the reorganization of the 
guard in 1898, and was elected the second lieutenant of Company F, Four- 
teenth Regiment of Infantry, Ohio National Guard, and May 9th entered 
the United States Volunteer Infantry. He served with honor through the 
Spanish war. In Porto Rico Company F was detailed as a dynamite battery 
and attached to the brigade of General Haines. In the battles of Guayama 
and the skirmish at Las Pamas', where immortality was won for many, his 
was one of the gallant companies that bore the brunt of the attack. He was 
detailed as a quartermaster and commissary officer, at Caney, of the distribu- 
tion department, and served in this position for one month, being mustered 
out on the 20th of January. 

Captain McCoy immediately rejoined the National Guard, and in June, 
1899, he was elected captain, and is: still holding that position, being now the 
ranking captain in the regiment. During his service in Porto Rico the cap- 
tain was subjected to many dangers and some exciting experiences. Upon 
one occasion it became his duty to close a store, and this so enraged the keeper 
that he hired three natives to kill Captain ^IcCoy, which they came near 



I02 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

accomplishing. They set upon him and beat him with ckibs, badly wounding 
him in the head. The men were each sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. 
The marriage of Captain McCoy took place in 1897, when he was united 
to Miss Grace Abblichon, of Columbus, whose father came to this city many 
years ago from Switzerland. One son has been born and bears the name 
of Nathaniel Alfred Leo. The Captain is a member of the Porto Rico Expe- 
dition and Spanish War Veteran Asisociation, and for six years was the cap- 
tain of the Sons of Veteran Guard, of the First Ohio Regiment. Personally 
Captain McCoy is very popular and enjoys the esteem not only of his com- 
panions-in-arms but also of the residents of the city in which his home has 
always been. 

WILLIAM DAVID BRICKELL. 

The subject of this review is one of the best known business men of the 
city of Columbus, Ohio, being the proprietor of the Columbus weekly, daily 
and Sunday Dispatch, one of the leading newspapers in the state. He was 
born in Steubenville, Ohio, November 19, 1852, and is the son of Captain 
David Z. Brickell, a native of Pennsylvania, and now a resident of Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania, who was a son of John Brickell, one of the founders of that city. 
John Brickell married, in the Keystone state, a Miss Zelhart, a daughter of 
old settlers who had located in Pittsburg. 

William David Brickell passed his boyhood and early school days in 
Pittsburg, completing his education in the Western University in that city. 
His inclinations then led him to enter the office of the Pittsburg Daily Post, • 
and there he learned the trade of printer, continuing in that office five years:, 
spending one year of the time in the press room and four more in the com- 
posing room, thus becoming thoroughly instructed in every branch. His 
leanings were all in the direction of newspaper work and it is not surprising 
that soon he became a reporter, on the St. Louis Democrat, at that time 
owned and published by Mr. Houser. In 1876 he came to Columbus, having 
resigned the other position, and in January of that year purchased the Colum- 
bus Dispatch, succeeding Putnam & Doren, continuing the proprietor of this 
paper ever since. He has managed it to the satisfaction of his public, testi- 
monial to which is in the increased circulation and constantly growing busi- 
ness. Mr. Brickell has made a number of important changes, all of which 
have resulted in benefit to the patrons. The latest inlportant undertaking 
in connection with his paper by Mr. Brickell has been the issuing of a Sunday 
edition, which progressive move was made in December, 1898. This has 
proven a very gratifying success, the paper meeting a recognized want and 
succeeding almost beyond expectation. Mr. Brickell has purchased the six- 
story building at the corner of Gay and High streets known as the Disipatch 
building, for cash, making him the envied owner of a fine paper and the build- 
ing where it is published. Almost without means he started out in life and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 103 

his success has been the result of hisi own endeavors. Occupying the promi- 
nent position he does, other enterprises have come under his control. He is 
a director in the State Savings Bank and Trust Company; the East End 
Savings Bank, and the City Deposit Bank, being one of the founders of all 
three. 

Mr. Brickell married Miss Cora Ross, a daughter of Samuel Ross, who 
is an old and much esteemed resident of Columbus, who is spending his last 
days at hisi comfortable home in this city. 

In the political field Mr. Brickell has chosen a conservative course, and, 
despite almost constant solicitation, has never consented tO' hold office. He 
is a busy man, his great publications requiring much tact and judgment, 
while his other interests claim considerable attention; but he is popular with 
his fellow craftsmen in his profession. 

^IRS. E^HLY STEWART. 

Among the prominent pioneer families of Frankliji county is the one to 
which, this worthy lady belongs. She was' born here and is the sixth child 
and third daughter in the family of William and Sally (Wait) Merion, 
whose sketch appears on another page of this volume. She began her educa- 
tion in a primitive log schoolhouse so common during her girlhood, her teacher 
being Parson Jeffries, who had one hundred and seven pupils. The building 
stood on Wall street, between Mound and Main streets. Later she attended 
a private school at the corner of Third and Rich streets, Columbus. For 
a time she pursued her studies in a private school known as the Columbus 
Institute. 

On the 1 2th of May, 1840, Miss: Emily JNIerion gave her hand in mar- 
riage to Edmond Stewart, who was born on High street, Columbus, Decem- 
ber II, 181 1. His father, William Stewart, was a son of John Stewart, 
who came from York, Pennsylvania, in 1804, and became a large land-owner 
of Franklin county. After their marriage M\\ and JMrs. Stewart located on 
the farm in Marion township, where he died in 1858. By that union were 
born three daughters, but only one is now living, — Sallie M., the wife of H. 
R. Dering;, assistant general passenger agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company, at Chicago, by whom she has two daughters. — Charlotte Ray and 
Emily Stewart. Ellen A., the oldest daughter of ]Mrs. Stewart, married John 
H. Smith, and died November 3, 1892, leaving three sons, namely: Edmond 
S., of Groveport, this county; Frank H., of Columbus, Indiana; and Walstein 
G., teller in the Clinton Haden Bank, of Columbus, Ohio. ]\Iartha E., the 
second daughter of Mrs:. Stewart, died November 5, 1875, ^^ the age of twen- 
ty-six years. Mrs. Stewart has seven great-grandchildren. For forty-two 
years she has resided at her present home. No. 382 Oak street, Columbus. 
She is well known and lias a host of warm friends' who esteem her highly 
for her sterling worth. 



104 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

GEORGE L. CONVERSE. 

George L. Converse was born in Georgeville, Franklin county, Ohio, 
June 14, 1827, a son of Dr. George W, and Cassandra (Cook) Converse. 
His father was a physician and a son of Sanford Converse, who served as a 
soldier in the war of 181 2. Jeremiah Converse, the great-grandfather of the 
subject of this review, was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war, and the 
ancestry of the family may be traced back to the French Huguenots, the 
first of the American line coming to this country with Winthrop. 

Dr. Converse died Avhen his son George L. was a babe of only four 
months. The mother was a woman of strong character and attainment and 
supported herself and child by teaching school. Mr. Converse obtained the 
foundation of his education in the public schools and afterward entered Cen- 
tral College, where he pursued his studies for seven years, later being gradu- 
ated at Dennison University, in Granville, Ohio, with the class of 1849. ^^^ 
185 1 he was admitted to the bar, having studied law wath General J. W. 
Wilson, at Tiffin, Ohio. He began the practice of his chosen profession in 
Napoleon, Ohio, but removed to Columbus in 1852. Two years later he w^as 
elected prosecuting attorney, and after serving one term declined a re-election. 
He served for two terms, however, in the legislature, being chosen to that office 
in 1859 and re-elected in 1861. In 1863 he was elected to the state senate 
and became the Democratic leader in that body. In 1873 he was again 
chosen by popular ballot to the lower house and became its speaker, his ability 
as a parlimentarian attracting the attention of the entire country. In 1875 he 
was once more elected and was again the Democratic leader. In 1877 he was 
recognized as a strong candidate for gubernatorial honor, General Durbin 
Ward and R. M. Bishop being his competitors, the last named receiving the 
nomination. 

In 1878 Mr. Converse was elected to congress. He was made chairman 
of a committee on public lands, and that appointment to one of the most im- 
portant committees was an honor seldom conferred on new members. He was 
re-elected to congress in 1880 and was elected for a third term. His position 
upon the tariff question and his marked ability made him a conspicuous speaker 
in national politics. Mr. Converse and Mr. Randall were in entire sympathy 
and accord and advocated the principle that a tariff should be made that would 
protect home industries against foreign competition. Mr. Converse moved 
to strike out the enacting clause of the Morrison horizontal reduction tariff 
bill, when, in committee of the whole, the bill was under discussion. After 
the defeat of the bill its friends and those opposed agreed that the question 
should be settled at Chicago by the Democratic national convention. Mr. 
Morrison was to be the representative of those who supported the bill and 
Mr. Randall of those opposed. The latter was detained from attending the 
convention on the first day, and Air. Converse, though not a delegate, sought 
a place in the Ohio delegation and membership on the committee on resolutions 




-^ "~<5^-$5^~ 



W'cJ)~~r^SlX^^^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 105 

when the control was to be reached by an attempt to make Mr. Morrison its 
chairman. The opponents of the bill were successful, but Mr. Converse, as a 
favor to Mr. Morrison, requested, although entitled to the victory gained, that 
Mr. Morrison be made chairman. The subject of this review then made the 
first speech in reply to Benjamin F. Butler and addressed the meeting, speak- 
ing against the report of the committee. 

He contributed largely to the presidential success in 1884 and with Mr. 
Randall canvassed the state of New York. On 1892 he was appointed by 
Governor McKinley a delegate to the Nicaragua canal convention, held in St. 
Louis, was made chairman of that body and also of a subsequent convention 
held in New Orleans, called by him under the authority of the St. Louis con- 
vention. Mr. Converse took the view that the Nicaraguan canal should be 
constructed by the government as a national safe-guard and protection and 
in the interests of commerce. He delivered many addresses in different cities, 
sustaining these patriotic views in regard to the canal. Li 1896 he was urged 
to allow his name to be used in connection with the candidacy to congress 
in the seventeenth district. Although he appreciated the honor fully, he de- 
clined. For many years he was prominently associated with the National 
Wool Growers' Association, and at one time he was the law partner of Hon. 
S. S. Cox. 

Li 1852 Mr. Converse married Miss Sarah E., daughter of Nathaniel and 
Mary (Walker) Patterson. Four children of this union are living: :Mrs. 
Mary Follett, Wade and Captain George L. Converse, both of Columbus, 
and Howard P., who is living in Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Converse 
died in 1883, and in 1889 Mr. Converse again married, his second wife being 
Eloise, a daughter of Dr. Chauncey P. Landon, an eminent physician, of 
Columbus, Ohio. Four children were born of this marriage, one of whom 
died in infancy, while three are still living: Helen, Samuel Randall and 
Eloise, the son being named for Mr. Converse's old-time friend, the Hon. 
Samuel J. Randall. At his home in Columbus, Ohio, ]\Ir. Converse died, 
March 30, 1897. 

LORENZO ENGLISH. 

It is the sacred duty of every generation to keep a faithful memorial of 
the character and life of its distinguished men. The maxims, motives and 
destinies of prominent men, as exemplified from age to age in the moral drama 
of our race, constitute the elements of historic philosophy and impart to the 
annals of mankind their only practical utility. The life' of every individual 
exerts an influence more or less strong upon those around him and the career 
of the prominent citizen is studied by those with whom he comes in contact 
and by coming generations through the medium of history, furnishino- its 
lessons' of incentive and inspiration. Occupying a proud and honorable posi- 
tion among the foremost attorneys of Columbus in early davs was Lorenzo 



io6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. - ' 

English, who was prominently identified with pnblic affairs in both city and 
state. 

Mr. English was born May 22, 1819, in Herkimer county, New York, 
a son of John English, also a native of that county. He was reared on his 
father's farm until eighteen years of age and received only the advantages 
of such an education as the common schools of his native county afforded. 
In 1837 the family removed by wagon, then the usual mode of traveling by 
those seeking homes in the west, to Ohio, and located in Mount Vernon, 
Knox county. Later the father came to Columbus, where he died in 1863. 

In the fall of 1839 our subject entered Oberlin College as a student and 
was graduated with honor in August, 1843. I" September of the same year 
he came to Columbus and commenced the study of law under Edwards Pierre- 
pont, afterward attorney general of the United States. Completing his 
studies in 1845, h^ was admitted to the bar in that year, and embarked in 
the practice of law at Columbus. He possessed much patience and integrity, 
was very conscientious as well as industrious and attained great popularity. 
His professional career was a success from the beginning, and he became 
one of the most distinguished lawyers of Franklin county. 

In 1859 Mr. English was united in marriage with Miss Mary Keene, 
a daughter of William H and Mary Keene, of Haverstraw, New York. Her 
father died in that state when she was very young-, and later she came to 
Columbus with the family. Mr. and Mrs. English were the parents of five 
children, namely: William Henry, born in "Columbus, in i860, was educated 
in the public and high schools' of that city, and studied law with his father 
and the late Judge William Baldwin. Being admitted to the bar in 1883, he 
has since successfully engaged in practice here. He is a thirty-second-degree 
Mason and a stanch supporter of the Republican party. He married Miss 
Ida Neal, daughter of A. C. Neal, of Greene county, Ohio, and they have one 
son. Mathew Keene, the next of the family, was also engaged in the public 
schools of Columbus, and is now engaged in the real-estate business in that 
city. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias. He married 
Miss Louie Ford, of Columbus, and they have one daughter, Mary. A\"alter, 
who is a graduate of the Columbus high school, and is now connected with 
the Hayden Clinton National Bank. He married Miss Ada L. Phaler, of 
Columbus, and is a thirty-second-degree Mason. Lorenzo isi a graduate of 
the pharmaceutical department of the Ohio Medical University and is now 
with the Columbus Pharmacy Company. He resides at home. Laura is the 
wddow of Charles W. Young, of Columbus. 

In 1850 Mr. English v/as the choice of the Whig party as their candidate 
for mayor of Columbus, and wasi elected over a Democratic nominee by a 
handsome majority. So creditably and acceptably did he fill that office that 
he was several times re-elected, serving eleven consecutive years. He was 
chosen to many other positions of honor and trust, and discharged his various 
duties with a promptness and fidelity worthy of the highest commendation. 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 107 

As mayor the city government was never in more capable hands, for he was 
progressive and pre-eminently public-spirited, and in point of time no person, 
before or since, has been able to equal his long occupancy of that office. He 
was elected on the Republican ticket as county treasurer, by a majority of 
twenty-five hundred, and filled that office one term. In 1880 he was the 
candidate of his party for congress. In February, 1888, Mr. English received 
a hard fall on an icy pavement which resulted in his death on the 14th of 
March, the same year. He was a charter member of Capital Lodge, Xo. 334, 
I. O. O. F. His influence was great and always for good. His duties were 
performed with the greatest care, and throughout his life his personal honor 
and integrity were without blemish. Religiously the family hold membership 
in the Broad Street Methodist Episcopal church. 

JONATHAN F. LINTON. 

Jonathan F. Linton was born December 16, 1831, on a farm six miles 
southeast of Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, in a locality known as Green 
Plains. He was the oldest of three children. His father, Samuel S. Linton, 
was born in 1809, near ^^llmington, Clinton county, Ohio. The Linton 
family came from Scotland in the days of William Penn and settled in Bucks 
county, Pennsylvania, where Nathan Linton, the grandfather of the subject 
of this sketch, was born about the year 1773. Nathan Linton, accompanied 
by his father, Samuel Linton, two brothers and two sisters, settled on Todd's 
Fork in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1802, where he continued to reside up to 
the date of his death in 1856. He served as the agent to subdivide and sell 
the lands granted to General Horatio Gates by the government for services 
in the Revolutionary war. 

The family of Jonathan F. Linton's mother, Mary Fallis Linton, came to 
America from England, also in the days of William Penn, and were living 
in the vicinity of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, at the time of the Revolution. 
They afterward moved to the Shenandoah valley, locating near W^inchester. 
They settled in Clinton county. Ohio, about the year 1805. The whole con- 
nection on both sides were members of the Quaker church down to a com- 
paratively late period. 

Jonathan F. Linton's father and mother moved to ]\Iiami county, Indi- 
ana, in 1833, and settled on Eel river five miles back of Peru and opposite 
where was at that time located the chief village of the Pottawottcmy Indians, 
and where is now situated the town of Denver. His father died there in 
1836, and the family, now consisting of the widow and three children, returned 
to Ohio and settled near the village of Clifton on the Little Miami river in 
Greene county. In 1840 they moved to Harveysburg in ^^"arren county. 

Our subject obtained his education in the common schools of that vicinity, 
in the academies! of Harveysburg and Waynesville, and at the old ^^^oodard 
College in Cincinnati. During his school years he clerked a vear in a general 



io8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

store and postoffice in Waynesville, and spent a year in the printing- office of 
the Springlield RepubHc. The year 1849 1^^ worked at the printing trade in 
Lafayette,. Indiana, and in New Orleans and Mobile. During 1850 he cleared 
land and surveyed on Eel river in Indiana. During 185 1 he was engaged in 
assisting to make the preliminary surveys and estimatesi for a division of the 
Chicago & Rock Island Railroad, between Ottawa and Indiantown, along the 
bluffs of the Illinois river. In 1852 he improved a farm near where Mendota, 
Illinois, now stands. In February, 1853, he bought the Peru (Illinois) Dem- 
ocrat, changed its name and politics, and printed a daily and weekly Whig 
paper during the succeeding two years'. 

In the spring of 1855 he bought one thousand and forty acres of land in 
Lee county, Illinois, on its eastern border, where now stands the village of 
Lee Station on the northwestern branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy 
Railroad. In 1857 he harvested six thousand bushels of wheat and sold it 
at an agerage price of fifty cents per bushel. Not having money enough to 
meet the demands of his creditors, he retired from the farming business for 
a season and put in the time publishing a Republican paper at Peru, Illinois. 
He returned to the farm in 1858, and continued there until the breaking out 
of the war. In September, 1855, he married Eliza J. Sapp, a resident and 
native of Peru, Illinois, with whom he has lived ever since. They have seven 
children, now all grown. 

Mr. Linton entered the army in July, 1861, as the first lieutenant of Com- 
pany D, Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry, known as the Yates Phalanx. It 
was a Chicago regiment and went into camp on the lake shore at about where 
is now Twenty-second street. The regiment first went to St. Louis, then to 
the upper Potomac, and spent the first winter with Lander and Shields between 
Williamsport and New Creek. The following summer it was up and down 
the Shenandoah valley with Shields and Banks, till in June, when it joined 
the Army of the Potomac on the James river at Harrison's Landing. The 
winter of 1862-3 w^as put in at Suffolk, Virginia, Newbern, North Carolina, 
and Hilton Head, South Carolina. The summer of 1863 was spent on Folly 
and Sullivan islands, in front of Charleston, South Carolina. The winter of 
1863-4 the regiment returned to Chicago and veteranized. In February of 
1864 it joined Grant's army, then in camp around Washington preparing 
for the march to Richmond. Our stibject was made the quartermaster of his 
regiment in March, 1862, and served the greater part of his term of service 
on detached duty as brigade quartermaster on the staffs of Generals Howell, 
Osborn and Vogdes. 

He returned to his farm in Illinois in the summer of 1864. During 
1867-8 he was in the milling business' at Gardner, Illinois. 1869, 1870 and 
1 87 1 were spent in the milling business at South Toledo, Ohio. In March, 
1872, he bought the Ohio Statesman at Columbus, Ohio, and published it 
for four years. In March. 1874, he bought his farm just south of the city, 
where he has resided nearly ever since. In 1878 he established the Legal 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 109 

Record and sold it out in 1880. He laid out the suburb now known as Milo 
in January, 1888. The subdivision known as West Park Place he bought 
in 1 89 1. He has resided in the city since the fall of 1898 at 54 West Second 
avenue, and is still engaged in the real-estate business, mixed with a little 
farming. 

Thus we have endeavored to condense, as it were in a "nut-shell," an out- 
line of an eventful and interesting career, a full account of which would fill 
a large volume. 

EDWARD ORTON, Jr. 

Edward Orton, Jr., son of Dr. Edward Orton and Mary Jennings Orton, 
was born in Chester, New York, October 8. 1863, and was brought to Ohio 
two years later, living first at Antioch College, Yellow Springs. In the 
summer of 1873, after the death of his mother, the family came to Columbus, 
which has since been his home. His profession has carried him away on a 
number of occasions for a year or more at a time, but he has always returned 
to the city. He pursued his education partly in the public schools of Colum- 
bus, partly in Wetherell'si Business College, and partly in the Columbus high 
school, finally entering the university, in its preparatory department, in 1877, 
and graduating with the degree of Engineer of Mines in 1884. Previous to 
graduation he had been employed during the summer vacation of 1880 as a 
special agent for the collection of mineral statistics for the tenth census of the 
United States, traveling on foot and horseback over ten or twelve of the coal- 
bearing counties of southwestern Ohio; in 1881, on a trip to the mines of 
Lake Superior; in 1882, as assistant on the Ohio geological survey mapping 
coal outcrops in Tuscarawas and Coshocton counties; in 1883 as assistant on 
the Ohio geological survey, preparing a chapter on "The Clays of Ohio and 
the Industries Founded upon Them," which appears in Volume V, Economic 
Geology of Ohio. 

After graduation his first commission was the collection, preparation and 
erection of the geological exhibit of Ohio's resources' at the World's Fair at 
New Orleans in 1884 and 1885. Returning from his visit to the south, which 
incidentally included a brief visit to Honduras, Central America, in February, 
1885, he accepted a position as rodman on the engineer corps of the Columbus 
& Hocking Coal & Iron Company, with headquarters at Buchtel, Ohio. 
After six months of surveying, principally in the mines' at night, he was put 
in charge of the task of erecting and finally operating a chemical laboratorv, 
which the company had decided to install, as an aid to the regulatiDn of their 
five blast furnaces. In the summer of 1886 Mr. Orton was called to Colum- 
bus in the capacity of chemist of the Columljus Steel Company, an organiza- 
tion which sprung out of the old Columbus Rolling Mill Company, which had 
then been idle for some years. He served this company as draftsman for a 



1 10 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

few months, pending the completion of their plant, and as chemist during 
the whole period of its operation, until the fall of 1887. 

His next commission was to undertake, first as chemist and soon after- 
ward as superintendent, the manufacture of ferrosilicon or high-silicon pig 
iron at Bessie Furnace, New Straitsville, Ohio. This product had never 
been regularly produced before in the United States, and when produced had 
to compete with the Scotch and Belgian ferrosilicons. In this work he was 
successful, making irons of any desired silicon contents, and thus furnishing 
a needed object lesson by which the iron manufacturers of the country have 
been able to make their own supply ever since. In the spring of 1889 Mr. 
Orton was taken south to Goshen Bridge, Virginia, as superintendent of the 
Victoria Iron Furnace. This' plant, which was a very large one, was erected 
by English capital, but had been very unsuccessful and had been standing idle 
for several years at that time. In this position he encountered his first reverse. 
The repairing of the furnace was greatly delayed, and when started its opera- 
tions were very irregular. The company became panic-stricken after the first 
day's run and made a complete change in the management, which carried Mr. 
Orton out with other officers in the summer of 1889. Refusing to take charge 
of another blast furnace, Mr. Orton returned to the steel business, in which 
his Columbus experience had given him a great interest, and from Septmber 
I, 1889, to September, 1890, he worked in the open-hearth department of 
the Flomestead Steel Works of Carnegie, Phippsi & Company, occupying 
successively almost every position around the furnace from common laborer 
up. This year's practical work, and this constant association with laboring 
men on their own level, while not particularly advantageous to either his reputa- 
tion or financial success, Mr. Orton regards as one of the most profitable ex- 
periences of his life, giving him a fundamental familiarity with the work of 
steel manufacture, and a sympathetic understanding of working men, which 
has been of the greatest subsequent value. 

In September, 1890, Mr. Orton accepted a position as the superintendent 
of the paving-brick factory of the Ohio Paving Company at Columbus, Ohio. 
The use of vitrified brick pavements in this- country had been but recently 
begun at that time, and suitable men to take charge of the large plants then 
being constructed for the manufacture of this class of bricks alone were hard 
to obtain. Mr. Orton's work on the clays of Ohio in 1883 had given him 
an excellent basis for this position, to which he l)rought large experience in 
allied metallurgical lines. Hisi connection with the company lasted until 
February, 1893, at which time he accepted a position with the Acme Vitrified 
Brick Company, of Louisville, Kentucky, as superintendent of their extensive 
plant. Previous to this, in a lull in business, he had sought and obtained a 
leave of absence of a few weeks, during which he again studied the clay indus- 
tries' of Ohio for the Ohio geological survey, the results of which study com- 
pose a one hundred and seventy-five-page chapter in Volume VII. Economic 
Geology of Ohio. This work being written from the standpoint of a practical 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 1 1 

clay-worker as well as chemist and engineer, at once gave him influence and 
standing among clay-workers of all sorts over the whole country. 

In 1893, after visiting the World's Fair, the idea of providing some 
means for obtauiing technical education for clay-workers began to take root 
in Mr. Orton's' mind. His own training as a mining engineer and metallurgist 
had given him much advantage over the average clay-worker, and his geologi- 
cal work in the clay industries had shown him how general was the need of 
even elementary instruction in the application of chemistry, physics and 
geology to clay-working industries. This idea, growing in definiteness, re- 
sulted in the preparation of addresses on this subject before the clay-workers' 
associations of the country. One of those bore fruit in the appointment 
of a committee, who procured the passage of a law by the legislature of Ohio 
creating a department in the Ohio State University, where instruction in 
clay-working and ceramics, including cement and glass, should be specifically 
provided. To the direction of the department, Mr. Orton was called as the 
natural exponent of this idea of technical ceramic education, and he returned 
to his alma mater in this new capacity, in September, 1894, after an absence 
of just ten years' spent in business and engineering work. 

The ceramic department, beginning on a small scale, has gradually ac- 
quired momentum and has now become a very influential factor in the progress 
of clay-working industries in America. Being the first attempt, outside of 
EAU-ope, to give instruction on this subject, the new course drew students' from 
all over the United States, even from the distant Pacific coast. Many clay- 
workers could not at first see where to use or how to apply the trained output 
of this school, but they soon began to see their way, and the movement is now 
solidly established as a part of the educational scheme of the country. Other 
states, recognizing the practical value and good results of the Ohio school, 
equipped similar departments, notably Iowa, which was the second in the 
field, and New York, which appropriated twenty thousand dollars' in 1900 
to equip such a department. 

On the death of his father. Professor Orton was appointed, in December, 
1899, state geologist of Ohio in his stead, and, after securing appropriations, 
began, in July, 1900, the prosecution of active work in the survey, which 
had been inactive since 1893. Besides^ the administrative work as state 
geologist. Professor Orton took as his special field of investigation the cement 
and clay industries, which were immediately germane to his regular work 
in the university and which permitted him to carry on both positions at once, 
without prejudice to either. 

Aside from the strict line of his professional career. Professor Orton has 
held several positions of honor and trust: president of the Ohio Institute of 
Mining Engineers 1893-4, two terms; secretary of the American Ceramic 
Society from its organization in 1899; president of the Engineers' Club of 
Columbus, 1899: third vice-president of the National Brick Manufacturers' 
Association of America in 1897; first vice-president in 1898; secretary of the 



112 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

committee on technical investigations, of the same society, 1898 to date; fellow 
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1900; and a 
member of the council of the Society of Colonial Wars for the State of Ohio, 
1 899- 1 900. 

He was married on the 30th of October, 1888, to Miss Mary P. Anderson, 
a daughter of Hon. James H. Anderson and Princess Miller Anderson, of 
Columbus. 

ADAM STEPHENS. 

.\dam Stephens, superintendent of the Green Lawn cemetery, has been 
a resident of Franklin county since 1832, when, as a boy of six years, he 
came from Pennsylvania, his native state, with his parents. The Stephens 
family is of English lineage and was founded in America by the grandfather 
of our subject. The father, James Stephens, was born in Lancaster, Penn- 
sylvania, near Carlisle, in the year 1800. He was at one time marshal of 
Columbus, serving in that position for four years, from 1852 luitil 1856, hav- 
ing been elected on the independent ticket with Mayor English. He was 
a carpenter and builder and had worked for some years on the state house. 
He died November 23, i860. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary 
Otstot, was a native of Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, born in 
1802, and a daughter of Adam Otstot, who came from Germany to America 
when four years of age. For many years he resided in Ohio, dying in 
Springfield, this state. . Several of his sons are located in Clark county, Ohio. 

Adam Stephens, of this review, pursued his education in the private 
schools. Five of his brothers served in the Civil war. William Chambers 
served for three years and six months in the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
and died in 1898. Thomas Jefferson was captain of a company of the Fifty- 
fourth Ohio Volunteers, and now resides in Circleville, Ohio. Cyrus served 
for one hundred days in the Thirty-third Ohio, and is now living in Colum- 
bus. George S. was a member of a cavalry company and James was in the 
One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio for one hundred days. In 1866 Mr. 
Stephens was made marshal of Columbus, being the first Republican ever 
elected to that office, in which capacity he served for one year. For four 
years he filled the office of trustee of Montgomery township. In politics be 
has ever been a stalwart Republican, earnestly espousing the cause of the 
party and doing all in his power to promote its upbuilding and secure its suc- 
cess. For a third of a century, from March, 1868, until the present time, he 
has been superintendent of the Green Lawn cemetery. In early life he 
learned the cabinet-maker's trade and has followed it for twenty-five years, 
having made over ten thousand coffins in this period. There have been over 
twenty-three thousand interments in the cemetery during his superintendency. 
Mr. Stephens has the supervision of the grounds, and his labors have made 
this citv of the dead most beautiful. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 113 

On the 3d of May, 1849, occurred the marriage of Mr. Stephens and Miss 
Sarah J. Brentnall, a daughter of John Brentnall, of Delaware county. She 
was a native of England and was brought to America when a little maiden of 
six summers. She died in 1890, at the age of sixty-one years, leaving five 
children, who still survive her, namely: Eliza Shepherd is living with 
her father. Lorin Yerington, who is past chancellor commander of Columbus 
Lodge, No. 3, K. P., and belongs to Joseph Dowdall's Company, No. 19, 
Uniformed Rank of the Knights of Pythias. He is a civil engineer by pro- 
fession and is employed in the Green Lawn cemetery. For the past twenty- 
two years he has been prominently connected with military matters, was cap- 
tain of the Boys' Guard about 1867-8, was adjutant of the First Regiment, 
K. P., Uniformed Rank, for nine years, and held the rank of captain from 
1889 until 1897, and is now the first Heutenant of the Columbus Rifles, which 
was organized in 1898. John James, the next member of the family, is 
assistant superintendent of the cemetery. Ada is a graduate of the Columbus 
high school, has been a successful teacher for fifteen years and is now the 
principal of the Chicago Avenue school, of Columbus. Sherman Finch is 
a florist and is the proprietor of the greenhouses connected with the cemetery. 

For forty-eight years Mr. Stephens has been connected with the Odd Fel- 
lows society, is a past noble grand, past patriarch and past high priest of 
Capitol Encampment, No. 6, and a past grand high priest of the grand en- 
campment of the state. For a number of years he was the district deputy 
grand master. He became a charter member of Columbus Lodge, No. 3, 
K. P., was its first chancellor commander and was a representative to the 
first grand lodge held in Ohio, in 1866. His religious sentiments and mem- 
bership connect him with the Episcopal church. 

GUSTAVUS S. INNIS. 

The subject of the present memoir, Gustavus Swan Lmis, now num- 
bered with the dead, was a well known and much esteemed resident of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, his birth occurring in Franklinton, Franklin county, Ohio, Febru- 
ary 4, 1 819, and his lamented death on January 2, 1899. His father was 
Henry Innis, one of the pioneers of Franklin county; the mother was Isabel 
C. (Pegg) Lmis, a sister of the well known Joseph Pegg. Henry Innis was 
born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and moved to Jefferson county, 
Ohio, in 1812, later coming to this county, and about 1820 settling on a farm 
about five miles north of Columbus, becoming one of the prosperous farmers 
of his township. The mother died at her daughter's home at Commercial 
Point, at a very advanced age. 

Gustavus S. Innis was reared a farm boy and sent to the district school, 
where he made rapid progress, and then entered Central College, at which he 
graduated, under the presidency of Professor Washburn. After leaving 
college he engaged in teaching, first in the country, but later he took charge of 



114 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

a school in what is now South Cohnnbus. One term he taught in Chntonville, 
in the basement of the old brick church, and this' school under his direction 
became somewhat famous, on account of the progress of the pupils. 

Mr. Innis was married March 25, 1845, to Miss Sarah G. Morrill, of 
Montgomery township, a daughter of Moses and Millie (Marion) Morrill. 
Mrs. Innis was born on the farm adjoining the southern limits of the city of 
Columbus, September 2, 1821, and was the youngest daughter of a family of 
nine children. Her father was an native of New Hampshire, from which 
state he emigrated to Vermont and later toiBoston, Massachusetts. In 1806 
he married, in that state, and in 1812, removed with his family to Franklin 
county, Ohio, making the long journey in wagon's. He reached his' destina- 
tion safely, settling on a farm south of Columbus, which is now a part of the 
city, and here Mrs. Innis was born and still resides. This land was heavily 
timbered, but he worked hard and faithfully, finally clearing up the whole tract 
of two hundred and forty-three acres, putting it into a fine state of culti- 
vation. Mr. Morrill was widely known among the pioneers, as an enterpris- 
ing, honest and conscientious man. He died in 1837, upon the farm, his wife 
surviving until 1858. Both the Morrill and Innis families were old ones in 
the early settlement of New England, emigratmg from Scotland, Ireland and 
England. 

Mrs. Innis was educated in the city schools of Columbus and in Worth- 
ington Seminary, acquiring a very thorough knowledge of the various branches 
taught at that time. Following her school days came a season of teaching, 
when through the country, in the neighborhood, later in the city, she success- 
fully engaged in this profession, becoming one of the teachers in the school 
located on Parsons avenue. 

Mr. and Mrs. Innis were the parents of five children: Henry Alorrill; 
George Swan, now a professor in Hamline University, at St. Paul, Minne- 
sota; Isabel C, the wife of Dr. Newton Matthews, of Williamstown. Ken- 
tucky; Millie M.. the wife of Dr. Charles Bohannon, of Hebron, Licking 
county, Ohio, and Charles Francis, living at home on the farm. 

After marriage Mr. Innis settled on a part of the Morrill farm, carrying 
on extensive operations, but was never too much engaged to interest himself in 
politics or in any of the various enterprises which promised good to the com- 
munity. He was a man of progressive ideas, many of them considered im- 
practical at that time, but he only lived a little in advance of the age. For 
two years he acceptably filled the office of warden of the Ohio penitentiary and 
was appointed superintendent of the Boys' Industrial School, at Lancaster, 
Ohio. In politics he was an aggressive Democrat, because in all he believed 
he put his whole heart. Both Mr. and Mrs. Innis were devoted members 
of the Methodist church, Mrs. Innis having become connected with it in her 
girlhood. Mr. Innis lived to a good old age, his death being hastened liy a 
fall from a street car. His memory is tenderly cherished by his family and by 
all with whom he came into intimate acquaintance in life. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 1 5 

Mrs. Innis is the last of her family, with the exception of one sister, Mrs. 
Lydia Cookman, the latter having passed her eighty-second birthday. Mrs. 
Innis, notwithstanding advanced years, is hale and hearty, performing many 
daily tasks, living in the old homestead with a young lady for a companion. 
A cheerful disposition and a kind and loving interest in those about her make 
happy the declining years of this admirable lady. 

ALEXANDER DAVIDSON. ' 

Alexander Davidson, now deceased, was born in Hardy county, Vir- 
ginia, September 20, 1824, a son of Isaac and Mary (Evans) Davidson. 
The father was a farmer and he, too, was a native of Hardy county, whence 
he removed with his family to Ohio, arriving in this state about 1830. He set- 
tled on a farm in Norwich township, now owned by George Van Schoyck, 
but the tract was then covered with a heavy growth of timber. He made 
a clearing and built a small cabin of round logs, which he afterward replaced 
by a more commodious house constructed of hewed logs. Subsequently he 
sold that farm and purchased land about five or six miles north of Dublin, 
spending his remaining days thereon. He died in 1853, and his widow after- 
ward removed to Missouri, where her death occurred in 1863. Their chil- 
dren were Jane, who became the wife of Obediah Davis and died in Franklin 
county ; Alexander ; Rhoda, wife of Harvey Fisher, of Missouri ; Noah, who 
died in Missouri ; and Azariah, who died in Franklin county. 

Mr. Davidson, whose name introduces this record, was reared to man- 
hood in Franklin county, and acquired a fair education in the district schools. 
He was brought up to farm work and followed that pursuit throughout his 
entire life. He was married January 30, 1848, to Miss Lucy Wilkin, who 
was born in Hardy county, Virginia, December 3, 1825. Her parents were 
Jacob and Mary Catherine (Fravel) Wilkin. Her father was born and reared 
in Hardy county, Virginia, and was a son of George Wilkin, who was twice 
married, his second union being with Lydia Wise. He died in Virginia, and 
his wife died at the home of one of her children in Licking county, Ohio. Ja- 
cob Wilkin w^as reared to manhood in the county of his nativity and served as 
a private in the war of 1812, being stationed near Norfolk, Virginia. He 
wedded Mary C. Fravel, who also was a native of Hardy county, Virginia, 
as were her parents, Joseph and Annie (Dellinger) Fravel. About 1834 Mr. 
and Mrs. Wilkin came to Ohio, making the journey by wagon. They were 
about a week upon the way and at night camped out by the roadside. They 
located near the town of Nashport, in Muskingum county, where they resided 
for ten years, and then came to Franklin county, settling on what is now the 
Ezra Dominy farm, which was then a tract of wild land, the only improve- 
ment on the place being a little log house. Throughout his active business 
career Mr. Wilkin followed blacksmithing and farming and both he and his 
wife died in Norwich township. Their children were Reuben, who died in 



ii6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Muskingum county, Ohio; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Joseph Francis 
and died in Jackson county, Kansas; JuHa Ann, wife of Daniel Shuler, of 
Oklahoma; Lucy; Amanda, widow of Elias Fisher, and a resident of West- 
ville, Ohio ; and Catherine, wife of Hosea Dildine, of Madison county. 

Mrs. Davidson was only nine years of age when she accompanied her 
parents to Ohio. She attended school to a limited extent in Muskingum 
county, Ohio, and afterward continued her education in a log school house 
in Franklin county, her first teacher in Norwich township being Mr. Laird. 
Li 1848 iShe gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Davidson and for a few years 
they resided in Norwich township, after which they removed to a farm of one 
hundred and fifteen acres in Washington township, the subject of this review 
there successfully carrying on agricultural pursuits until his death. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Davidsoni have been born seven children : Arminta, 
the eldest, is the wife of George Van Schoyck, of Norwich township, Franklin 
county. Millard married Rachel Britton and resides in Washington township. 
Mary C. became the wife of George Wilcox and died in Washington township. 
Ida is the wife of George McCullough and died in Norwich township. Irena 
is the wife of George Fanning, of Oklahoma. Perley J., born on the home 
farm, April 18, 1868, attended the district schools of Washington township, 
was for three years a student in the high school at Hilliard, pursued a com- 
mercial course in Ada College and studied stenography in Hudson College 
at Columbus. After completing his education he went to Buena Vista, Vir- 
ginia, to learn drafting, but, disliking that work, he returned and has since 
operated the home farm. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Hilliard, 
and in politics is a Democrat. Harry, the youngest of the family, died at the 
age of twenty-seven years. 

Mr. Davidson, the father, was an exemplary member of the Masonic fra- 
ternity, and his political support was given to the Democracy, for he had 
firm faith in its principles. He died September 21, 1897, respected by all who 
knew him, and in his death his family lost a considerate husband and father 
and the community a valued resident. 

GEORGE W. MATTHEWS. 

The history of a state as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle 
of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon 
society. The world judges the character of a community by that of its rep- 
res'entative citizens, and yields its tribute of admiration and respect for the 
genius, learning or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the 
record of a state's prosperity and pride ; and it is their character, as exempli- 
fied in probity and benevolence, kindly virtues and integrity in the affairs of 
life, are ever affording worthy examples for emulation and valuable lessons of 
incentive. This train of thought is induced by a consideration of the life 
record of George W. Matthews who is one of the highly esteemed citizens of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. n? 

Franklin county — a man of sterling- worth and irreproachable character. He 
is enterprising, charitable and humane, having broad sympathy and a kindly 
spirit. 

Mr. Matthews was born in Wheeling, Ohio county, West Virginia, on 
the 30th of September, 1837, and has back of him a noble ancestry, of which 
he has every reason to be proud. His father, Ellzy Matthews, was a pioneer 
of Franklin county of 1844, in which year he located on the Scioto river, in 
Perry township. He was a native of Virginia, born at Moundsville, where 
his early life was passed, and there he wedded^ Mary M. Hood^ a sister of 
Judge Hood, of Somerset, Ohio, one of the early jurists of the state. Her 
father, Thomas Hood, was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, and served 
his country during the war of the Revolution as a drummer in the Maryland 
troops. He wedded Margaret Crook, and Elizabeth Hood, one of their 
daughters, became the wife of Rev. James C. Taylor, a native of Baltimore 
county, Maryland, whose parents became pioneer settlers of New Gibson, 
Ohio. When he was eighteen years of age Rev. Taylor, accompanied by Rev. 
J. B. Finley, attended a quarterly meeting. There he became converted, later 
became a student in Oxford College and soon afterward was licensed to 
preach. In 1823, at the close of his second year at Oxford, he was received 
on trial in a traveling connection in the Ohio conference, and was appointed 
to the Miami district of the Connorsville, Indiana, circuit. He labored faith- 
fully, wearing- out his clothes in the service, purchased a horse for ninety 
dollars in order to make his church visits, and at the end of his' season of 
work received thirty-three dollars in payment. He continuously rode circuits 
in the thinly settled regions of Indiana, and in 1826, while on the Black 
River circuit, he was married to Elizabeth Hood, of Brooke county. West 
Virginia. He was a very earnest preacher and enthusiastic worker, and the 
record of his' life w^as indeed a noble one For forty-three consecutive years, 
■with a strong and steadfast heart, he labored untiringly for the Master's 
cause. He was unassuming in manner, cheerful in disposition, and in his in- 
tercourse with his fellow men he commanded their respect and confidence and 
thus reflected credit upon the cause of Christianity. During his last years of 
work his labors were crowned with a very high degree of success, some three 
hundred probationers having been taken into the church. Eloquence char- 
acterized his utterances, and his speeches were often very pathetic. He died 
March 14, 1866, at the age of sixty-eight years, his birth having occurred on 
the 2d of April, 1798. Priscilla Hood, another member of the family, married 
Eli Green and lived and died in Virginia, passing away January 24, 1867. 
Sarah Hood became the wife of Thomas Bowman and for many years was a 
resident of West Virginia, where her death occurred. Rachel Hood became 
the wife of Joseph Brown and located in Washington county, Iowa. The 
sons of the family included Hon. Charles Hood, a prominent and well known 
judge of Somerset, Ohio. Dr. J. C. Hood, another son, became a dis- 
tinguished physician of Newark, Ohio, but is now deceased. He served as a 



ii8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

surgeon in the army during the Civil war, being attached during the greater 
part of the time to Grant's command. In this duty he was associated with his 
son, Dr. Thomas B. Hood. After the war the latter became dean of Howard 
University, in Washington, D. C, and was medical referee in the pension 
department for sixteen years. He died in 1900. 

Mrs. Matthews, the mother of our subject and the other member of the 
Hood family, was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, and during; her girl- 
hood accompanied her parents on their removal to Brooke county. West Vir- 
ginia. In 1802 her father came to Pickaway county, Ohio, but the wildness 
of the country discouraged him in his resolve to make a home in this state and 
he returned to Virginia. 

In the year 1844 Ellzy Matthews, the father of our subject, came to Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, bringing with him his wife and three children, together with 
their household effects, the journey being made with teams and two wagons. 
In January, 1843, h^ had made the trip on horseback, prospecting for a loca- 
tion, and had selected one hundred acres of land adjoining the farm upon which 
his son, George W., now resides. For this he paid eleven dollars per acre. 
It had been improved to some extent, and after taking up his abode thereon 
in 1844 Mr. Matthews continued the work of development and progress, mak- 
ing his home there throughout his remaining days. He was a successful 
farmer and accumulated a large estate, his landed possessions comprising 
nearly three hundred acres. He was identified with public affairs in the town- 
ship, giving his political support to the Democracy, and was an ardent adherent 
of its principles. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Matthews were born the following 
named : Margaret", who became the wife of Washington Mateer ; George 
W. ; and Mary, who became the wife of W. H. Davis and died soon after her 
marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews held membership in the Methodist church 
and through a long period were exemplary Christian people who showed forth 
their faith and works in their daily life and instilled into the minds of their 
children the principles of honesty and uprightness. The father died in April, 
1876, at the age of seventy-six years, and the mother pas'sed away in May, 
1 88 1, in her seventy-sixth year. He was a prominent Mason. 

George W. Matthews, whose name forms the caption of this review, 
was only six years of age when his parents located in Franklin county, Ohio; 
He acquired a good education in the public schools of the neighborhood and 
remained with his father and mother until they were called to the home beyond. 
On the 27th of September, i860, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy 
McCoy, a daughter of James and Ziporah McCoy, honored pioneer people of 
the county. From 1844 until the present time Mr. Matthews has resided in 
Perry township. In 1881 he took up his abode upon the farm which is now 
his home, and in that year erected thereon a commodious brick residence. 
His home is modern in all its appointments and equipped with the latest im- 
proved conveniences. It is tastefully furnished, has attractive and pleasant 
surroundings and gives' evidence of the culture and refined tastes of the in- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 119 

mates. The farm comprises two hundred and fifty-six acres of valuable 
land, which is highly improved, the richly cultivated fields being the visible 
evidence of the enterprising spirit of the owner. His property interests also 
include another farm in Perry township. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Matthews have been born five children, namely : 
Mary L., now^ deceased; Flora, wife of George Purdum; Charles H.; Mar- 
garet, who has also passed away; and Ellzy. Mr. Matthews has been quite 
prominent in political interests and has held the office of township trustee for 
fourteen years', wdiile for thirty years he has been a member of the school 
board. He affiliates with the Democracy and is unswerving in his advocacy 
of the party platform. Socially he is connected with New England Lodge, 
No. 4, F. & A. M., of Worthington, and has attained the Royal Arch degree 
in his chapter. Through many years he and his wife have been consistent and 
faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are exemplary 
Christian people. Kindness, amiability and courtesy not only characterize 
his social relations but are a marked factor in his business life. Honesty 
and integrity are synonymous with his name, and in every relation in which 
he has been placed he has been found true and loyal to the trusts reposed in 
him. It is not because of special prominence in public affairs that he has and 
is justly entitled to the respect and confidence of his fellow men^ for his per- 
sonal qualities are such as to make men esteem and honor him. 

ROBERT ^IcCOY. 

The name of ]\IcCoy has figured prominently in connection with the de- 
velopment and substantial upbuilding of Franklin county through almost an 
entire century. Robert McCoy, whose name introduces this review, became 
a resident of the county about 18 10, locating on the east side of the river, 
in Franklinton. Two years later, in 181 2. he purchased sixty acres of land, 
upon wdiich his grandson now resides. He came to this county from Penn- 
sylvania, but was a native of Ireland, whence he crossed the Atlantic to the 
new world in an early day, taking up his abode in Lancaster county of the 
Keystone state. On the maternal side, however, he was of Scotch lineage. 
His mother bore the maiden name of ]\Iary Love and w^as a native of the 
land of hills and heather, but became a resident of the Green Isle of Erin when 
a little maiden of five summers. After arriving at years of maturity Robert 
McCoy was married, on Christmas day of 1802, to Miss Nancy Douglas, 
who w'as born in Scotland, in 1781. \A"ith their two sons, James' and Hugh, 
they came to Ohio, and subsequently five other children were added to the 
family. The second son, Hugh, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1808, and 
married Lydia Burns. He came to Ohio with his parents in 1810, and for 
many years resided in Franklin county, but afterward removed to Indiana, 
W'here his death occurred. ^Nlary Ann. the eldest daughter of the family, 
became the wife of ^^'illiam Feltner. Eliza married Abraham Hunter; Nancy 



120 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

became the wife of Joseph Godown. Catherine died aged eighteen years; 
Rebecca married Daniel Barker. Sarah became the wife, of Alexander Har- 
per, and after the death of her first husband married Abraham Stout. After 
locating upon his farm in Perry township Robert McCoy there made his home 
until his death. He was a successful agriculturist, becoming the possessor of 
a large property. He died July 25, 1841, at the age of sixty-nine years, and 
his wife passed away March 27, i860, at the age of seventy-nine years. She 
was a woman of deep religious convictions and held membership with the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 

James McCoy, the eldest son of Robert McCoy, was born in 1805, in 
Pennsylvania, and married Ziporah Richards, of Franklin county. They be- 
came the parents of five children, as follows : Nancy, now the wife of 
George Matthews ; Lois, deceased ; Ebenezer ; Porter J. ; and Robert. Both 
Mr. and Mrs. McCoy spent nearly their entire lives in Perry township, and for 
many years he served as a trustee, filling the office in a most capable and ac- 
ceptable manner. His farming interests were well managed and brought to 
him a good financial return. His death occurred in 1880, when he had at- 
tained the ripe old age of seventy-five years, and his wife passed away Septem- 
ber 14, 1872. Their son, Robert McCoy, was their eldest child and is the 
present representative of the family upon the old homestead. He was born 
in this township, in 1834, and acquired a common-school education of a 
very practical nature. In 1862 he was united in marriage with Sarah Latti- 
mer, and their union has been blessed with eight children, of whom seven are 
yet living, namely : Glennie, Bertha, James, John, Edgar, Robert and Flor- 
ence. The home farm comprises one hundred acres of land, which is richly 
cultivated, and the well tilled fields indicate to the passer-by the supervision 
and progressive spirit of the owner. He is one of the practical and reliable 
farmers of Perry towaiship and a man of sterling worth. 

JOSEPH A. JEFFREY. 

The manufacturing interests of Franklin county have no more worthy 
representatives than Joseph A. Jeffrey, president of the Jeffrey Manufactur- 
ing Company, of Columbus, and a man wdio has been actively connected with 
various other business enterprises to the benefit of all. There is no man in 
Columbus who occupies a more enviable position than does Mr. Jeffrey in 
industrial and financial circles, not alone on account of the brilliant success he 
has achieved but also 011 account of the honorable, straightforward business 
policy he has ever followed. He possesses untiring energy, is quick of 
perception, forms his plans readily and is determined in their execution, and 
his close application to business and his excellent management have brought 
tO' him the high degree of prosperity which is to-day his. 

Mr. Jeffrey was born at Clarksville, Clinton county, Ohio, January 17, 
1836. His father, Jan^es Jeffrey, was a native of Monmouth county. New 




JOSEPH A. JEFFREY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 121 

Jersey, and was a farmer and trader. He married Angeline Robinson, a 
daughter of David Robinson, one of the early settlers of Warren county, 
Ohio, who was well known at Lebanon. Joseph A. Jeffrey passed his school 
days at St. Mary's Ohio, where he completed his education in the high school, 
after which he spent four years as a clerk in a general store. Later in life he 
removed to Columbus, where he soon secured a position in the office of Rickley 
& Brothers, private bankers. There he remained until 1866, in the various 
positions of bookkeeper, teller and cashier, and in the year mentioned he left 
the capital city and removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he engaged in the 
wdiolesale and. retail carpet and furnishing business until 1869, as a member 
of the firm of Rickley, Howell & Company, having a fourth interest in the con- 
cern. He disposed of his interest in the carpet business to J. J. Rickley, and 
returned to Columbus, where, in connection with S. S. Rickley, then of the 
firm of Rickley & Brother, bankers, he organized and established the Com- 
mercial Bank at High and Long streets, now the Commercial National Bank. 

A year later Mr. Rickley sold his interest in the Commercial Bank to 
Orange Johnson and F. C. Sessions, these gentlemen, with Mr. Jeffrey forming 
a general partnership under the name of the Commercial Bank, with Mr. 
Sessions acting as the president, while Mr. Jeffrey became cashier. He held 
that position until 1883, when he disposed of his interest to Mr. Sessions and 
acquired a controlling interest in the Lechner Mining Machine Company of 
Columbus. This enterprise was incorporated in 1878, with a capital stock 
of fifty thousand dollars, which has since been increased to three hundred 
thousand; and Mr. Sessions, who was previously connected with Mr. Jeffrey 
in the banking business, became the first president, but was succeeded by Mr. 
Jeffrey, who has since been the president and general manager of the enter- 
prise. The company has been known successively as the Lechner ]\Iining 
Machine Company, the Lechner Manufacturing Company and the Jeffrey 
Manufacturing Company. 

The scope of its operations has been broadened a good deal in the suc- 
cessive stages of its history and it now manufactures all kinds of heavy mining 
and electrical machinery, which is shipped throughout the United States and 
to foreign countries. The company has an extensive manufacturing plant, 
housed in large stone and brick buildings and employs from eight hundred to 
nine hundred men, a large majority of whom of necessity are skilled workmen, 
as some of the machinery turned out requires the highest possible finish. The 
plant covers about thirteen acres of ground and is located on the tracks of the 
Big Four Railway system, which affords first-class shipping facilities. The 
company manufactures electrical machinery, dynamos, motors, under-cutting 
coal-mining machines, electric and air-power drills, chain belting, elevators, 
conveyors, rope transmissions and coal washing and crushing mach'nerv. 
The efforts of Mr. Jeffrey have not been confined alone to one line, for his 
opinions carry weight in business circles generally, where he is known as a 
man of sound judgment and unquestioned ability. Since 1883 lie has been 



122 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

a stockholder in the Commercial National Bank of Columbus, and he is also 
a stockholder in the Ohio Trust Company, a director in the Franklin Insurance 
Company and is connected directly and indirectly with many other business 
enterprises of Columbus. 

Mr. Jeffrey was united in marriage to Miss Celia C. Harris, a daughter 
of Joseph and Deborah (Clark) Harris, the wedding being celebrated on the 
2d of October, 1866. They now have six children: Minnie G., Florence, 
Robert H., Agnes, Joseph Walter and Malcolm Douglas. The eldest son, 
Robert H., is assistant general manager of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Com- 
pany. Joseph Walter is a student in Williams College in Massachusetts and 
the youngest son is a student in the Trinity Hall school at Washington, Penn- 
sylvania. The eldest daughter, Minnie G., is a graduate of Gannett Institute, 
of Boston, Massachusetts, and is the wife of R. G. Hutchins, the vice-president 
of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company. Florence was graduated in Smith 
College, of Northampton, Massachusetts, and is now the wife of William 
Wilson Carlysle, a lawyer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Agnes is a grad- 
uate of Smith College and is now the wife of Frederick Shedd, of Columbus. 

Mr. Jeffrey served for five years as a trustee of the Protestant Hospital 
of Columbus and is a trustee of the Woman's Hospital of this city. He 
is a director and trustee in the First Congregational church, of which he and 
his wife are members. He likewise holds membership in the Columbus Club, 
the Arlington Country Club and the Middle Bass Club, of Lake Erie. In 
politics he is an outspoken Republican. His business career has been indeed 
very creditable, having established his present business, the Jeffrey Manu- 
facturing Company, and mainly through his efforts and direction having 
seen it grow from a very small beginning, the employment of a half dozen 
men, to its present large proportions with a capital and surplus of one million, 
two hundred thousand dollars, employing about nine hundred men, demon- 
strating the truth of the saying that success is not the result of genius but the 
outcome of a clear judgment and experience. 

LOUIS SIEBERT. 

Louis Siebert, one of the enterprising, w^de-awake and alert business men 
of Columbus, has through many years been identified with industrial and com- 
mercial concerns which have contributed in a large measure to the substantial 
upbuilding of the city, and the high success which he has achieved is an indi- 
cation of the power of energy, of capable management and of laudable ambi- 
tion in the business world. 

]\lr. Siebert was born in Frankfort on the Main, Germany, in 1830, but 
since the 15th of July, 1834, has been a resident of Columbus. His father, 
Henry L. Siebert, a soldier in the wars against Napoleon Bonaparte, came with 
his family to America in 1833, locating in Somerset, Perry county, Ohio. 
In Columbus he established a grocery and bakery, which he conducted until 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 123 

his death in 1842. In his youth Louis Siebert pursued his education in 
pubhc and private schools, and when a young man he learned and became 
connected with the business' of bookbinding and the manufacturing of blank 
books and stationery. Twenty-seven years he was identified with that line of 
trade and established the firm of Siebert & Lilley. They did an extensive 
business, their establishment being one of the largest of the kind in the entire 
state. Their sales and shipments constantly increased and the enterprise 
therefore proved a very profitable one. In 1892, however, Mr. Siebert retired 
from the business with which he had so long been associated, but did not 
entirely sever his connection wath commercial and financial enterprises. He 
is now a director in the Ohio National Bank, in the Edison Electric Light 
& Power Company, and in the Ruggles-Gale Company, a bookbinding enter- 
prise. He is also a director in the Dahlonega Consolidated and Standard 
Gold Mining Companies of Dahlonega, Georgia. 

In 1864 Mr. Siebert was united in marriage with Miss Sarah, a daughter 
of Henry B. Van DeWater, who was a well-to-do and highly respected cidzen 
of Columbus, but is now deceased. Their son, Albert H. Siebert, who is the 
manager of the press rooms of the Spahr & Glenn Printing &' Publishing 
Company, married Miss Cora Malone. The second son, Professor Wilbur 
H. Siebert, is a graduate of the Ohio State University, of Harvard College, 
and afterward continued his studies in the LTniversities of Frieberg and Ber- 
lin, Germany. He now occupies the chair of European history in the Ohio 
State University. He married Miss Annie Ware Sabine, of Marysville, 
Ohio, the only daughter of Hon. Hylas Sabine. 

Socially Mr. Siebert is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to the King Avenue Aleth- 
odist church, of which he is one of the trustees, and is liberal in his contribu- 
tions to church and charitable work. In business affairs he is energetic, 
prompt and notably reliable. He was watchful of all the details of his lousi- 
ness and of all indications pointing toward prosperity. He has gained wealtli, 
yet it was not alone the goal for which he was striving; and he belongs to 
that class of representative American citizens who promote the general "pros- 
perity wdiile advancing individual interests. 

OSCAR W. SCOTT. 

Oscar W. Scott, a well known farmer of Franklin township, was horn 
in Short Creek township, Harrison county. Ohio. November 13. 1853. ^^''-^^ i^ 
a son of George W. Scott, who was a nati\'e of the same county and came 
to Franklin county in 1872, locating at Camp Chase, where he was the first 
postmaster. He here established a notion and grocery store and continued 
as postmaster for ten years. In Harrison county he had taken considerable 
interest in public affairs, and at one time was defeated for a seat in congress 
by just one vote. His political convictions were in accord with the Repub- 



124 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lican party and he upheld them until the time of his death, at the age of sev- 
enty-eight years. The mother of our subject belonged to the Hoopes family, 
which first located in America in 1683, David Hoopes, a Quaker, locating in 
Westchester county, Pennsylvania, where the family continues to the pres- 
ent day. Ann Hoopes was born in Harrison county, Ohio, in 181 5, and was 
a daughter of Jacob Hoopes, who had come west from Westchester county, 
Pennsylvania. In the former place she met and married the father of our 
subject, living to be an^ aged woman, her death occurring in 1897. Three 
of the children born of this union survived to maturity : Thomas A. ; Georgia, 
who married Dr. John S. McBean; and our subject. 

Oscar W. Scott was educated in the district schools, later attending 
Franklin College, following which he learned the printing business. Receiv- 
ing a scholarship in the Ohio State University, he passed one year at that insti- 
tution, coming then to assist his father in the store and postoffice. At that 
time Camp Chase postoflice was second only to London on the Columbus, 
London & Springfield Railroad, between Columbus and Springfield. Until 
1883 Mr. Scott remained with his father, but at that time the store was dis- 
continued and he engaged in farming. He has an interest in twenty acres 
on West Broad street, also one hundred acres where he lives, besides' a half 
interest in Scott Brothers' addition to the city of Columbus. 

Mr. Scott was married, in 1886, to Miss Emma Haldy, the estimable 
daughter of Frederick and Louisa Haldy, whose sketch appears upon another 
page of this work. She is the youngest member of her family and was born 
in 1865. Two bright little daughters have graced this union, — Ora Bell 
and Flora Lou. 

Li politics Mr. Scott has always upheld the principles of the Republican 
party, taking part in its councils and being a delegate to many conventions. 
He was also on the state board of supervisors for elections and has acted as 
the clerk of the election board. Socially he is connected with the order of 
Odd Fellows. He is a man much esteemed in the community and has always 
followed a line of conduct looking toward the improvement of his town and 
county. 

CHARLES C. SWISHER. 

From the earliest period of Ohio's development the Swisher family has 
borne its part in the work of advancement and progress, so that the name is 
inseparably interwoven in the history of that portion of the commonwealth 
in which they reside. People of the present period can scarcely realize 
the struggles and dangers which attended the early settlers ; the heroism and 
self-sacrifice of lives passed upon the borders of civilization; the hardships 
endured ; the difficulties overcome. Those tales of the early days read almost 
like a romance to those who have known only the modern prosperity and 
convenience. To the pioneer of the early days the struggle for existence, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 2 5 

far removed from the privileges and conveniences of city and town, was a 
stern, hard one, and those men and women must have possessed wisdom, 
immutable energies and sterling worth of character, as well as marked physical 
courage when they thus selected such a life and successfully fought its battles 
under such circumstances as prevailed in the west. 

John Swisher and his family came to Ohio from Sussex county, New 
Jersey, in the year 1805,, and settled in Fairfield county, where they remained 
until 1807, when they came to Madison township, Franklin county. Mrs. 
Swisher bore the maiden name of Mary Peterson, and upon her father's land 
northeast of the present site of Groveport Mr. Swisher and his family located. 
He afterward removed to the school section, where he resided for more than 
forty years, and afterward took up his abode in Dublin, Franklin county, 
w'here he spent his remaining days. His first wife died in 1836 and he after- 
ward married Mrs. Shepherd, of Washington township. Of his: family, six 
children lived to a period past seventy years of age, namely: Jacob, who 
spent his entire life in Madison township; Thomas, who spent the greater 
part of his life in Crawford county, Ohio, and there died; Frederick, who 
also resided in Madison township ; Fama, the wife of Absalom Peters, of 
Walnut township, Pickaway county, Ohio; Mrs. Maria Minor, of Hamilton 
township, Franklin county; John, who died in Litchfield, Illinois; and Mrs. 
Hoover, the youngest, a resident of Bucyrus, Ohio. 

Jacob Swisher, the eldest of this family, was born in Sussex county, 
New Jersey, July 5, 1803, and was twice married. He wedded Miss Eliza 
Scothorn, who died a year later, and his second wife w^as a daughter of 
Philemon Needels. During the greater part of his life Jacob Swisher resided 
upon a farm in Franklin county and in addition to the cultivation of his fields 
he engaged in buying and selling live stock. On a number of occasions he 
walked to Baltimore, there marketing a drove of hogs, and also returned on 
foot. In 1 840- 1 he engaged in the pork-packing business in Groveport. Hisi 
second wife died in 1862 and his death occurred on the ist of December, 
1890. They had nine children. 

Henry Clay Swisher, the eldest, was born in Madison township, January 
8, 1837, and long resided upon the home farm, making improvements thereon, 
including the erection of a substantial residence in 1874. He was married 
on the i8th of December, 1866, to Miss Jennie Nau, a daughter of Jacob 
and Margaret Nau. Her father was born July 14, 1820, in Prussi^i, Ger- 
many, and with his parents came to this country when ten years' of ap-e. He 
was married, on the 20th of November, 1843, to INIiss Alargaret Bradley, 
and unto them were born seven children, four sons and three diughters. 
The mother died May 5, 1856, at the age of thirty-one years, and Mr. Nau 
afterward married Miss Amanda Hickle, on the 3d of February, 1867. Her 
death occurred January 15, 1890. Jacob Nau came to Madison township, 
Franklin county, in 1856, from Fairfield county. Of his children, three sons 
and two daughters reached mature vears and two of the sons were educated 



126 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in Lel^anoii. Ohio, and afterward were graduated in ]\Iiami ]\Iedical Col- 
lege, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The youngest son pursued his education in Worth- 
ington, Ohio. One daughter is the wife of A. M. Brown, of Groveport, and 
the other became the wife of Henry Clay Swisher. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Swisher were born eight children, seven of whom 
are living, — four sons and three daughters. The eldest, Ella Maxa, was 
born November 2, 1867, and on the 31st of December, 1895, became the wife 
of O. P. Crist, a son of Samuel Crist, an early settler of Madison township. 
Charles Clay is the next younger. Walter was l)orn December 25, 1870, 
and died on the 9th of January, 1871. Edgar Allison was born January 
23, 1872, was married, December 2, 1896, to Miss^ Alice Snow, of Hardin 
county, Ohio, and is now engaged in the drug business in Milledgeville, 
Fayette county, Ohio. Anah Alice, born December 16, 1873, ^I'^d Emma 
Florence, born December 13, 1878, are successful school-teachers in Frank- 
lin county. Amy Margaret, born August 14, 1881, is now a student 
in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. Jacob Wilbur, the 
youngest of the family, was born December 13, 1883, and is now a student 
in the high school at Delaware, this state. 

Charles Clay Swisher, Avhose name introduces this record, was born in 
Madison township. Franklin county, on the 19th of February, 1869, and in 
his youth attended the public schools near his home. Later he was grad- 
uated at the Groveport high school, at the age of nineteen years, and subse- 
quently pursued a post-graduate course at Reynoldsburg. Ohio. In the fall 
of 1888 he began teaching in the country schools and followed that profes- 
sion in Franklin county for several years. He always held a high-clas's 
certificate and was a very successful instructor, giving excellent satisfaction 
in every district in which he was employed. 

On the 27th of February, 1896, Mr. Swisher was united in marriage 
to Miss Luda E. Chaney, of Canal Winchester, Franklin county, Ohio, the 
eldest daughter of Edward and Eliza A. (Tallman) Chaney and a grand- 
daughter of the Hon. John Chaney, one of the early pioneers of Franklin 
county. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Swisher now have two interesting children : Helen 
E., who was born May 27, 1898; and Marcus Henry, born June 4, 1900. 

Since 1893 Mr. Swisher has been engaged in farming upon the fine farm 
that was owned by his father, and has placed the land under a high state of 
cultivation, so that the w^ell tilled fields bring to him a good return for the 
care and labor he bestows upon them. He is also a contractor. At present 
Mr. Swisher occupies the position of issuing clerk under the clerk of the 
courts of Franklin county. 

In politics the elder Swishers were Wliigs, but since the organization of 
the Republican party they have supported its principles, and the subject of 
this review is also allied with that organization, taking an active interest 
in its work and doing all in his power to promote the welfare of his party. 
Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias lodge at Canal Win- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 127 

Chester. He takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of 
the county and to its progress along material and moral lines. His life has 
been an honorable, useful and upright one and all who know him hold him 
in the highest regard for his sterling worth. 

J. H. EUTSLER. 

J. H. Eutsler, the junior member of the firm of Puntenney & Eutsler, 
piano and music dealers of Columbus, occupies a creditable position in busi- 
ness circles in the city. He was born upon a farm in Ross county, Ohio, 
April 22, 1862, and is of German lineage. His grandfather, Henry Eutsler, 
was a native of Pennsylvania, but his ancestors came from the fatherland to 
the new world. Henry Eutsler married Jane Kirkendall, and among their 
children was Abram H. Eutsler, the father of our subject. He was born in 
eastern Ohio, and after arriving at years. of maturity wedded Nancy A. Haley, 
whose birth occurred in Vinton county, Ohio. Both are still living, their 
home being in Jamestown. Greene county, this state. 

John H. Eutsler is indebted to the common schools for the educational 
privileges which he enjoyed. Through tlie period of his boyhood and youth 
he assisted in the work of the home farm, remaining with his parents until 
twenty years of age. He afterward attended school for a short time at 
Milledgeville, Eayette county, after which he entered upon his business career 
as a salesman in a store at Washington Court House, where he remained 
until 1 89 1. In that year he removed to Springfield and in 1893 came to 
Columbus and was' in the employ of Hockett Brothers & Puntenney until 
1898, when he became a partner in the business, under the firm name of 
Puntenney & Eutsler. The partners are wide-awake, enterprising and experi- 
enced business men, each having been associated with the piano business for 
a number of years. Their store is located at No. 231 North High street, 
where they carry a large stock of pianos, organs and other musical instruments. 

Mr. Eutsler was united in marriage to Miss Emma J. Wallace, of Gallia 
county, Ohio, a daughter of Amos S. and Eva Anne (Shively) Wallace. 
They have the warm friendship of a large circle of acquaintances, and in 
business' circles Mr. Eutsler enjoys a most enviable reputation, which has 
been won by reason of his fidelity to the ethics of commercial life and his 
exemplification of the enterprising American spirit. 

JOHN BURNSIDE. 

Among the prominent farmers of Franklin county John Burnside. a 
leading citizen of Brown township, is specially deserving of mention in a 
work of the character of this volume. 

Mr. Burnside is a grandson of James Burnside. who was of Scotch 
descent and born near Enniskillen. in county Fermanagh. Ireland, where 



128 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

he became a prominent stock farmer and died full of years and honor. His 
son, John Burnside, the father of our subject, was also a native of that 
county, became an expert weaver of fine linens and was so successful in busi- 
ness that in time he employed several skilled workmen to help him. He mar- 
ried Margaret Humphreys, also a native of the same county and a daughter 
of Christopher Humphreys. In 1830, with his wife and family, he came to 
America, landing at St. Johns, New Brunswick, after a voyage of three weeks. 
After a short visit there he proceeded to Philadelphia and thence to 
Muskingum county, Ohio, bringing his wife, children and effects by wagon 
and settling there as a farmer, without means and amid most primitive envi- 
ronments. He died in that county, aged sixty-six years, and his wife died at 
Delaware, this state, at the age of nearly one hundred years. Their children 
were : Christopher, now deceased ; John, who is the subject proper of this 
sketch ; William, also deceased ; Royal, who lives at Westerville, Franklin coun- 
ty; Margaret, who lives with her family in Wisconsin; and Ann Eliza, 
Thomas , and Jane, deceased. 

John Burnside, of Brown township, this county, was born at the birth- 
place of his father and grandfather in Ireland, in February, 181 7, and attended 
subscription and government schools there. He was thirteen years old in 
1830, when his parents came to America. He helped his father build the log 
cabin in the woods in Muskingum county, and helped him to clear up hi'S 
land and put it under cultivation. The little house was made of round logs 
and had a big fireplace and a stone chimney, and the household furniture and 
conveniences of the family were meager indeed. The boy attended school 
only one month after they came to Muskingum county, but he was brought up 
a thorough farmer and gained much valuable knowledge by reading and obser- 
vation. He lived on his father's farm until the spring of 1850, when he mar- 
ried Miss Elizabeth Vandevort, who was born in Muskingum county, a 
daughter of James Vandevort, and was of German ancestry. 

After his marriage Mr. Bums.ide lived for four years on a farm of one 
hundred and thirty acres in Coshocton county, Ohio, which he had bought 
some time before. He then settled in Brown township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, where he bought one hundred acres of land, all but seven acres of which 
was heavily timbered. He employed help and built a small cabin which 
served him as a home for four years until he could erect a more comfortable 
dwelling. As rapidly as possible he improved his land and put it under cul- 
tivation, and he has added to his holdings from time to time until he now 
owns two hundred acres well improved and in every way equipped for success- 
ful farming. He is a leading man in his township, strong and influential as 
a Republican, but has never consented to accept any public office, though he 
has aided to the extent of his ability every movement for the public good. 

Mr. Burnside is a helpful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
Mrs. Burnside, who was a Presbyterian, died safe in the Christian faith, in 
1886, leavino- tender memories as a devoted wife and mother. Thev had 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 129 

children as follows : Martha, who married Elwood Smith ; Viola, the widow of 
Georg-e Brand and presides over her father's household ; and Albert, wdio is 
prominent in Brown township, where he has ably served his fellow towns- 
men as a township trustee. All members of this family are held in high 
esteem by those who know them best. 

STEPHEN W. PARKER. 

Stephen W. Parker is a wide-awake and progressive farmer of Prairie 
township and is descended from good old Revolutionary stock. His grand- 
father was an agriculturist of the Empire state and there spent his entire 
life. When the country became involved in war with England, owing to the 
oppression which had been heaped upon the colonists, he joined the Amer- 
ican army and aided in establishing the indep^idence of the Republic. Peter 
Parker, the father of our subject, was born in New York, in March, 181 8. 
He acquired a limited education and at the age of sixteen he ran away from 
home in order to come to the west. He made the journey on foot to Ohio 
and secured work on the National road at Sullivant Hill, near Columbus, 
and aided in building the road through Madison county. He was married, 
in this county, when about twenty-four years of age, to Miss Mary Warner, 
who was born in Franklin county, or in Pennsylvania. She was' a daughter 
of Stephen Warner, who'se birth occurred in the latter state, while her mother, 
Mrs. Lucy Warner, was a native of Ireland and came to the United States 
in her girlhood. 

After his marriage Peter Parker located at the Leonard brick yard, at 
Columbus, carrying on business there for a time, after which he sold his 
property and took up his abode in Brown township, where his wife died in 
August, 1857, in the faith of the Baptist church, in which she held member- 
ship. His death occurred March 4, i860. In his political affiliations he was 
a Democrat. The children of this worthy couple were : Martin, who died in 
infancy; Stephen W. ; Henry W., who went to Nebraska late in the '60s and 
is still living there; John C, of Norwich township, who married Margaret 
Poland; and Mary Jane, the wife of Joseph Grooms. 

Stephen W. Parker was born in the Leonard brick yard, now a part of 
Columbus, December 5, 1844, and was reared to manhood in Brown town- 
ship, at the time when it was a veritable wilderness, for no roads had been 
cut and the work of improvement was scarcely begun. The school was far 
from his home, but he attended when the weather permitted. After the death 
of his parents the support of the other children devolved upon him. He 
began work as' a farm hand for John R. Reason, at six dollars per month, 
and with him continued for nine years. \\'hile thus employed he responded 
to the country's call for aid. The 1)lood of Revolutionary ancestors flowed 
in his veins and his spirit of patriotism was aroused so that on attaining his 
majority he enlisted on the 8th of February. 1865, a? a member of Company 



I30 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

E, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain 

F. M. Baker and Colonel R. P. Kennedy. He was mustered out September 
26. 1865, at Fort Federal Hill, in Baltimore, Maryland. During his service 
he was mostly in Virginia and at times he acted as teamster. He participated 
in the engagements of Charleston and Richmond and at the latter place on 
being injured was sent to the rear. For a time be was in camp at Win- 
chester and thence went to Baltimore, Maryland, and afterward to Havre de 
Grace. Subsequently he returned to Baltimore, where he was discharged. 

Mr. Parker at length returned to the home of his former employer Sep- 
tember 30, 1865, and remained in the service of Mr. Reason through the fol- 
lowing year. He then purchased a notion wagon and in that way was engaged 
in selling goods until 1867. In the spring of 1868 he was married and made 
bis home near Alton. In March, 1869, he removed to the Bigelow farm on 
the National pike, remaining there for six years, and in 1875 he went to 
Madison county, where he remained for twelve years. In April, 1887, he 
took up his abode upon his present farm of seventy-three and a half acres 
in Prairie township, Franklin county, erecting a residence in that year. He 
has placed many miles of tile upon his farm, has planted orchards, erected 
buildings and made other substantial improvements, and also owns a farm of 
sixty-one acres elsewhere. 

In the spring of 1868 Mr. Parker was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda 
Groomes, who was born November 27, 1850, on the farm which is yet her 
home, and which was then the property of her maternal grandfather, Th(;mas 
O'Harra. Her paternal grandfather was John Groomes, wIk^ with his wife 
and children came from Jersey to Franklin county. His wife was in her 
maidenhood a Miss Thener. John Groomes was among the early settlers 
of Prairie township, and died within its borders on what is now the George 
Michaels farm. Peter Groomes, the father of Mrs. Parker, was born in 
Jersey in 1823, and was a small boy when brought by his parents to Ohio. 
He was reared in Prairie township and married Louisa O'Harra, who was 
born on the east bank of the Scioto river in Franklin county, and is a daugh- 
ter of Thomas O'Harra, who was a pioneer of Prairie township, where he 
owned over three hundred acres' of land. His death occurred on his farm 
January 13, 1877. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Groomes located 
upon the farm which is now the property of Mrs. Parker. Her mother died 
in 1853, and her father afterward married Mary Jane Gatton. His death 
occurred on the old home farm March 15, 1891. The children of his first 
marriage were : Joseph, who married Mary Jane Parker and is living in 
Worthington ; John, who married Annie Sullivan and resides near Elmwood ; 
Margaret, the wife of Jacob Nicely: Mrs. Parker; and Isabel, who died at 
the age of fourteen years. The children of the second marriage are: Peter; 
Ellen Mina, now Mrs. Trus'sel, a widow; and Samuel. The children of Mr. 
and Mrs. Parker are: Jennie; Delia, now the wife of Louis Michel; Dora, 
wife of W. C. Carl; Lawson ; Charles, Frank and Hosea, who are in school. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 131 

Mr. Parker was born and reared in the Democratic faith, but in 1876 
left that party and has since been a stanch Repnbhcan, unswerving in his 
allegiance to the principles of the organization. For a quarter of a century 
he has served as a member of the board of education and the schools find 
in him a warm friend. He also belongs to W. H. Elliott Post, G. A. R., of 
Alton, and thus maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades. 

GEORGE H. BULFORD. 

One of the successful and prominent professional firms of Columbus, 
Ohio, is that of Richards, McCarty & Bulford, architects, of which company 
George H. Bulford, the subject of this sketch, is the junior member. He 
wasi born in Worcester, England, in January, 1870, and is the son of Thomas 
E. and Annie (Pritchard) Bulford, both of wdiom were natives of England. 
The father of our subject was for many years an operator in the iron indus- 
tries at Worcester, and died there in 1874. The mother of our subject sur- 
vives her husband and came later to the United States and resides now in 
Columbus, Ohio. 

George H. Bulford was educated in the common schools' of his native 
town, later enjoying advantages at a private English school, still later taking 
a course in the grammar school, following which he selected architecture for 
his life occupation and entered upon the study of it. applying himself closely 
for the space of two years in his native country. 

In 1886 our subject came to the United States and moved direct to 
Columbus, Ohio, where he entered into the employ of a w^ell-known architect 
of this city named Yost. A short time later our subject went to New York 
in order to take a special course under the direction of a leading architect, 
upon his return becoming a member of the above firm. Their work is known 
throughout the city and state, and the firm is considered one of the most 
reliable and prosperous in the city. Mr. Bulford is a young man who has 
displayed great ability in his work, and commands the personal esteem of his 
business associates. 

The marriage of Air. Bulford took place in 1893 to Miss Florence 
Browning, of Marion, Ohio, the daughter of J. H. Browning, formerly of 
Marietta, a native of Missouri, although she was reared in Ohio, and they 
have one son, named George E. 

GEORGE BRODRICK. 

For more than the traditional psalmist's span of life George Brodrick 
h,as resided in Columbus, and has been a witness of almost the entire 
growth and development of the city, which w^as founded nearly a century 
ago. He first opened his eves to the light of day in Columbus. January 5, 
1829. His father, H. D. Brodrick. was a native of Maysville. Kentucky, 



132 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

born in 1802, and in 18 10 he came to Ohio with his parents. In pioneer 
times, during the presidency of Martin Van Biiren, the grandfather of our 
subject was county auditor of Franklin county, and H. D. Brodrick served 
as a deputy. They were both prominent and influential men in business', 
political and social circles, and the name is inseparably connected with the 
history of this community on account of what they did for the development 
of the city and county. The father passed away in 1876. 

George Brodrick, of this review, spent his boyhood days at his parents' 
home and pursued his education in the schools that were in existence at that 
day. His memory reaches back to the early times when Columbus was but 
a village. The old landmarks have long since been obliterated, and the old 
tavern and postoffice where the Columbus stage made its stops was within 
three blocks of Mr. Brodrick's present home, for he still lives on the original 
plat of Columbus of seventy-five years ago, his residence standing upon land 
which his father owned. 

In the year 1861 Mr. Brodrick was united in marriage to Laura Raney, 
who died in 1880. His only child is Lauretta, now the wife of \\'illiam H. 
Deardurff, who was born in St. Louis, IMissouri, April 2, 1869. When a 
young man he came to Columbus and for ten years has held the position of 
yard conductor for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Deardurff have been born three children: Martha L., George W. and 
Ella L. Mr. Brodrick is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows and in his political views is a Republican. He took an active part in 
the campaigns of many years ago, when the party was in its infancy and 
M-hen political excitement ran very high. He is living retired at his pleasant 
residence at No. 90 North Skidmore street, enjoying a well merited rest, 
and there, in the evening of life and surrounded by many friends, he is num- 
bered among the most valued residents of the capital. 

JOHN MICHAEL BRAND. 

On the roll of enterprising, substantial and successful business men 
of Columbus appears the name of John Michael Brand. He was born at 
Baden, Germany, on the 30th of December, 1833, his parents being John 
Michael and Katharine Brand. In 1846 the family emigrated to the United 
States, sailing from Havre de Grace, France, and reaching their destination 
after thirty-three days spent on the bosom of the Atlantic. On this voyage 
the mother died and was buried at sea. After a few days' rest in New 
York city the family continued on their westward way to Chillicothe, Ohio. 
There were three sons and a daughter, the latter now deceased, and Frederick 
has also passed away, so that the living members of the family are lohn M. 
and George J. Their father was a farmer and gardener during his active 
life, following those pursuits in Ohio, where he died on his liome farm 
in 1852. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 133 

John j\I. Brand, whose name introduces this record, was educated in 
the common schools of his native country between the ages of six and twelve 
years. At the age of fifteen he began learning the harnessmaker's trade as 
an apprentice to John Ewing, of Chillicothe, and after the completion of his 
term of service he went to Cincinnati, where he spent one year, going from 
there to Nashville, Tennessee, where he remained for three years. Upon 
returning to Chillicothe he was married, in i860, to Miss Eliza Anding, a 
daughter of Paulus Anding, and after his marriage he returned to the south, 
locating again in Nashville, where he entered into partnership with John 
Monroe, manufacturing heavy harness for the Confederate army in 186 1-2. 
From Nashville Mr. Brand went to Memphis, where he entered into part- 
nership with George Crown, in the manufacture of harness and saddlery, 
continuing business there until 1864, when he sold out and returned to Ohio. 
In 1867 he began business on his own account in Columbus and has since 
carried on operations along the line of trade which he learned in early life, 
being now extensively engaged in the business of manufacturing heavy and 
light harness. He was alone until 1888, wdien he admitted his son to a 
partnership under the firm name of J. M. Brand & Son, their factory being 
located at No. 144 East Main street. 

Mr. and Mrs. Brand have but one child, John F., born in ]\Iemphis, 
Tennessee, October 20, 1863, who is now his father's partner. Our subject 
resides at No. 186 South Fifth street, and as the result of his well directed 
efforts he is enabled to supply his family with all of the comforts and many 
of the luxuries of life. He is a member of Harmonia Lodge, No. 358, I. 
O. O. F. He also belongs to the Liederkranz, a German singing society, 
entered as a passive member in 1866, and was transferred as active in 1870, 
serving his thirty years as active, and now- is enrolled on the honorable list. 
He is serving in the capacity of trustee, which office he has filled for fifteen 
years. 

He entered upon his business career in a humble capacity, but it has 
been one of successful achievement by reason of his natural ability and his 
thorough insight into the business in which as a young tradesman he embarked. 
He enjoys the well earned distinction of being what the public calls a self- 
made man. 

ICHABOD B. BORROR. 

Among the well-known and highly esteemed residents and old settlers of 
Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio, is Ichabod B. Borror, the subject 
of this review^ who was born June 14, 1838, on the farm w'here he now resides, 
on Borror pike, near Borror's Corners. His father, Solomon Borror, was 
a native of Virginia, a son of German parents wdio had come when young 
to America, and he accompanied his mother to Franklin county in 1812. 
He married a Miss Sally Clark, but both she and her two children died young. 



134 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

The name of the mother of our suljject was Delilah (Miller) Borror, a 
daughter of one of the oldest settlers of Franklin county. Her death occurred 
when she was about fifty years old. 

When Solomon Borror came to Franklin county he encountered the usual 
difficulties of that time, and they required a stout heart and perfect health 
to overcome. Mr. Borror lived to be sixty-seven years old, and died a man 
thoroughly respected and much missed on account of his public spirit. He 
was a life-long Democrat and held some offices acceptably, one being that of 
constable. He was a member of the religious denomination known as the 
New Light. His family consisted of seven children, all of whom grew to 
maturity. The names of these were : Malinda, who died at the age of twen- 
ty-one; Levi, deceased; Elizabeth, wife of Wesley Titus, of Bond county, 
Illinois; Ichabod B., our subject; William C, who died in the Civil war, in 
1861 ; Gilbert L., of South Bend, Indiana; and Solomon, deceased. 

Our subject is the only member of his family who is now a resident of 
Franklin county. He was reared on the farm where he now lives, although 
for some years he traveled, in 1862 making a trip to Montana and 
Idaho, where he engaged in mining for two years. After a short sojourn 
at home he took a trip to Bond county, Illinois, and traveled over the state, 
working by the month, and thus he continued for a period of four years, at 
the expiration of which time he returned to Franklin county, wdiere he con- 
tinued farm work by the month. 

The marriage of Mr, Borror occurred December 3, 1868, to Miss Melissa 
W'est, a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, a daughter of David and Catherine 
(jMartin) West, who had come from old Virginia at an early day and founded 
a home in Ohio. She was one of a family of two sons and six daughters : 
Daniel, who died in the Civil war; Mary E., deceased; Sarah F., the widow 
of George Simpson, of Marion county; Caroline, deceased; Annie, deceased; 
Melissa; John F., deceased; and Tillia. wife of William L. Seeds, of Grove 
City, Ohio. 

After his marriage our subject located on the old homestead, w-here he 
engaged in general farming. In March, 1880, he moved into his new^ resi- 
dence which he built that year and is now most comfortably settled, still 
engaging in agricultural pursuits. His family is composed of four sons 
and two daughters, as follows: Rev. Charles H.. a minister in the Methodist 
Episcopal church, now located at Chillicothe. He married Miss Dora Cay- 
wood and they have one son. Brooks; Otis E., farmer for his father; Lela 
G., wife of S. E. Shover, of Jackson township. They have two children, 
Merle and Elma; Glenn; Verna ; and Virgil C, who is still attending school. 

Mr. Borror still takes an interest in his fine farm of one hundred and 
forty-five acres, and well he may, for it is well cultivated and must be a 
gratifying return for the labor and expense put upon it. Politically Mr. 
Borror is a Democrat, and his religious connection is wath the New Light 
denomination. Socially Mr. Borror belongs to Lockbourne Lodge, No. 232, 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i35 

F. & A. M., of Lockbourne, Ohio, having- been connected with that lodge for 
thirty-five years. He and his family are justly considered representative 
citizens of the county, his name being regarded as good as his bond and con- 
nected with all measures for the public good. 

DANIEL H. TAFT. 

In mercantile circles in Columbus, Ohio, there is no name which more 
readily or unerringly suggests all those cjualities which characterize the 
honorable and successful merchant than that of Daniel H. Taft, of the firm of 
Dunn, Taft & Company, who not only occupies an honorable ' position in 
the business community but is descended from an old first-class Ohio family. 

Mr. Taft was born March 23, 1850. a son of Daniel H. Taft, Sr. His 
father was a native of Massachusetts, born in 18 14, who came with his par- 
ents to Ohio early in life and settled at Reynoldsburg, a small village in 
Franklin county, where in due time he started on a mercantile career. In 
1840 he married Miss Sarah Elizabeth Conine. Not long afterward he 
moved to Columbus, where for many years he had a dry-goods store at 
Broad and High streets on the present site of the Deshler bank, and later at 
another location on High street and still later at High and Gay streets. He 
retired from business after an honorable career of thirty years and died in 
1876. His wife survived him until 1894, when she died^ in her seventy- 
fifth year; she was born in New Jersey, in 1819, and came to Ohio with her 
father's family in 1821. Jacob Conine, her father, was a pioneer in Franklin 
county, and her mother was Sarah Lawrence, born in New Jersey in 1778. 
Daniel Taft, father of Daniel H. Taft, Sr., and grandfather of Daniel H. 
Taft, the immediate subject of this sketch, was a native of jMassachusetts 
and was descended from ancestors who came to America from England about 
1680. 

Mr. Taft passed his boyhood and early school days in his native city 
and completed his studies in the high school. After that he assisted hi.^i 
father in his store and later accepted a position in the dry-goods store of J. 
D. Osborn & Company and was a clerk in their establishment for fourteen 
years, until the business was closed out. After that he was with Green, 
Joyce & Company until 1889, when he formed a partnership with Joseph H. 
Dunn and Joseph A. Hartley, under the style of Dunn, Taft & Company, 
purchasing the stock of William G. Dunn, a retiring member of Mr. Dunn's 
old firm. The present store of Dunn. Taft & Company, at 84. 86 and 88 
North High street, occupies a ground space of forty by one hundred and eighty- 
seven feet and is a four-story-and-basement building. All of the several 
floors are crowded with the company's goods and customers and the business 
requires the services of sixty employes. The stock is large and varied and 
the store ranks as the largest exclusive dry-goods store in the state. 

]\Ir. Taft was married, ]\Iay i, 1882, to Miss Mary H. Ritson, a daugh- 



136 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ter of Alfred and Jane E. Ritson, of Columbus. Mrs. Taft died in 1895, 
leaving a son and a daughter, Lawrence R. and Helen. Mr. Taft's present 
wife was Miss Martha Hill, daughter of Dr. John Hill, of Summit county, 
Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Taft are members of the Congregational church, in 
which they take much interest. 

Mr. Taft is a man of much public spirit, influential to a great degree in 
political affairs, but to.o busy to be an active politician, a helpful, progressive 
citizen who has the welfare of his fellow citizens at heart and encourages 
every rational means to its advancement. 



. JAMES HOUSE ANDERSON. 

William Anderson, of Scotland, an adherent of Prince James, son of 
James U, after the insurrection of 171 5, fled in disguise to Virginia, the haven 
of discomfitted royalists, and settled on the north branch of the Potomac, in 
Hampshire county, in a beautiful valley known to this day as the Anderson 
Bottom. He was robust and chivalrous, participated in many battles with 
the Indians, and was one of the brave officers under General Braddock in 
his disastrous engagement with the French and Indians near Fort Duquesne. 
William Anderson was born in 1693, and died on his estate at the great age 
of one hundred and four. His son Thomas served w^ith credit in various 
Virginia (colonial) expeditions against the Indians, including Eord Dun- 
more's to Chillicothe, in 1774. A soldier of the Revolution (six years), 
patriotic and valiant, he was in many battles and (tradition says) in com- 
mand of his company at Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered. Pie was 
born on his father's place in 1733 and died in 1806. 

James, the son of Captain Thomas. Anderson, was born on the same 
plantation, February 17, 1768. He served as a private for three months at 
the close of the war for independence. In 1792 he entered the cavalry service 
as ensign, or second lieutenant, accompanied Anthony Wayne in his cam- 
paigns against the Indians, displayed great gallantry in battle, particularly at 
Fallen Timbers, and was advanced to a captaincy. He died October 24, 
1844. 

His son, Thomas Jefferson Anderson, the father of the subject of this 
sketch, was born at the old homestead in Virginia, April 2, 1801, and with his 
parents came to Fairfield county, Ohio, April 7, 1806. Here on his father's 
farm he spent his youth. At the age of eighteen he returned to Virginia to 
attend school. On the 7th of August. 1825, he was married to Miss" Nancy 
Dunlevy, born January 12, 1805, a woman of taste, refinement and brilliant 
conversational powers, of a notable family of Jefferson county, Ohio, and the 
same year removed to Marion, Ohio. For three successive terms of seven years 
each he was an associate judge of the court of common pleas of Marion 
county, and during his long residence in Marion held many other posts of 




JAMES H. AHDERSOH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. iZ7 

honor, profit and trust. He died January 25, 1871, respected by all. He 
was a man of strict integrity, stainless, honorable and just. 

James House Anderson, son of Judge Thomas Jefferson and Nancy 
(Dunlevy) Anderson, was born in Marion, March 16, 1833. He was edu- 
cated in the district and select schools of the town, also in the Marion Acad- 
emy and at the Ohio Wesleyan University. He studied law under Ozias 
Bo wen, later a supreme judge of Ohio, and Bradford R. Durfee, graduated 
in the law department of Cincinnati College in the spring of 1854, and imme- 
diately began the practice of his profession in his native place. In April, 
1855, he was elected mayor of Marion, and, in the October following, prose- 
cuting attorney of the county. In the trial of causes he was indefatigable, at 
times eloquent, and usually successful. Like many other young lawyers, he 
made stump speeches for his party during political campaigns, and occasion- 
ally accepted invitations to address lyceums and other associations. On No- 
vember 2y, 1856, he was united in marriage to Miss Princess A. Miller, the 
youngest daughter of the late David jMiller, a pioneer of prominence in 
Marion and Wyandot counties, whose nephew, Rear Admiral Joseph N, 
Miller, born in Springfield, Ohio, represented the United States navy by 
appointment of the president at the Queen's jubilee in London, in 1897. ^ She 
Avas a granddaughter of Abner Bent, of Marion county, and a great-grand- 
daughter of Colonel Silas Bent of the Revolution, a member of the Ohio Com- 
pany, who, with General Rufus Putnam and other Revolutionary officers, 
'Settled in Ohio in 1788. In 1859 Mr. Anderson was a candidate for the state 
senate in the district composed of Marion, Logan, Union and Hardin coun- 
ties, and came within one vote of receiving the nomination. A nomination 
was "equivalent to an election." 

In March, 1861, he was appointed by President Lincoln United States 
consul at Hamburg, one of the most important commercial cities in Europe^ 
and with his family at once embarked for the scene of his duties. Ordinarily 
this consulate is a busy one, but the great Civil war in America trebled the 
responsibilities and difficulties of the position. Hamburg early became a 
rendezvous for privateers and blockade-runners, where they received their out- 
fit and supphes, and the necessary espionage of these vessels, their lawless 
owners and officers demanded sleepless vigilance. That Consul Anderson 
performed his arduous duties most efficiently is evidenced by the number of 
letters of commendation received by him from the secretary of state and other 
distinguished public functionaries. Under date of December 10, 1861, Secre- 
tary Seward writes: "Your vigilance in regard to the movements of the 
insurgents for the purchasing and shipping of arms and other equipments at 
Hamburg is highly appreciated." Again, under date of August 21. 1862, 
Secretary Seward writes: "The department this morning has been informed 
by the secretary of the navy that the steamer Columbia, concerning which 
you gave early and important information to this department, which was 
promptly communicated to the navy department, has been captured." This 



138 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

elegant vessel, incliuling her cargo of arms and other iniinitions, was of great 
value. 

Mr. Anderson was instrumental, it Wc.s said, in sinking a lighter, at 
Hamburg, that was conveying batteries, carriages, etc., to the steamer Bahama 
in the service of the Confederate government, and of thwarting the Confed- 
erate agents in other respects. Thereupon Secretary Seward wrote Mr. 
Anderson : "I have transmitted to you, under another envelope, the National 
Intelligencer, in which is printed a letter of Mr. Huse, one of the Rebel agents 
in Europe, in which he confesses that his plans have been thwarted by the 
activity of yourself, and the minister of the United States in London. The 
department takes pleasure in acknowledging the service thus rendered to your 
country." (See dispatch of Caleb Huse, Captain of Artillery, C. S. A., to the 
war department, C. S. A., captured by our navy). 

Hon. Carl Schurz, United States minister at Madrid, writing to Mr. 
Anderson from Washington, March i, 1862, detailing an interview with 
the secretary of state, says : 'T must not forget to mention that Seward spoke 
very highly of you and your services." 

General H. S. Sanford, United States minister at Brussels, who had just 
returned from a visit to Washington, writing from Brussels, August 24, 1862, 
says: "1 was glad to learn at the department of state that your activity in 
following up Rebel enterprises in your port was appreciated. You have 
probably already received a dispatch commendatory of your zeal, which was 
to have been addressed to you about the time of my departure, the end of last 
month. I hope you are well, and that the work of detecting Rebel enterprises 
goes bravely on. I w^as just fourteen days in the United States, having been 
detained longer than I contemplated in South America." In 1863 the secre- 
tary of state writes : "The department is gratified to perceive the evidences 
of your vigilance and devoted loyalty." 

Consul Anderson''& diplomatic duties were even more perplexing than 
his consular. Naturalized American citizens were often arrested in Hamburg 
for non-performance of military duty in the fatherland — usually for service 
alleged to be due Prussia or one of the smaller German states. The persons 
thus apprehended invariably appealed to the consul for protection, ancl he, as 
invariably, by tact, good judgment and persistence secured their release. In 
1863 Hon. G. J. Abbot, of the state department, writes: "Your assiduous 
labors in the consulate are known and appreciated here." While in Hamburg 
Mr. Anderson was notified by letter from the New^ York ofifice that he had been 
elected a member of the American Geographical and Statistical Society. Sub- 
sequently he was elected a corresponding member of the American Institute 
and received the following notification : 

American Institute, New York, May 8, 1863. 

J. H. Anderson, Esq. : Dear Sir : — I take great pleasure in informing 

you that at a meeting of the American Institute of the city of New York, held 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



139 



last evening, you were unanimously elected a corresponding member thereof. 
The American Institute was chartered in 1829, for the purpose of encouraging 
and promoting domestic industry in this state and the United States, in agri- 
culture, commerce, manufactures and the arts. 

Yours very respectfully, 

John W. Chambers, Act. Rec. Sec'y. 

On the 30th of May, 1863, :Mr. Chamljers writes: 'The American In- 
stitute has appointed you a delegate to represent the association at the Great 
International Agricultural exhibition at Hamburg, and the credentials of your 
appointment will be handed you by Mr. Wennberg, a member of the Institute." 
On the 29th of December, 1862, Secretary Seward notified Mr. Anderson that 
his dispatch relating to the exhibition had been published in the National 
Intelligencer, for general information. It was a carefully prepared paper and 
was soon followed by another, which the state department authorized the same 
journal to publish. On the 20th of March, 1863, the secretary of the Ham- 
burg International Exhibition wrote : "It is my pleasant duty to thank you 
most sincerely for the able manner in which you have called t:he attention of 
your government and countrymen to wdiat it is hoped will be an occasion of 
bringing from your country the wonderful products of your agricultural and 
mechanical skill." The immediate results of Mr. Anderson's widely published 
dispatches on the subject of the Great International Exhibition "at Hamburg 
m 1863, were a message from the president, and appropriation by congress, 
the appointment of a commissioner by President Lincoln, — Governor Joseph 
A. Wright, of Indiana, — similar action by many of the states as well as many 
of our agricultural societies, and a successful exhibition bj our citizens of 
agricultural products, implements, live stock, etc. It is needless to quote at 
greater length from dispatches and letters in recognition and approval of Mr. 
Anderson's services. 

That his efforts to stimulate immigration, to give to the people of Europe 
just views of our resources, finances, etc., to secure generous contributions in 
1864 for our sick and wounded soldiers, and in 1865 for our helpless f reed- 
men, as well as his labors in many other important directions not heretofore 
referred to, were eminently successful, testimonials from the secretary of 
state, and others of the highest character — women as well as men — clearly 
establish. Few American representatives abroad have ever served their coun- 
try with more diligence or fidelity; and it is probably true that two-thirds of 
his time was employed in the discharge of extraordinary duties that do not 
occur in a period of profound peace. 

J\lr. Anderson finally became weary of official life, and, longing for his 
native land, sent in his resignation. This is the answer that came to'him: 

Department of State, Washington, Aug. 6. 1866. 
J. H. Anderson, Esq. : Sir : — Your communication of July 28th, tend- 



140 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

firing your resignation of }-our oflice of consul at Hamburg and giving your 
views on the policy of the administration, has been received. Your resigna- 
tion is accepted, with regret. The department has every reason to be satis- 
fied with your manner of performing the delicate and responsible duties of 
your consulate. The records of the department show you to have been a 
faithful officer of the government. Your letter has been read by the presi- 
dent, who expresses much satisfaction at the sound and liberal views therein 
given. I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

William H. Seward. 

Devoted as Mr. Anderson bad been to President Lincoln throughout the 
war period, and despite his strong attachment to the Republican party, he 
could not conscientiously withhold his approval of the southern policy of Presi- 
dent Johnson; and in 1866 he was sent as a delegate from the eighth con- 
gressional district of Ohio to the National Union convention at Philadelphia. 
In 1866 President Johnson tendered him an appointment as chief justice of 
IMontana territory, which he declined, not w'ishing to leave home again, but 
accepted the office of collector of internal revenue of the eighth congressional 
district of Ohio. While Mr. Anderson was discharging his duties as collector, 
Hon. John Sherman wrote the following letter to the president : 

Senate Chamber, February 18, 1867. 
Sir: — I most earnestly recommend James H. Anderson of Ohio, late 
consul at Hamburg, for appointment to a mission or leading consulate. He is 
a gentleman of high character and abilities, who as consul at Hamburg, ren- 
dered very valuable services to the country. Pie is well qualified for any 
trust. I will not hesitate to urge his confirmation to any executive appoint- 
ment within your gift. 

Very respectfully yours, 
To the President. John Sherman. 

Mr. Anderson never called on the president after this letter was written, 
although invited to do so. He received a lengthy and very friendly letter 
from Senator Sherman, dated New York, April 6, 1867, which concludes as 
follows: 'T am here arranging for my trip to Paris, and sail on the 13th. 
I certainly will miss no opportunity to do you a kindness, not only on your 
own account, but also on your father's, for whom I have always felt the highest 
regard." As the president, the secretary of state and both of the Ohio senators 
were friends of Mr. Anderson, an appointment to a high position might easily 
have been obtained ; but he had now resolved that he would not accept an office 
of any kind, and, having large landed interests in Wyandot county, he soon 
moved to Upper Sandusky, opened a law office, engaged in banking, also in 
farming, and stock and wool growing on a much larger scale than ever before. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 141 

and continued in active and profitable business until 1874, when he removed 
to Columbus, his present place of residence. While living- in Upper San- 
dusky he was elected for three years a member of the board of education. In 
1878 he was appointed by the governor a trustee of the Ohio State University, 
and for nearly seven years was the chairman of the executive committee of the 
board of trustees. At his suggestion the board conferred upon Allen G. 
Thurman, then president pro tempore of the United States 'senate, and upon 
Morrison R. Waite, chief justice of the United States, the honorary degree of 
Doctor of Laws ; and the resolutions appropriate to the occasion were drafted 
by Mr. Anderson. These distinguished Ohioans were the first to receive the 
degree from this eminent 'seat of learning. 

The year that General Thomas Ewing was the Democratic candidate 
for governor of Ohio, 1879, at his earnest request, Mr. Anderson became a 
member of the state executive committee, and its secretary. Mr. Anderson is 
now spending his time somewhat quietly, in the society of his books, in writ- 
ing, in social and literary pastimes, and in the management of his estate. 
He takes an active interest still in the proceedings of the patriotic and other 
organizations of which he is a member. At the national congress of the 
Sons of the American Revolution, held in May, 1899, in Detroit, he was 
elected the vice-president general of the national society. He was a delegate 
from the Ohio society to the national congress, Sons American Revolution, 
at Morristown, New Jersey, in May, 1898; at Detroit, in May, 1899J and at 
New York city, in May, 1900. He has long been a life member of The Ohio 
State Archaeological and Historical Society, and in May, 1899, ^^'^^ elected 
a trustee of the society for three years. It is the only state ofiice which he now 
(1900) holds. He is also a member of the executive conjmittee, which is the 
government body of the society. Mr. Anderson is still a member of the 
ancient and honorable order of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, and ex- 
pects to remain one. 

The children of James H. and Princess A. Anderson are: Mary Prin- 
cess ; Lieutenant James Thomas Anderson, United States Army ; Charles 
Finley, merchant. Paducah, Kentucky; Amelie Ellen, deceased; and Alice 
Florence, deceased. Mary Princess was married to Professor Edward Ortnn, 
Jr., of the Ohio State University, a son of the distinguished^ scientist. Dr. 
Edward Orton, LL. D. James Thomas was married to Miss Helen Bagley, 
the accomplished daughter of the late governor, John J. Bagley, of Detroit, 
Michigan. Charles Finley was married to Miss Minerva Ann Flowers, of 
Paducah, Kentucky, a descendant of one of the oldest slave-holding families 
in the south. Amelie Ellen died at the home of her parents at the age of 
seven. Alice Florence, always an invalid, died January 24, 1895, ^^ Santa 
Fe, New Mexico, of pneumonia. Lieutenant James T. and Helen Bagley 
Anderson are blessed with one child, Helen Anderson. Charles F, and 
Minerva A. Anderson also have one child, ]Marv Princess Anderson. 



142 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

It may be proper to add that the old Scotchman, W'ihiam Anderson, 
named at the beginning of this sketch, was the father of two sons and two 
daughters; that his son Wilham was kihed by the Indians in Virginia, and 
that his other son, Captain Thomas Anderson, lost three brave sons — William, 
Joseph and Abner — in the last war with Great Britain. Captain James An- 
derson, heretofore referred to, had seventeen grandsons in the Union army 
during the great Rebellion, several of whom gave their lives for their country. 

The maternal ancestors of James H. Anderson, of Columbus, Ohio, are as 
follows : Mrs. Mary Barton Dunlevy, a widow, came to America from county 
Tyrone, Ireland, about 1771, and settled with her children near Brownsville, 
Fayette county, Pennsylvania. She was the widow of Andrew Dunlevy, 
son of James, son of John, son of Francis, son of Anthony, who was living 
and very old, in Sligo, Ireland, in 1652. She was the mother of nine children, 
— eight sons and one daug'hter, — seven of whom accompanied her to this 
country, namely: John, ^Vnthony, Andrew, Morris, Daniel, James and 
Nancy. Mrs. Mary Barton Dunlevy was born in 1730, was a member of the 
Protestant Episcopal church, and died August 18, 1827, at the home of her son 
Daniel, in Cross Creek township, Jefferson county, Ohio. Andrew, her hus- 
band, died in county Tyrone, some time before she left Ireland. 

James Dunlevy was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, in 1770; came to 
America with his mother, as before stated ; lived for years in Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania; was educated at Dr. John McMillan's classical school, and its 
successor, Canonsburg Academy, which afterward became the famous Wash- 
ington and Jefferson College; was united in marriage in 1796, to Miss Hannah 
Rabb, born July i, 1780, a daughter of Captain Andrew Rabb, of Fayette 
county, Pennsylvania. Captain Rabb was a man of great wealth and influence, 
and a Revolutionary soldier who recruited a company of mounted rangers at 
his own expense, which rendered gallant service during several years of the 
war for independence. David McKinley, a great-grandfather of the presi- 
dent of the United States, in his application for a pension, says that a part of 
b.is Revolutionary service w^as in Captain Andrew Rabb's company. Captain 
Rabb, whose will dispo-sing of his great estate is on record in Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, was married to his first wife, Mary Scott, the mother of Hannah 
Rabb Dunlevy, September i, 1768; to bis second wife, Catherine Pentecost, 
February 27, 1800; and died at Hot Springs, Bath county, Virginia, where 
he was undergoing treatment for poison administered by a slave, September 
5, 1804. 

James and Hannah Rabb Dunlevy removed from Fayette county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1797, to Jefferson county, Ohio. Here James Dunlevy bought a 
farm about three miles from Steubenville, soon became prosperous and quite 
prominent, was elected the sheriff of the county for tw^o years from October 
9. 1804, and after more than two years' service retired from office in Decem- 
ber, 1806, and died, it is believed, on the day preceding "Cold Friday," that 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i43 

is, on February 5, 1807, leaving a handsome property to his four infant chil- 
dren. His will, and the wills of his brothers, Daniel and Morris,- and of 
Captain Rabb, will be found in The History of the Dunlevy Family, written 
by Miss G. D. Kelley, of Columbus, Ohio. 

James Dunlevy's only son, John, died very young, soon after his father's 
death. His daughter, Mary, married Edwin S. Tarr, a lawyer who first 
settled in Galveston, and later in Clay county, Illinois. Here Mary died 
childless, August 29, 1858. Her sister, Julia Dunlevy, born December 25, 
1800, married John Plotner, in Jefferson county, Ohio, removed to Ingraham 
Prairie, near the home of her sister Mary, and passed away April 28, 1863, 
leaving several children. 

The third daughter and youngest child of James and Hannah Rabb Dun- 
levy, was Nancy Dunlevy, born on her father's farm near Steubenville, Jan- 
uary 12, 1805. Her mother, and the executors named in her father's will — • 
Daniel Dunlevy, Thomas Elliot and John Milligan — provided her with an 
education in the schools of Steubenville that v/as much better than the average 
young lady then obtained. Her widowed mother, Hannah Rabb Dunlevy, 
the latter part of the year 1808 became the wife of Thomas Johnson, of Jeffer- 
son county, Ohio, by whom she had five children. 

Hannah Rabb (Dunlevy) Johnson, died in 18 17, when her daughter, 
Nancy Dunlevy, was only twelve years old. Thenceforth the three Dunlevy 
girls resided on their father's farm, which was their farm, till Julia was mar- 
ried. A part of their time was spent on the large farm of their uncle. Daniel 
Dunlevy, one of the executors of their father's estate. About 1824 Nancy 
Dunlevy was invited to visit Mrs. Judge Sherman, the mother of Hon. John 
Sherman, at Lancaster, Ohio, near which place, namely, on the Pickaway 
Plains, she owned a large tract of rich land, inherited from her father. While 
in this locality Nancy Dunlevy became acquainted with Thomas Jefferson 
Anderson, whose father owned a farm near by. They were soon much in- 
terested in each other and were finally joined in wedlock August 7, 1825. by 
Rev. James Gilruth, and settled in Marion, Ohio, the same year. Mrs. 
Nancy Dunlevy Anderson, one of the most gifted and highly respected women 
that ever lived in Marion county, died May 17, 1870. 

The only living child of Judge Thomas Jefferson and Nancy Dunlevy 
Anderson is James House Anderson, attorney at law% of Columbus, Ohio. 
He was united in marriage to Miss Princess A. Miller, November 27, 1856. 
Their children now living are : Mrs. Mary Princess Orton, the wife of Pro- 
fessor Edward Orton, Jr., of the Ohio State University; Lieutenant James 
Thomas Anderson, of the United States Army ; and Charles Finley Anderson. 

For a more complete account of the Dunlevys in ancient and modern 
times, as kings and princes, of Ulster (Ulidia), and as citizens of the United 
States, the reader is referred to Miss Kelley's History of the Dunlevy 
family. 



144 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

JOSEPH PERKINS BYERS. 

One of the well known and respected officials of the state of Ohio is 
Joseph Perkins Byers, the subject of the present sketch. He was born in 
Columbus, September 23, 1868, and is the son of Albert Gallatin and Mary 
(Rathbun) Byers, to whom a family of nine children were born, — Anna, 
Orin G., William R., Albert G., Bertha, Joseph P. and Dennison Drew being 
the survivors. 

J\lr. Byers spent the first thirteen years of his life in the city, then removed 
to a farm in Clinton township. He attended school in Columbus, becoming 
a student in the high school, which he later left to enter the preparatory 
department of the university. At this great institution of learning he pursued 
his studies for two years and then accepted a position in his father's office, 
where he remained for several years, by close application to business acquir- 
ing methods of work and the experience which has made him so acceptable 
as a public officer. 

The marriage of Mr. Byers took place in 1888 to Miss Ada V. Millar, 
a daughter of James A, Millar, an old and highly respected citizen of Colum- 
bus, and one son has been born to them, who has been named Andrew Millar. 

Mr. Byers has been very prominent in charitable work in Columbus 
and in the state. He was instrumental in organizing The Associated Charities 
of Columbus, and has been the secretary of that organization ever since. He 
is also a member of the National Conference of Charities and has been for 
some time the financial secretary of the National Prison Association. He 
is a man noted for his integrity of character and possesses the esteem of all 
VN-ith whom he comes in contact, for his earnestness of purpose is never 
doubted. 

ADIN H. SHADE. 

The owner and proprietor of a fine farm in Franklin township of one 
hundred and five acres of land, located on the Harrisburg pike road, within 
five miles of the state-house in Columbus, Ohio, is Adin H. Shade. He was 
born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, November 2, 1833, a son of Jacob Shade, 
a native of the same state. The latter had made a visit to Franklin county, 
Ohio, and looked at the land in 1835, but returned to Bucks county, where 
he lived for some time, returning to the home of our subject in Franklin town- 
ship, where he died at the age of seventy-five years. The maiden name of 
his wife was Sarah James, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in that state 
in 1845. 

]\Ir. Shade is the only son of the family now li\'ing. He was brought 
to Franklin county when but two years old, returning with his parents to 
Bucks county, where he lived until he was twelve years of age. At that time 
he came back to Franklin countv, Ohio, with his uncle and aunt, Adin G. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 145 

and Permelia Hibbs, and remained with them until he was twenty-six years 
old. He had engaged in varioiisi lines of work through Jackson, Hamilton 
and Franklin townships, but after marriage Mr. Shade located in Jackson 
township on a rented farm, where he remained for about twenty-seven years, 
the land belonging to Mr. Hibbs. Mr. Shade then bought a farm on Big 
Run creek, in Franklin township, where he remained for seven years, and 
then removed to his present location, where he has resided since 1883. Mr. 
Shade has made a success of farming and has his land under a fine state of 
cultivation. He also raises cows for their milk, selling the product from 
eighteen head at the present time. 

The marriage of Mr. Shade was celebrated in 1859, when Miss Margaret 
A. White became his wife. She was a daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Alkire) 
White, the former a native of Hardy county, the latter of Lewis county, both 
in Virginia. They were old residents of the county, Mrs. Shade's grand- 
parents having been pioneers of Franklin, owning at one time one thousand 
acres of land in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Shade have had seven children, 
namely: Emmer H., Jacob W., Eliza, Nellie, Jesse, Charles and John.' 
Emmer H. was born in Franklin township January 2, 1861, and is now in 
poor health, living at home, after a sojourn in Columbus ; Jacob W. married 
Minnie Malott and has children named Adin Ray, Nellie, Merrill, Martha, 
Jacob, Mary and Emmer; EHza is at her parental home, unmarried; Nellie 
married Lewis Wilcox and has four children,— Charles, Frank, Grace and an 
infant daughter unnamed; Jesse married Carrie Umbenhour; Charles mar- 
ried Jennie Johnson and had one child, Henry J., who died at the age of 
twenty-six months, and they now live in Columbus; and John died when 
fifteen months old. 

In political opinions Mr. Shade favors the principles of the Democratic 
party. He is well known and respected through the township and has been 
called to serve several times as a township trustee. 

NEVILLE WILLIAMS. 

A prominent man and efficient official of the city of Columbus, Ohio, 
Neville Williams was born in Chillicothe, this state, on the 25th of December, 
1 86 1, a son of Dr. W. C. and Elizabeth (Dun) Williams. The father was 
born in Hardy county. West Virginia, in 1823, and the mother was a native 
of Pennsylvania, born in Philadelphia in 1826. She was the daughter of 
George W. Dun, one of the first settlers of Chillicothe, Ohio, and of his Avife, 
Louise (Duan) Dun. Tracing the family still further on the paternal side 
we find the father of Dr. Williams to have been a member of a well known 
family of Virginia, and was by name George Washington Williams, who 
married Ann Chambers, thus uniting two old families. Thev settled in 
Staunton, Virginia, in 1820. The father of Neville Williams pas'^ed away 
at Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1873, holding at the time of his death the important 



146 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

office of mayor of the city. The mother was called from this earth in the 
year 1870. 

Neville Williams passed his boyhood in Chillicothe until he was twelve 
years old, attending school. In his sixteenth year he went to Vinton county, 
Ohio, and remained there eighteen months, at Richland Furnace, engaged in 
the manufacture of iron. Going further west, he traveled through Indiana 
and Illinois, employed in railroad construction. xA.fterward he was employed 
on the Canton, Aberdeen & Nashville Railroad' in Mississippi, in the construc- 
tion department, which employment he followed for three and one-half years. 
Returning to Ohio, he soon afterward married Miss Eliza Gordon, of Sabina, 
Clinton county, Ohio, who wa's; a daughter of William H. Gordon, of that place. 
After his marriage Mr. Williams settled on a farm, where he continued until 
1884. when he moved to Georgesville, Franklin county, again engaging in 
farming, thus continuing until 1888. He was also engaged in the manu- 
facture of lumber at that place, operating a sawmill. 

At that time be was prevailed upon to accept the position of deputy 
recorder, under Recorder Thompson, of the city of Columbus, and soon after- 
ward was the Democratic candidate for the position of recorder, his candidacy, 
however, not being successful, as public opinion was much divided in the city 
and county at that time, it being during the agitation caused by General 
Coxey, although Mr. Williams ran far ahead of his ticket. For a space of 
three years he served as the secretary of the board of health in Columbus, 
during the administration of Mayor Cotton H. Allen. In 1897 his Dem- 
ocratic friends again nominated him for the office of recorder, resulting in 
his election, and he assumed the duties of the office in September, 1898. He 
was renominated for the same position in 1900. 

An interesting family of three children have been added to our subject's 
home, — Elizabeth H., William Thurman and Jean. Mr. Williams is a 
member of several fraternal organizations, — the Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks, the Red Men and the Modern Woodmen, taking an active 
interest in all. He is popular and efficient and serves his county faithfully 
in the position in which he is placed. 



WILLIAM MORRISON. 

In the history of William Morrison we find one who owes his success 
not to a fortunate combination of circumstances but to his own untiring 
industry, and his record illustrates the possibilities that lie before those who 
wish to secure advancement and who are willing to do so at the price of 
earnest, honest and long continued labor. His career has ever been such as 
to win the confidence and regard of his fellow men, and as one of the repre- 
sentative residents of Franklin county he certainly deserves mention in this 
volume. He has followed farming and stock-raising for many years, making 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. iA7 

a specialty of the raising of cattle, and is now accounted one of the influential 
and wealthy agriculturists of this portion of Ohio. 

Mr. Morrison is a native of the Emerald Isle, his birth having occurred 
in county Down on the loth of September, 1846, and his parents being John 
and Jane (McCalley) Morrison. His father was born in county Down, May 
I, 1 80 1, was reared upon a farm and was twice married, his first union being 
with Miss Mary Murdock, by whom he had two children : Andrew, a well 
known farmer of Jefferson township; and Mary, deceased. The children 
of the second marriage were five in number and three are yet living, namely : 
Isabelle, the wife of Melvin Beem, of Summit Station, Licking county ; Will- 
iam; and Anna, the wife of Isaac N. Dixon, of Licking county. After his 
marriage the father took charge of the old homestead in Ireland and subse- 
quently became its owner. In 1849 l^e emigrated to America and the follow- 
ing year his family joined him in the new world. He was induced to seek 
a home in the United States through the solicitation of his uncle, William 
Morrison, who was! then living in Knox county, Ohio. He had crossed the 
Atlantic in the beginning of the nineteenth century and had served his country 
in the war of 181 2. He afterv^-ard came to Ohio and was one of the pioneers 
of Knox county. He gave his nephew, John Morrison, to understand that 
he would inherit his property, for he and his wife had no children, but after 
a few years spent in Knox county John Morrison became dissatisfied with 
the relations! existing between him and his uncle and removed to Franklin 
county. Here .he entered the employ of John Barr, of Mifflin township, and 
after three years he leased the Spurgeon farm in the same township, continu- 
ing its cultivation for nine years. 

He then came to Jefferson township and purchased the three-hundred- 
acre tract of land upon which his son William now resides. This was in 
1861. Upon the place he erected a log cabin and with characteristic energy 
began the task of clearing and improving his farm. It was his place of resi- 
dence until he was called to his final home, at the advanced age of ninety-four 
years, his death occurring on the 12th of June, 1895. Although he usually 
supported the Democratic party, he was not bitterly aggressive nor strictly 
partisan, but was very liberal in his views, often voting for Republican 
nominees when he believed that they were better qualified for the office than 
the Democratic candidates. Throughout his entire life he was a faithful 
member of the Presbyterian church. His business affairs were very care- 
fully managed and he won a high degree of success. He gave much attention 
to the raising of cattle, and his unflagging energy, capable management and 
straightforward dealing secured him a handsome financial return, so that he 
became one of the well-to-do residents of the county. 

Upon his father's farm William Morrison spent the davs of his boy- 
hood and youth, working in the fields from the time of early spring planting 
until crops were harvested in the autumn. He also attended the common 
schools, but his educational privileges were somewhat limited, his services 



148 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

being needed at home. However, he studied much at night, and possessing 
an observing eye and a retentive memory he acquired a good practical edu- 
cation. In early life he became an excellent judge of stock and showed keen 
discrimination in purchasing cattle, and at the age of nineteen he began sell- 
ing cattle on his own account, and in this he prospered, from year to year 
his profits increasing, and upon his father's death he purchased of the other 
heirs their interests in the old home farm. He is recognized as one of the 
most progressive agriculturists of the community, and in addition to the 
home place he owns one hundred and twenty-five acres of land in Licking 
county and eighty-eight and a half acres south of the homestead. He raises 
cattle on an extensive scale, and as he keeps only good grades his stock 
finds a ready sale on the markets and commands good prices. Excellent 
improvements are seen upon his farm, including a commodious and pleasant 
brick residence, good barns and all the accessories and conveniences which 
are required to make up a model farm of the twentieth century. 

In July, 1882, Mr. Morrison was united in marriage to Miss Eliza F. 
Scott, a native of St. Lawrence county. New York, and a daughter of Samuel 
and Mary (McMurry) Scott. In 1863 her parents came to Ohio, locating 
in Mifflin township, Franklin county, and later they removed to Licking 
county, where Mr. Scott died. Subsequently the mother went with her 
family to Iowa, where she had a brother living, and there she made her home 
until her death. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Morrison have been born five children, 
of whom four are yet living, namelv : Isabelle, lohn A., William B. and 
Samuel M. 

In his political views Mr. Morrison is a Democrat who believesi firmly 
in the principles of his party. For two terms he served as county treasurer 
and then refused to accept the nomination again. His long continuance in 
office by the vote of the people indicates his fidelity to duty, his personal pop- 
ularity and the confidence and trust reposed in him. He has ever been in 
favor of building good roads and has done much for the improvement and 
progress of the community and withholds his support from no measure or 
movement which he believes will prove of practical benefit. He is a man of 
sterling worth, and over the record of his life there falls no shadow of wrong 
or suspicion of evil. He has lived the greater part of his time in this county 
and his fidelity to manly principles, his honesty in business afifairs and his 
faithfulness to friendship have gained him uniform regard. 

GEORGE A. WATERMAN, Sr. 

George A. Waterman is now living a retired life at his pleasant hnme 
in Columbus. Years of active connection with business affairs, in which 
he managed his interests most capably, brought to him well merited success, 
and having acquired a handsome competence he is now residing in the enjoy- 
ment of the fruits of his former labors. George Alfred ^^'aterman is a native 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 149 

of England, his birth having occurred in Sutton Dorchester on the 14th of 
September, 1826. He was a Httle lad of six summers when brought to this 
country by his parents, Joseph and Fanny Waterman. His father wasi born 
in England in 1798, and his mother, also a native of that country, was born 
in 1807. Coming to the new world, they took up their abode in Columbus, 
where both spent their remaining days, the father departing this life in 1858, 
while the mother, having long survived him, was called to her final rest in 
1890. In the family were the following named: George A., of this review; 
Frederick, who died in Columbus about three years ago; Louisa and Henri- 
etta, who are now deceased ; Mrs. Emma Wheeler, Mrs. Lucy Goad and Mrs. 
Ellen Walker, all of whom are residing in Columbus. The family is one of 
prominence among the pioneer families of Franklin county and its repre- 
sentatives are members of the Trinity Episcopal church. 

In early life George A. Waterman learned the miller's trade, and when 
only eighteen years of age operated a mill on Scioto river, for others, at the 
head of what is now Darby street, in Columbus. He continued in this work 
for many years and found it a profitable source of income. The old family 
homestead is still standing on Shepherd street, near South Grubb street, and 
was continuously in the possession of the Watermans from the time of their 
early location in Columbus until the fall of 1900. 

In 1847 Mr. Waterman was united in marriage to Miss Jane Condell, 
a native of Liverpool, England. Their children are Allen, who died when 
only eighteen months old; Alice, who resides with her parents; Joseph, who 
was born in 1862 and is now a member of the fire department of this city; 
George L., who was born in 1864 and hasi been in the railway service for 
ten years; and Frederick R., who was born in 1868 and is a machinist. All 
of the family are yet at the old home. No. 29 South Davis avenue. There 
Mr, Waterman is enjoying a well merited rest. Through a long period he 
was an active representative of industrial interests, and his unflagging per- 
severance, his resolute will and keen discrimination in business affairs brought 
to him a very desirable financial return. 

FRANK C. FERRIS. 

Frank C. Ferris is engaged in manufacturing mortar for brick-work 
and plastering at 632 Galloway avenue, Columbus. Ohio. He was born in 
Marysville, Union county, Ohio, on the nth of November, 1854, and is a 
son of Edward and Fanny Ward Ferris, both of whom were natives of 
Connecticut, in which place they spent their childhood days. They were 
married in 1831, and in 1833 began their long journey westward, moving in 
wagons to Ohio and locating near Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio. Here 
they remained for a while and then moved to Pleasant Valley, Madison 
county, this state, in the year 1840, where the father engaged in the shoe- 
making business until 1853, when they moved to Marysville, Union county, 



I50 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

also in this st^ite, the father dying there in the year 1856. His wife long sur- 
vived him, passing away in 1888. 

Frank C. Ferris spent his youth in Union county and acquired his edu- 
cation in the common schools there. At the age of sixteen years he went to 
Piqua, Ohio, where he learned the brick-mason and plastering trades, and 
at the age of twenty began contracting on hisi own account, continuing in 
this business until 1884, when he came to Columbus and entered into part- 
nership under the firm name of Pedrick & Ferris, brick contractors, making 
a specialty of fine pressed-brick work. In the' year 1890 they started steam 
mortar works in connection with the contracting business, which they con- 
tinued until 1897, when they discontinued the contracting business and devoted 
their entire time and attention to the manufacturing of mortars, the demand 
for machine-made mortars having increased to such an extent that this 
change was made necessary. The partnership was maintained until January 
5, 1899, at which time Mr. Pedrick retired and Mr. Ferris became the sole 
proprietor, and since that time has carried on the business on a more extensive 
scale, having equipped the plant with machinery more modern and improved, 
of his own design and patent, and thus greatly increased his capacity. In 
connection with the manufacture of mortar he is also handling building 
material and coal of all kinds. The plant is located on the Pittsburg, Cin- 
cinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad at No. 626-632 Galloway avenue. Thus 
from a small beginning, which was almost an experiment, Mr. Ferris has 
developed a large and profitable business. 

On May 23, 1878, Mr. Ferris was united in marriage to Miss Emma 
B. Bigelow, of Marysville, Ohio. One year later a son, Warren B., was born, 
who is now engaged in business for himself, representing the Hydraulic 
Pressed Brick Companies, and has his office located at the Columbus Builders 
and Traders' Exchange. 

Mr. Ferris is a member of the Builders' Exchange, also of the Board of 
Trade, and is one of the most progressive and enterprising men of his city. 
He is an example of the boys who secure their own start in life, — determined 
self-reliant boys, — willing to work for advantages which others secure through 
inheritance, destined by .sheer force of character to succeed in the face of all 
oppositions and push to the front in one important branch of enterprise or 
another. Plis business ability has been constantly manifested and secured his 
advancement to a leading place among the reliable and energetic men of his 
city. Viewed in a personal light, he is a strong man, of excellent judgment, 
fair in his views and highly honorable in his relations with his fellow men. 

JOHN ZUBER. 

Among the prominent business men of Columbus, Ohio, is the subject 
of the present sketch, John Zuber, secretary of the Columbus Brewing Com- 
pany, and the senior member of the firm of Zuber and Gerhokh He is a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 151 

native of Switzerland, born in the city of Solothurn May 15, 1856, a son of 
John B. and Ehzabeth (Spati) Zuber, who lived and died in Switzerland. 

Our subject received an excellent education in his native country, going 
from his village to Lyons, France, where he pursued his studies for the space 
of two years, laying the foundation upon which he later built, becoming a 
thoroughly educated man. Reaching the United States in 1874, he came 
to Ohio, locating at Antwerp, in Paulding county, and soon afterward entered 
Otterbein University, at Westerville, 01;io, where he engaged in study for 
two years. 

After leaving college Mr. Zuber engaged in teaching school and fol- 
lowed this profession for several years, when he accepted a position as deputy 
clerk in the treasurer's office, under W. Corzilius, in Columbus, where he 
remained for two years, and for the following four years efficiently performed 
the duties of the same position under George Beck, and retaining it four years 
longer under A. D. Heffner. The next treasurer was Henry Pausch, and 
Mr. Zuber served as deputy under him for four years, and later two years 
under Samuel Kinnear, at which time came a change in the administration, 
and both Mr. Kinnear and Mr. Zuber relinquished office. 

After sixteen years of public service jNIr. Zuber engaged in the boot 
and shoe business in partnership with C. F. Gerhold, under the firm name 
of Zuber & Gerhold, which has existed since 1895. In 1896 Mr. Zuber was 
appointed secretary and treasurer of the Columbus water works, wdiich posi- 
tion he held for three years. In 1899 he was made secretary of the Colum- 
bus Brewing Company, which important position he still holds. 

The marriage of Mr. Zuber took place in 1881, when he espoused Miss 
Delia George, of Antwerp, Ohio, a daughter of Henry George, a prominent 
resident of that place, and Mr. and Mrs. Zuber have an interesting family of 
seven children. Their home is one of the beautiful residences on Thurman 
street, in Columbus, where Mr. Zuber and his estimable wife delight to dis- 
pense hospitality. 

Politically our subject is a Democrat, having always voted with that 
party, and has taken an active interest in its deliberations. Socially he is a 
member of the Olentangy Club, of the Columbus Maennerchor, and also of 
the Swiss Society. He has been a prominent figure in public life in Colum- 
bus and counts many political as well as personal friends among the most 
substantial citizens. 

LEWIS PAINTER. 

Lewis Painter is a prominent farmer of Jefferson township, and his 
well tilled fields and highly improved farm indicates his careful supervision 
and his progressive methods of agriculture. He was born February 4, 1838, 
upon the farm which is yet hisi home, his parents being John and Al 
(Beals) Painter. His father, also a native of Franklin county, was born 



mn-a 
in 



152 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

December, 1809, and was a son of Isaac Painter, who emigrated from Vir- 
ginia among the first settlers of Frankhn county and resided here until about 
1840, when he removed to Illinois, there spending his remaining days. When 
he had attained to man'si estate the father of our subject was married and 
immediately afterward purchased one hundred acres of land, that now con- 
stitutes the homestead of his son Lewis. It was then a tract of wild, unbroken 
forest land, but soon the sound of the woodman's ax was heard, the trees 
fell before its sturdy stroke, a log cabin was built, and as the years passed 
the land was all cleared and was placed under the plow, yielding good har- 
vests. In later years Mr. Painter added an additional seventy-two acres, so 
that the place now comprises one hundred and seventy-two acres, and the 
care and labor he bestowed upon it have brought to him a good financial 
return. 

In politics he was an ardent Democrat, believing firmly in the principles 
and policy of the party, and for many years he served as a justice of the peace, 
being continued in that office until .he refused to accept it longer. He was 
well known throughout the county, being rich in the possession of those qual- 
ities of upright manhood which ever awaken regard. He held membership 
in the Disciple church and died in the faith of that denomination in March, 
1864, in hisi fifty-fifth year. His wife was a representative of an old New 
England family, and was born in Vermont in August, 181 3, her parents being 
George and Mabel Beals, who came across the country by wagon to Ohio 
when their daughter Almira was only a year old. Her father was drowned 
in Big Walnut creek in 1835, while fishing. Mrs. Painter reached her sev- 
enty-eighth year and passed away in November, 1891. By her marriage she 
became the mother of five children, of whom three are yet living, namely: 
George, a farmer of Iowa Point, Kansas ; and Lewis and Levi, twins, the latter 
a farmer in Colfax county, Nebraska. 

Lewis Painter spent his youth on the home farm and pursued his educa- 
tion in the pioneer schools of the day, but the privileges were of a very 
inferior grade, and experience, reading and observation have brought to him 
the greater part of his knowledge, making him a practical business man. On 
reaching his twenty-first year 'he took charge of the home farm, which he 
began operating on the shares. On the last day of the year 1862 he married 
Miss Arminta Smith, a native of Jefferson township and a daughter of Jacob 
and Susan (Havens) Smith, who came to Ohio from New Jersey in an early 
day. About a year later Mr. Painter's father died, and he purchased the 
interests of all the other heirs save one in the old homestead, buying one hun- 
dred and thirty-eight and a half acres. Subsequently he purchased fifty acres 
of his father-in-law's farm, but later had an opportunity to sell that tract 
to advantage and accordingly disposed of it. He is a wide-awake, enter- 
prising and prominent agriculturist, whose farm is under a high state of cul- 
tivation, the well tilled fields bringing to him a golden tribute in return for 
his labor. Four children have come to bless the home, but only two are now 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i53 

living: Charles, who married Maggie E. Elhott and resides at Canal Win- 
chester, Ohio; and Chauncey, who married Etta Cullers and works for his 
father upon the home farm. 

In his political opinions Mr. Painter is a Democrat and is recognized 
as one of the party leaders of his township. Recognizing his worth and 
ability, his fellow townsmen have several times called him to public office. 
In 1874 he was elected upon the ticket to the office of township trustee and 
served in that capacity for four consecutive terms. In the spring of 1878 
he was chosen township treasurer and by re-election was continued in the 
office for three more terms; of two years each, but his service has not been 
continuous. In 1886-7 he was the township assessor, and in 1889 and 1899 
he served as the land appraiser. He has ever discharged his duties with 
promptness and fidelity, and over the record of his business career there falls 
no shadow of wrong nor suspicion of evil. He has ever been active in the 
promotion of all the best interests of the community, belonging to that class 
of representative American citizens who, while promoting individual success, 
have at the same time contributed to the general welfare and prosperity. 

ERWIN W. SCHUELLER, M. D. 

Although one of the younger members of the medical fraternity in Colum- 
bus, Dr. Schueller has attained success wdiicli many an older practitioner might 
well envy, and his life record is a modification of the old adage that a prophet 
is not without honor save in his own country, for in the city which hasi long 
been his home he has attained success and prominence and enjoys honor also- 
in his own community. He was born in Columbus June 15, 1871, and is a 
son of Dr. John B. Schueller, a native of Germany, who came to this country" 
in hisi sixteenth year. That was in 1854, and through forty-five years he 
was a resident of America, passing away on the 9th of March, 1899. He 
married Miss Betsey Degen, who also was born in Germany, and came to 
America in her childhood. 

The immediate subject of this review was reared in the capital city and 
acquired his preliminary education in the public schools, after which he entered 
the Ohio State University, where he remained for six years. He was gradu- 
ated in 1892, with the degree of bachelor of arts. His choice of life work 
having fallen upon the practice of medicine, he pursued a preparatory course 
of reading in the office of Dr. T. C. Hoover, of Columbus, and was graduated 
in the Starling Medical College in 1895. Subsequently he became an interne 
in St. Francis Hospital, where he remained for a year, and in the fall of 
1896 he went to New York city, where he pursued a course in the Post-Qradu- 
ate Hospital, becoming skilled in surgery. In the fall of 1897 he went to 
Germany, where he pursued a special course of study in Berlin, Dresden and 
Vienna. 

Returning to the United States, Dr. Schueller joined his father in active 
10 



154 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

practice and vvats associated with him until the latter's death in 1899. He was 
also called upon to serve as the health officer, serving out the unexpired term 
of J. B. Schueller. He is a memher of the Columhus Academy of Medicine, 
the American Medical Association and of the Chi Phi fraternity of the Ohio 
State University. His preparation for practice has heen exceedingly compre- 
hensive and exact, and few men enter upon medical practice better equipped 
for the profession. His knowledge is not only profound, but he is especially 
expert in applying it to the needs of suffering humanity, and rapidly is he gain- 
ing a place in the foremost ranks of the medical fraternity. 

OPHA MOORE. 

Among the men who have been prominently identified with public affairs 
in Columbus during the past ten years is the subject of this review, who is now 
secretary of the state building commission, secretary of the state heating and 
ventilating commission, and a member of the state furniture commission. He 
is one of the busiest, most energetic and most enterprising men of the city, 
and whether in public or private life is always a courteous, genial gentleman, 
whose popularity is well deserved. 

A native of West Virginia, Mr. Moore was born near Parkersburg, in 
1867, and in 1872 came to Ohio with his parents. Rev. A. L. and Mary Jane 
(Baker) Moore. The father, whose birth occurred in Tyler county, the same 
state, in 1841, entered the ministry of the United Brethren church wdien a 
young man, and has since labored untiringly in the Master's vineyard, serving 
as pastor of churches in both West Virginia and Ohio. He iisi now located at 
Pomeroy, this state. For four or five generations the Moore family have 
made their home in Virginia. The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
William Moore, a son of Philip, and grandson of Michael Moore, while his ma- 
ternal grandfather was Benjamin Baker, of Marion county. West Virginia, 
who died about 1861. 

For two years Opha Moore was a student at Otterbein University, in 
AVesterville, and on leaving that institution in the fall of 1885 came to Colum- 
bus. The following year he accepted the position of stenographer to the chief 
clerk in the office of the Columbus Buggy Company, and in the fall of 1887 
entered the service of the Republican state committee, with which he w^as 
connected during 1888 and 1889. In the latter year he was appointed first 
stenographer in Governor Foraker's office, where he remained until 1890, 
Avhen he became interested in the newspaper business, going to Chicago with 
the Light, and later representing that paper in New York city. On 
his return to Columbus in 1891 he entered the office of A. C. Armstrong, the 
official court reporter, remaining there until January, 1892, when he was 
appointed stenographer in Governor McKinley's office. The following Au- 
gust he was granted a leave of absence, and during the entire Harrison cam- 
paign served as secretary to Hon. William M. Hahn, chairman of the speakers' 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 5 5 

bureau of the national committee in New York city, filling that position until 
the election in November, after which he resumed his duties in the office of 
Governor McKinley. being promoted to commission clerk in 1895. The 
following year he was re-appointed by Governor Bushnell, and served in that 
capacity until 1898, when he was appointed to his present position on the state 
building commission. In 1899, when Governor Bushnell's private secretary, 
Colonel J. L. Rodgers, was in Europe for three months and a half, ^I'r. 
Moore filled that position in a most creditable and satisfactory manner. In 
business affairs he is prompt, energetic and notably reliable, and has always 
been true and faithful to every trust reposed in him. 

Mr. Moore married Miss Roberta L. Klotts, a daughter of S. R. Klotts, 
an extensive cigar manufacturer of Columbus, who was originally from West 
Virginia. Her mother, in her maidenhood, was Miss Virginia Zane, a 
granddaughter of Colonel Ebenezer Zane, who laid out the cities of Wheeling. 
West Virginia, and Zanesville and Lancaster, Ohio, and was a distinguished 
officer in the Revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have one child, 
Ralph M. They are members of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church and 
occupy an enviable position in social circles. Fraternally Mr. Moore is con- 
nected with Magnolia Lodge, F. & A. M. ;. Ohio Chapter, R' A. M. ; and 
Columbus Council, R. & S. M. 

JOHN WILLIAM McCAFFERTY. 

The office of clerk of the courts of a populous county like Franklin county, 
Ohio, is one of importance, demanding the services of a man of wide informa- 
tion and a mind trained to accuracy even in small detailisi. These and other es- 
sential requirements are met by John W. McCafferty, the present incumbent 
of the office in Franklin county, who was elected in 1899 and entered upon 
the duties of the office August 6, 1900. 

Mr. McCafferty was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1871, a son of 
Thomas M. McCafferty, a native of Ross county, Ohio, who was brought 
to Pickaway county in childhood by his parents and haisi been practically a 
life-long resident there. \\'illiam McCafferty, father of Thomas and grand- 
father of John W. McCafferty, was born in Ross county, where his father, 
a native of Kentucky, was an early settler. Thomas McCafferty, who died 
February 5, 1901, was a veteran of the Civil war, in which he saw four years' 
service ais a memb-er of the Twentieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 
Three brothers also saw service in the war and one of them died from illness 
brought on by exposure, and another was killed in battle. Thomas ]\Ic- 
Cafferty married Mary J. Wimmer, daughter of John Winimer, formerly a 
resident of Pickaway county, Ohio, but now living in Illinois. Mr. Wimmer 
was captain of a company in an Ohio regiment during the war and was prom- 
inent as a Republican in Pickaway county and held several public offices. • The 
Wimmer family of Ohio and Illinois came to the west from Pennsvlvania. 



156 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ' 

After his graduation John W. McCafferty taught in the pubhc schools 
until 1890, and then took up his residence in Columbus, where he took courses 
in the National Business University and Columbus Commercial College. In 
1893 he established McCafferty 's Commercial College, which was successful 
from its opening day, graduating an average of one hundred pupils yearly, 
and which he sold in 1897. I^ is still running and isi an educational and finan- 
cial success. Since 1894 Mr. McCafferty has been active as a Republican 
in political work. In 1897 he was secretary for Ohio of the Indianapolis 
monetary convention, and in 1898 was a member of the congressional com- 
mittee for the congressional district which includes Franklin county. Al- 
though he has not been long in office, he has come to be regarded as a model 
clerk of the courts, for he has brought to bear upon the duties of the position an 
informing experience and a degree of skill which practically assures accuracy 
in the work over which he has supervision, and he is of a genial, affable dis- 
position whicli gives a seeker of information in his office the impression that 
it is a pleasure to him not only to grant any just and reasonable request but 
also to do for his visitor any favor within his power. 

Mr. McCafferty is a member of Champion Lodge, No. 581, Knights of 
Pythias, and also a member of B. P. O. Elks, Lodge No. 37, of Columbus. 

GEORGE W. DEEM, M. D. 

This well-known and popular physician of Hilliard's belongs to an old 
Ohio family of English origin. His paternal grandfather was born in Hum- 
melstown, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and at an early day removed to one 
of the eastern counties of this state, where he engaged jn farming throughout 
the remainder of his life. He had four children, namely : Solomon ; Ander- 
son ; James C, father of our subject; and Nancy, who married Warren Mc- 
Neil and died in Iowa. 

James Chapman Deem, the Doctor's father, was born in eastern Ohio 
and there reared in the midst of the wilderness. He received a common- 
school education and in early life learned the cooper's trade. He also be- 
came an expert horseman and trainer. As a companion and helpmeet on life's 
journey he cho's.e Miss Martha Ann French, a native of Woodstock, Vermont, 
and a daughter of Gideon and Phoebe (Carpenter) French, who were also 
born in the Green Mountain state, and with whom she came to Medina county, 
Ohio, locating on the Summit county line, where she grew to womanhood. 
After his marriage James C. Deem lived for some time in Seneca and Medina 
counties, and was one of the most successful hunters of wild game in the 
northern part of the state in early days. He conducted a cooper shop in 
Akron for a time, also worked in a flouring-mill and had charge of a cooper 
shop in Wilmington, Ohio, from 1849 to 1854. In the latter year he removed 
to Grove City, from there went to West Jefferson, Madison county, and later 
to Marion countv, Iowa, where he engaged in farming for ten years. In 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 157 

1867 he returned to West Jefferson, Ohio, and made his home there and in 
that vicinity until his death, which occurred in April, 1889. His wife had 
died in Marion county, Iowa, in August, 1866. Both were active and con- 
sistent members of the IMethodist Episcopal church, and he was a Republi- 
can in politics. 

In the family of this worthy couple were the following children : An- 
nette married John Harvey, a merchant of West Jefferson, Ohio, and died 
there in 1871, leaving one child, Mrs. J. W. Welling, of Dayton. ]\Ielvin 
H., a resident of Rusk, Oklahoma, served through the entire Civil war as a 
member of the Eighth Iowa Regiment, and was twice wounded by bullets, 
first through the neck at Pittsburg Landing ,and again through the left arm. 
He married Elizabeth Spahr, and they have four children — Etta, Frank, 
Adelbert and Nellie. Alva H. died at the age of s-even years. Charles M., 
a physician of West Jeft'erson, married Harriet Wells, of Hebron, Ohio, 
who died leaving four sons — Herbert, Ray, Lee and George; and for his 
second wife he wedded Mrs. Mary Seymour, by whom he has one son, 
Merle. Clara is the wife of George Crawford, of Jacksonville, Florida, and 
their children are Anna, now Mrs. Henry ; Lena ; Howard ; ]\Iildred and 
Elsie. George W., of thi's, review, completes the family. 

Dr. Deem was born in Caloma, Marion county, Iowa, August 24, i860, 
and for one year attended the common schools of that place. When seven 
years of age the family returned to West Jefferson, IMadison county. Ohio, 
where he pursued his studies in the public schools for three years.. He at- 
tended different schools in Madison and Seneca counties, completing his 
common-school education at West Jefferson at the age of eighteen. For 
several years he taught 'school and then entered Delaware University, and 
after finishing the junior year at that iiistitution he resumed teaching, having 
charge of different schools in Franklin county for six years. At the end of 
that period he took up the study of medicine under the guidance of Dr. D. H. 
Welling, then of West Jefferson, now of Worthington, Ohio, and later 
entered the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, where he was graduated 
in 1890. For three months he was engaged in practice with his, preceptor, 
Dr. Welling, and then opened an office in Kilbourne, Delaware county, Ohio, 
where he remained three years, during which time he served as physician 
to the county infirmary. In the spring of 1893 he came to Hilliards, and his 
skill and ability soon won for him the liberal patronage which he now enjoys. 
He has met with success in his, chosen profession, and is to-day one of the 
leading physicians of the place. He belongs to the Ohio State Eclectic ^Medi- 
cal Society and the Central Medical Society, and is quite popular in pro- 
fessional circles. 

On the 30th of May, 1890. Dr. Deem married Miss Jennie Howard, 
of Alton, this county, and they now have two children : Mary Annette, 
born September 9, 1892; and Arthur A\'elling, born May 12, 1895. Politi- 
cally the Doctor is a stanch Democrat, and is now serving his third term as 



158 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

president of the school board For three years he has been master of 
Avery Lodge, F. & A. M.. of HilHards, and is also past chancellor of 
Hilliards Lodge No. 638, K. of P. He is an active member and trustee of 
the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church, and is highly respected and esteemed by all 
who know him. 

AUGUSTUS T. SE\AIOUR. 

Among the young professional men of Columbus. Ohio, Augustus T. 
Seymour, the subject of this sketch, takes a prominent position. He was 
born August 22, 1873, a native of Ohio and a son of Theodore and Eliza- 
beth Banibal Seymour, the former of whom was a native of O'hio, born in 
1844, the latter in Mount Vernon, Ohio, in 1850, both of them still sur- 
viving. The grandfather of Mr. Seymour was John W. Seymour, a mer- 
chant farmer and for many years a heavy dealer in wool. He married a 
Miss Clark, whose home was in New York. 

Augustus T. Seymour spent his youth and early school dafs in Mount 
Vernon, attending the public schools, later going through the high-school 
course, and then prepared for entrance into Oberlin College, where he pros- 
ecuted his studies for two years. He then entered the law department of 
the Ohio State University, at which he graduated in 1895, having finished 
the course with great credit. In 1894 he was admitted to the bar and then 
became associated, in the practice of his profession, with John J. Chester, of 
Coumbus. 

j\Ir. Seymour has shown ability and has gained the confidence of his 
fellow citizens, his appointment, in 1900, to the position of assistant pros- 
ecuting attorney, under Edward L. Taylor, Jr., giving universal satisfac- 
tion. Mr. Seymour is one of the young men who will probably become a 
brilliant member of the Ohio bar. 

SAMUEL W. ELLIS. 

Samuel \V. Ellis, who is living a retired life, was for forty years con- 
nected with the railway service, but is now enjoying a well earned rest at his 
pleasant home at No. 1141 Hunter avenue in Columbus. He was born in 
Keene, New Hampshire, January 8, 18 18, and was married, in Vermont, in 
1841, to Miss Mary L. Pluffer. The parents of S. W. Ellis resided in New 
Hampshire throughout their lives and died many years ago, although the 
mother reached the advanced age of one hundred years. Both were of 
English descent. S. W. Ellis, in 1849, came to the west, locating first at 
Crestline. Ohio, where he resided for a year, after which he spent one year 
at Galion. this state, whence he came to Columbus, -where he has resided con- 
tinuously since. In 1870, before the streets were graded and before there 
were any buildings in that portion of the city, he erected his present resi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i59 

dence. His wife died at their home in Columbus July 19, 1899. She was 
a lady highly esteemed and her demise was widely mourned by many friends. 
The children of this worthy couple are as follows: Henry W., now fifty- 
six years of age, is in the service of the Hocking Valley Railroad Company 
and resides on Hunter avenue, in Columbus; Arthur L., forty-two years of 
age, is also an employe of the Hocking Valley Railroad Company and is 
living on Hunter avenue ; Frank A. is employed by the Baltimore & Ohio 
Railroad Company and makes his home in the capital city; Mrs. Jennie Tracy, 
the only daughter of the family, resides in Colorado. 

S. W. Ellis spent the days of his childhood and youth in New England 
and is indebted to the public-school system for the educational privileges 
he enjoyed. He began his railway service in November, 1856, as a car 
inspector on the Piqua road, but after two years' connection with that com- 
pany he resigned, and in 1858 accepted a more lucrative position with the 
Little Miami road, now a part of the Panhandle line. He was in continuous 
service with that company until four years ago, when he was compelled to 
resign because of his advanced age. He is a genial and popular citizen and 
is an active man notwithstanding his advanced years. 



GEORGE W. HAYS. 

The subject of this sketch is a worthy representative of one of the early 
settlers of Ohio, his ancestors coming from England to Maryland some time 
in 1700. Elisha Hays, who was the father of our subject, was Iwrn in 
Maryland, in early manhood starting out to make his own fortune in the 
wilderness then located across the Ohio river. At that time the forests in 
the now populous counties of Washington, Jefferson and Franklin were full 
of Indians who still considered white men as natural enemies. Elisha Hays 
landed at Marietta, being one of the first party that crossed there to locate. 
His first stopping place was in Jefferson county, near Steubenville. but later 
he located upon land one and a quarter miles from Dublin, Franklin county. 
upon the tract now belonging to the Coffman and Thompson heirs. 

Upon his first place, "which was located in Jefferson county, Elisha Hays 
found no house and was obliged to live in a sugar camp until he was able 
to build a log cabin. This was no easy matter, as he was surrounded by 
Indians, and every time he cut a log he was obliged to keep his gun where 
he could use it at a moment's notice. In 18 12 he was the colonel of a Jeffer- 
son county regiment. 

Mr. Hays, the father, at one time owned six hundred acres of and in 
Washington township, three hundred of which he bought of Peter and Samuel 
Sells. His first wife was Sarah Fanasdahl, a lady of German descent, and 
she assisted him in improving the farm in Washington township, and endured 
the hardships of pioneer life. Her death occurred at this place. The second 



i6o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

marriage of Mr. Elisha Hays was to Mrs. Chloe (Thomasi) Poole, after 
which he moved to Dublin, where he bought a mill and remained until his 
death in 1847, at the age of seventy-three, after a life of toil and adventure. 
The mother of our subject survived on the farm until 1875, when she passed 
away, at the age of eighty. 

The children of the parents of our subject were: ]Mrs. Eliza Hmckley, 
who removed with her husband to Cottonwood, Chase county, Kansas, where 
they were the first settlers, after his death returning to Dublin, where she 
now resides with her son Ray ; Marinda, who is now Mrs. Fletcher Coffman, 
of this township; Martha, who was Mrs. John Thompson, of this township; 
Lewis, who died at the age of fourteen; and our subject, George W. 

]\Ir. Hays, of this sketch, was born upon what is now known as the 
James Brown farm, in this township, on October 30, 1834. He recalls his 
first institution of learning as a cabin formed of logs, presided over by Mr. 
Jesse Mattoon, to whom he is indebted for his primary instruction, finishing 
his 'School days at the age of sixteen. He was ten years old when his father 
died and at his majority was obliged to face the world for himself. On 
April 22, 1856, he married Miss Caroline Pinney, the daughter of Colonel 
Miles Pinney and granddaughter of Captain Levi Pinney, who cut the first 
tree felled in Sharon township, in 1802. He was a captain in the war of 
18 1 2, under the famous Isaac Hull, and was taken prisoner at Detroit, but 
was exchanged in Canada and returned to his home. 

Our 'Subject remained for a time in Dublin and then moved to Sharon, 
on the plank road, two miles south of Worthington, there rented land for 
two years and then returned to Washington township and settled on the 
Coffman estate, in which his mother had an interest. Our subject rented 
this land for six years, but in 1868 removed with his family to Chase county, 
Kansas, and there purchased one hundred and twenty acres of new land. 
Upon this place he first built what is called a box house, this costing less than 
any other. Here he engaged successfully in farming and stock-raising and 
remained for thirty-two years, adding to hi's; first purchase, and now owns 
a half-section there, being very valuable, as it is near the largest stock-yards 
in the state. 

Mr. Hays has been very successful with his horses. He holds: the sweep- 
stakes for the best stallion, best brood mare and best gelding. One of his 
horses:, which was raised on his stock farm, had a trial record of 2:14, and 
is known in sporting circles as Queen's Brother. 

In June, 1900, our subject returned to Washington township and located 
on his wife's farm of one hundred and forty acres. Mrs. Hays died in 
1893, and in 1900 Mr. Hays married Miss Adelaide Graham, a daughter of 
^^'illiam Graham, one of the largest land-owners in the county. The chil- 
dren of our subject are all married and settled in comfortable homes of their 
own. They are: Richard, who resides in Chase county. Kansas; Carrie, 
who is Mrs. John McCabe. of Chase county; Madge, who is Mrs. C. H. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i6i 

Perrigo, of Chicago; and Grace, who is Mrs. Robert J. Blackburn, of Chase 
county, Kansas. 

In poHtics j\Ir. Hays is now a stanch Democrat, although at one time he 
voted with the Republicans and later was a Populist. He is a genial, pleas- 
ant man, one who has hosts of friends and has accumulated his large prop- 
erty by energy and close application to business. 

JASPER MANNING. 

Jasper ]Manning is a retired contractor and builder of Harrisburg. After 
many years' connection with the building interests of Franklin countv he 
has now put aside the more arduous cares of life to enjoy the fruits of his 
former toil. He represents one of the old families of the state. His paternal 
grandfather died in Perry county, Ohio, while his wife died at Hillsboro 
Hill, but was buried at Washington Court House, in this state, about 1893. 
Edgar Manning, tlie father of our subject, was born in the Empire state in 
1813, and wdien a lad of about eight years accompanied his parents on their 
westward emigration, the family locating in Perry county, in the midst of 
an almost unbroken wilderness. Edgar Manning was therefore reared 
among the wild scenes of the frontier, but received good educational priv- 
ileges for that day; and in Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, he was married to 
Miss Eliza Sturgeon, whose birth occurred in Hopewell township, that county, 
in 181 5. Her father, John Sturgeon, was a native of Pennsylvania and dur- 
ing the pioneer epoch of Ohio's history removed to Perry county with his 
wife and little family. After his marriage Mr. Manning resided in Somerset 
until 1854 and followed carpentering and contracting. He then removed 
to Darby township. Pickaway county, establishing his home just outside of 
the corporation limits of Harrisburg. He purchased a fruit orchard of twenty 
acres and devoted his attention to the cultivation of fruit and to carpentering, 
but fifteen years before his death he permanently abandoned his trade, giving 
his time to horticultural pursuits. He died in 1893 ^'^'^^ his wife passed away 
in 1897. They were consistent members of the Lutheran church, and in his 
political views the father was a life-long Democrat. They had six children: 
Jasper; Mary J., now the wife of Martin L. Harsh, of Grove City; War- 
ren, deceased; Henry, of Harrisburg; Eliza, who died at the age of nine years; 
and Elnora, who is the deceased wife of C. L. Johnston. 

Jasper Manning, whose name introduces this sketch, was born in Somer- 
set, Perry county, on the i8th of September, 1840, and began his educa- 
tion in the public schools of that place. He afterward continued his studies 
in Harrisburg, whither the family removed when he was fourteen years of 
age. On attaining his majority he put aside his text-books to take up the 
duties of business life. At the age of sixteen he had begun work at the car- 
penter's trade with his father, following that pursuit throughout the sum- 
mer seasons. To some extent he also followed farming. On the 3d of Ma3% 



1 62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1864, he responded to his country's; call for aid, enlisting at Camp Chase, 
as sergeant of Company D, of the One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry. He was at the front for one hundred and twenty days 
with his regiment, going first to Parkersburg, West Virginia, thence to New 
Creek and on to Fort Powhatan, wdiere he remained until the expiration of 
his term of service. During that time he participated in a number of 
skirmishes. 

On the 2ist of January, 1869, Mr. Manning was united in marriage to 
Miss Susan Peterson, of Pleasant township, Franklin county, a daughter of 
Daniel and Elizabeth Peterson. Their marriage has been blessed with two 
children : Charles Edgar, of Harrisburg, who wedded Clara Fetherolf, by 
whom he has one son, Harry Lee; and William Morgan, wdio was a popular 
commercial traveler, but i'Si now deceased. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Manning began their domestic life in 
Harrisburg, where he followed carpentering and contracting, being connected 
with that business for twenty-six years. Owing to an accident wnich 
destroyed the sight of one of his eyes, he retired to private life about 1883. 
He has twenty-two acres of land, wdiich he operates, and he also owns towm 
property in Harrisburg, having in former years made judicious investment 
of the capital he acquired through his own efforts. On the 5th of July, 
1900, he w^as called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away 
amid the deep regret of many friends. Mr. Manning is a member of Edward 
Crouse Post, G. A. R., of Harrisburg, and was elected as commander for 
the year 1900. He gave his political support to the Democracy until 1891, 
since which time he has been a stalwart Republican. He served as a mem- 
ber of the town council for eighteen years and has now served for twelve 
consecutive years as town treasurer. No higher testimonial for his ability 
and fidelity could be given than the fact of his long continuation in the office 
conferred upon him by the vote of the people. For sixteen years he has 
served as a member of the school board and the cause of education has found 
in him a warm friend. For thirty-four years he has been a member of the 
Masonic fraternity and in his life exemplifies its beneficent principles. 

ERWIN MAIZE. 

Among the mO'Jt prosperous farmers and influential citizens of Clinton 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, was Erwin Maize, who was called from 
this life on the 13th of January, 1900. He was born June i. 1836, in county 
Tyrone, Ireland, of wdiich place his parents, William and Isabelle (Erwin) 
Maize, were also natives. In 1846 they brought their family to America 
and came at once to this county, taking up their residence in a log house in 
Clinton township. The father was a gentleman of culture and refinement, 
W'hose social position in the old country was good, but he came to the United 
States with the hope of giving his children better advantages than his native 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 163 

land afforded. He purchased forty acres of wild land in Clinton township, 
but after residing there for a short time moved to a place on the Worthing- 
ton road, where he died in 1854, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife 
plso died on the old homestead in 1866, at the age of seventy-six years. Both 
v\^ere Episcopalians in religious belief and were highly respected and esteemed 
by all who knew them. Their family numbered seven children, all born in 
Ireland, namely : John, deceased ; Thomas, a resident of Louisville, Ken- 
tucicy ; Jane, the deceased wife of Alexander Forbes ; William, also of Louis;- 
ville, Kentucky; Fannie, the wife of Andrew Skidmore; and Samuel and 
Frwin, both deceased. 

In this county Erwin Maize grew to manhood, and was married, March 
25, 1875, to Miss Melissa Pegg. They began their domestic life upon the 
f.'irm where his widow now resides and where he continued to make his 
home until death. All of the improvements found thereon were made by 
him, and it is to-day one of the best and most desirable places of its size in 
Clinton township. In his farming operations he met with excellent success, 
the two hundred and thirty acres of valuable land left by him at his death 
attesting his prosperity. As a public-spirited and progressive citizen he sup- 
ported all enterprises for the public good and contributed liberally of his 
means to all worthy objects'. He was one of the most prominent and influ- 
ential members of the Episcopal church of Worthington, with which he was 
connected for many years and to which he was entirely devoted, serving as a 
trustee of the parish from the time he became a communicant, in 1886, until 
his death. A tablet of Italian marble erected to his memory in the church 
by his widow bears, the following inscription : 

To 

The Glory of Almighty God 

And 

In loving memory of Erwin Maize, 

A trustee of this parish. 

Born in county Tyrone, Ireland, June i, 1836, 

Entered into rest January 13, 1900. 

Buried at Greenlawn Cemeterv, Columbus, Ohio. 



CLARENCE E. RICHARDS. 

Clarence E. Richards, the subject of this sketcli, is a member of the well 
known firm of Richards, McCarty & Bulford, architects, located in the Rug- 
gery building, in Columbus. Ohio. He was born in Jackson, Michigan, 
February 22, 1865, and is the son of Ephraim G. and Louise (Shipman) 
Richards. The father of our subject was born in New^ York and moved to 
Michigan, where he settled and remained in the business of building and con- 



1 64 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

tracting in that city until 1870, then moved to Eldorado, Kansas, and fol- 
lowed the same line in that city until he retired from active work and moved 
to Columbus, where he still resides. Mr. Richards' mother died in Colum- 
bus February 17, 1901. 

Our subject received a part of his education at Eldorado, Kansas, where 
the family lived from 1870 to 1888. When about seventeen years old he 
entered the normal school, preparing himself for teaching, which profession 
he followed for four years. In 1888 he came to Ohio and entered the 
employ of Edwin Anderson, an architect in Cincinnati, with whom he remained 
one year, going from there to Newark, Ohio, and following the profession 
of an architect there three years. In 1892 our subject came to Columbus 
and this proved a great advantage to him, as he was engaged as superintend- 
ent for the architect, J. W. Yost. 

In 1897 Mr. Richards formed a partnership with J. E. McCarty and 
George Bulford, all three of the firm being skilled and practical architects 
and being one of the strongest associations of its profession in Colum- 
bus. It has made plans and specifications for many of the principal business 
blocks, dwellings and public buildings in Ohio and in other states, notable 
among them being the reform school buildings of Ohio and Kentucky. 

Our subject has been married since July, 1900. his wife being Carrie, nee 
Humphreys, of Columbus, in which place she was born, reared and educated. 
She is the daughter of A. S. Humphreys, an old settler and much respected 
citizen. 

Mr. Richards is well and favorably known in his profession, and is a 
member of the American Institute of Architects. 

HENRY LORENZ SIEBERT. 

The Siebert family has long been prominently connected with the material 
development and substantial upbuilding of Franklin county and the city of 
Columbus. The founder of the family in America was Henry Lorenz Sie- 
bert, who was born in Trieste, Hesse-Cassel, Germany, in 1791, where his 
parents — natives of the same country — spent their entire lives. At an early 
age the son entered the German army and served during the closing years 
of the Napoleonic wars, seeing altogether seven years of militarv service. 
Released from the army, he settled in Buckenheim, a suburb of Frankfort-on- 
the-Main, where he opened a bakery. He married Susan C. Dollinger in 
1820, and the following children were born to them in Germany: AX'illiam, 
born February 14, 1821; Christian, November g, 1822; a daughter that died 
in infancy; Sophia, born July 20, 1825; Henry L., July 17, 1827; Louis, born 
June 29, 1830; and Carl, who was born and died in the year 1832. Three 
children were born after the arrival of the family in this country, namely: 
John, Susan and Charles M. 

The father of this family purchased property in Buckenheim and carried 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 165 

on business there from 1820 until September, 1832. About the middle of 
October of the same year, with his wife and children, he sailed from Bremen 
for the United States, arriving at Baltimore, Maryland, after a voyage of 
sixty-five days in a small sailing vessel. Mr. Siebert's reasons for leaving 
the fatherland are to be found in the facts that he was a liberal in his 
political views, was opposed to government by autocratic repression, and 
wished to remove his sons beyond German military requirements. He 
remained in Baltimore only long enough to make arrangements for moving 
westward. With two "prairie schooners" he started overland for Ohio. 
The family first stopped to rest at Wheeling, West Virginia, then crossed the 
Ohio river on a flatboat, and journeyed to Zanesville in this state, whence 
after a two-months sojourn they located in Somerset, Ohio. Here he pur- 
chased a house, but soon traded the property for a farm of fifty-five acres, 
three miles and a half from Somerset, now known as the Libbey farm. He 
remained there but one season and then, through the influence of friends, 
removed to Columbus., where he arrived July 8, 1834, and went into busi- 
ness at the northeast corner of Rich and High streets. His building and its 
contents were destroyed by fire in April, 1835, and he next opened a store on 
the corner of Main andi Fourth streets, Fourth street being at that time the 
eastern boundary of the town. Mr. Siebert remained here until 1837, when 
he bought a house at No. 660 South High street. Two years, later he removed 
to the Reinhardt farm, six miles west of Columbus, but after two years 
returned to the capital, settled once, more in his South High street home and 
lived there until his death in October, 1842. His widow remained at the 
old home until her death, at the age of nearly seventy, in November, 1869. 

Their oldest son, William, in partnership with M. C. Lilley, established 
the firm of Siebert & Lilley, bookbinders and publishers, in 1842. but later 
went to Paris, Illinois, and bought a farm; still later he became the cashier 
of the First National Bank in Paris, and was identified with that prosperous 
institution for many years, until his retirement, about 1890. ]\Ir. Siebert 
was a collector and reader of books, taking an especial delight in the study 
of German history. Before his death, which occurred in 1898, he presented 
the most of his books to the library of the Ohio State University, and these 
form the nucleus of a collection named in his honor, the Siebert Library of 
German History. A son, William, survives him, who participated in the 
battle of Santiago. 

Sophia became the wife of Cyrus Obetz, and they are now residents of 
Paris, Illinois. They have one son. Professor Henry L. Obetz, formerly 
dean of the homeopathic department of the University of Michigan, and 
now one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Detroit, Michigan. 

Christian, the second 'Son of Henry L. Siebert, was born November 9, 
1822, and for many years carried on business as a gunsmith in Columbus. 
He married Amelia Brown March 15, 1859. He purchased property on the 
southwest corner of High and Frankfort streets on the south side of Coluni- 



i66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus, and Iniilt a residence, in which his widow still lives. Christian and 
Amelia Siebert have had six children, three of whom — Flora, Nettie Alma 
and an unnamed son — died in infancy. Mrs. Anna B. Miller, a widow, lives 
\vith her mother; Frank also lives at home; Mrs. Kate Bobb, the wife of 
Mortimer Bobb, died February 8, 1900. There are two grandchildren, Marie 
Siebert Miller, now a pupil in the South Side high school, and Katherine 
Siebert Bobb, an infant. By a former marriage, to Sarah Maccam, Chris- 
tian Siebert had four children. Mary, the eldest, resides at home; the other 
three died in infancy. The parents were members of the Universalist church, 
to which Mrs. Amelia Siebert still belongs. In politics Mr. Siebert was a 
Republican, and he was a charter member of the Odd Fellows' lodge of this 
city. He was known throughout the state in a business way, and had large 
property interests in Columbus. He was a man of large proportions physic- 
ally, was generous in private charity, and altogether large-hearted and kindly. 
He died September 18, 1886, after a lingering illness. 

Henry Lorenz Siebert, the third son of Henry L., Sr., is now in his 
seventy-fourth year, and is still robust and active. He accjuired his early 
education in the public schools of Franklin county, and in his sixteenth year 
became a clerk in the store of Greenwood & King. In September, 1843, 1^^ 
went to Cincinnati and entered the employ of John Griffith, a gunsmith, but 
returned after six months and became an employe of Peter Ambos.. In 
September, 1844, he went back to Mr. Griffith's establishment, and in Feb- 
ruary, 1845, obtained a situation with William L. Hudson, of Cincinnati. 
j\Ir. Siebert married Anna L. Morris, of Covington, Kentucky, January i, 
1852, and soon after entered into partnership with his former employer, Mr. 
Griffith. Three years later, through the friendship and assistance of Hon. 
Timothy C. Day, later a member of congress from Cincinnati, he began 
business for himself, but failing in the panic of 1857 he entered the hardware 
store of R. N. Booth & Company, of Cincinnati, where he was employed 
until 1 86 1. Next he w-ent to Paris, Illinois, where he raised a company and 
did guard duty to protect the town from the raids of southern sympathizers. 
In 1865 he returned to Columbus and has lived here ever since. For the 
past twenty-eight years he has held his present position with the M. C. Lilley 
Company. 

He is a stanch Republican. In 1869 he was elected infirmary director, 
the first position ever held by a Republican in Franklin county. He and 
his family are members of St. Paul's Episcopal church, and for the past fifteen 
years Mr. Siebert has served^ as one of the vestrymen of that church. In 
1864 he became a member of the Masonic lodge in Paris., Illinois. The chil- 
dren of Henry L. and Anna Morris Siebert are as follows: Ada K., who 
was married, in 1876, to F. W. Schueller, a prominent druggist of Colum- 
bus; Myra Belle, the wife of William Scarlett, the treasurer of the M. C. 
Lilley Company; Ellen M.. the wife of Henry H. Thorpe, a popular hotel 
proprietor of the city; Thomas H., superintendent of the shoe department of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 167 

the Lazarus store, of Columbus; Alice Winifred, married, October 27, 1897, 
to John A. Schoedinger, an undertaker; and Frederick J., now a mining- 
engineer in Utah. 

Mrs. Susan D. Lindenberg, a daughter of Henry L. Siebert, Sr., was 
born in Columbus August 31, 1837, and obtained her education in the public 
schools of the city. She was married to Henry Lindenberg October 23, 1862. 
Mr. Lindenberg was born in Germany July 29, 1836, came to this country in 
1850, and became a partner in the ^I. C. Lilley Company and the editor 
of the Odd Fellows' Companion. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Lindenberg 
are: Louis L., born August i, 1863, educated in the public schools and Ohio 
State University in Columbus^, and for a number of years connected with 
the M. C. Lilley Company; Theodore L., born October 3, 1873, educated in 
Columbus, and in Germany, where he spent two years in travel and study 
with his parents, having since made a trip around the world, at present in 
the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company; and Charlotte, educated in Bryn 
Mawr College, Philadelphia, who lives at home. The father of this family 
died in Germany in 1890. He was a cultivated and widely read man and 
a charming conversationalist. He was a member of the German Independent 
Protestant church, and a leading member of the Masonic, Odd Fellows and 
Knights of Pythias fraternities. Mrs. Lindenberg still resides at her beauti- 
ful home. No. 1071 Bryden road. 

The sketches of Louis and John Siebert will be found in other places in 
this volume. 

Charles M. Siebert, the youngest son of Henry L. Siebert, Sr., was. born 
m Columbus in 1839. At the age of twelve he began working at the gun- 
smith's trade with his brother Christian. In 1855 he went to Indianapolis, 
Indiana, where he spent two years at his trade ; thence he went to Cincinnati,' 
v;here he entered the employ of his brother Henry. In 1857 he made a trip 
down the Ohio river on a trading boat as far as Hickman, Kentuckv. but 
was compelled to abandon the trip at this point on account of high water. 
He returned to Cincinnati, thence to Columbus, where he again worked with 
his brother Christian, then went to Loudonville, Ohio, where he spent a year 
in the employ of T. A. Rinehart. In 1861 he went back to Indianapolis, 
and the next year to St. Louis, where he worked for the government in the 
United States arsenal. In May, 1864, he enlisted in the One Hundred and 
Thirty-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, with which command he was sent 
to West Virginia, thence to Petersburg, Virginia. His regiment was attached 
to the Tenth Army Corps, and from that time on participated in all the more 
important engagements that occurred in that section of the country. He 
took part in the hotly contested battle of W^eldon Railroad, south of Peters- 
burg, after which his regiment was stationed in a fort on the James river, 
near City Point, Virginia. At the expiration of his service he returned to 
Columbus, and in 1866 went to Circleville. Ohio, where he began business 
for himself as a gunsmith, and there remained for twenty-four years. He 



i68 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

then sold his property and moved with his family to Columbus, and has since 
been in the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company. Mr. Siebert married Har- 
riet Valentine April i6, 1866. To them the following children were born: 
Christian J., born January 16, 1868, married Cora E._ Pausch; Charles M., 
born November 28, 1869; Alice B., born January 2'/, 1871, married, October 
23, 1895, to Professor Nathan G. Burner; Louis A., born March 16, 1874, 
married Alberta Dempsey November 3, 1898; Thomas H., born August 30, 
1872, died February 28, 1879; and Hattie M., born October 29, 1875, died 
October 9, 1876. 

Charles M. Siebert, Sr., is a Republican, having supported that party 
since casting his first presidential vote for Lincoln in 1864. He is a mem- 
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Episcopal church. 

JOHN FLARENCE ANDRIX. 

The real-estate operator of Columbus, Ohio, whose name supplies the 
title to this sketch has a family history which is of peculiar interest because 
of the fact that it reaches back into the pioneer days of the middle west. Mr. 
Andrix was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1856, a son of Jacob Andrix, 
a native of Hancock county, Ohio, who died in 1870, at the age of fifty- four 
years. His father, Frederick Andrix, was among the earliest settlers of 
Pickaway county. Jacob Andrix was a prominent farmer and stock-raiser 
and his operations along these lines before the war were somewhat extensive. 
The family moved from Franklin county and located on a farm of one hun- 
dred and seventy acres near Groveport, about 1858, and during the war 
Jacob Andrix enlisted in the hundred-day service. He married Sarah Saw- 
yer, a daughter of the late Abraham Sawyer, who went to Pickaway county 
from Pennsylvania, wdiich was also the early home of the Andrix family. 
Mrs. Andrix is still living. Mr. Andrix's great-grandfather Sawyer was 
burned to death by the Lidians near the border of Pickaway and Fairfield 
counties. Augustus Andrix, brother of our subject, is a farmer in South 
Dakota, and his brother James is a farmer in Franklin county, Ohio. Hisi 
sister Lizzie is the wife of Henry McMahon, of Columbus, and another sis- 
ter is the wife of J. O. Adams and lives in Delaware county, Ohio. 

Mr. Andrix received his early education in the public schools of Grove- 
port, Ohio, and has been a student, self-taught, from the day he left school 
until the present time. He followed farming until 1880, when he engaged in 
the building trade at Columbus. His operations have been extensive and he 
has erected many prominent buildings on the west side and in other parts 
of the city. He also owns a block of buildings at Sandusky and Broad streets. 
He was a member of the West Side Building & Loan Association in 1896 and 
was a member of the board of education of Columbus in 1893-4. He was 
appointed by the mayor a member of the decennial equalization board for 
1900, which is revising the assessment list for the whole city to provide a 




JOHH F. ANDRIX, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 169 

basis for taxation for the next ten years. This appointment may be regarded 
as a high tribute to Mr. Andrix's integrity and to his broad and accurate 
knowledge of real estate values in this city. The board' itself honored him by; 
election to its vice-presidency. His operations in real estate are extensive and 
their results prove that they are carried forward under the best business judg- 
ment. 

Mr. Andrix was happily married to Miss Carrie F. Poole, of Columbus, 
a daughter of Middleton Poole, formerly well known as a grocer. Mrs. 
.Andrix's mother was Nancy H. (Perrin) Poole, who was born in 183 1, near 
where Mr. and ]\Irs. Andrix now live, and whose grandfather came from 
England. Mr. and Mrs. Andrix have three children : Iza,^ Edna and How- 
ard. Mr. Andrix is an official member of the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church. 

WINFIELD S. ROCHELLE. 

Throughout his entire life Winfield Scott Rochelle has been connected 
with agricultural interests in Franklin county. He was born September 25, 
1847, on the farm where he now resides. His father, John Rochelle, was a 
native of Sussex county. New Jersey, born in 1S05. There he was reared to 
manhood and learned the trade of an iron-worker, being employed in the 
days before the advent of the furnace, when the iron ore was taken from the 
mines and worked into its various stages from the forge. While still in New 
Jersey Mr. Rochelle was married, and four of his children were born there. 
In December, 1836, he came with his family to Ohio and settled on the farm 
now occupied by our subject, purchasing eighty-one acres of land from a 
Mr. Mills, who was the original owner after the entry from the government. 
Later j\Ir. Rochelle added a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in fiercer 
county and some time subsequently purchased one hundred and twenty-five 
acres of land adjoining the home farm. There he resided up to the time of 
his death, which occurred October 26, 1877, He was a stanch supporter of 
Republican principles and believed firmly in the party, but never sought office. 
Although a member of no church, he regularly attended the services of the 
old school Baptist church, of which his wife has been a member for a half- 
century. 

Mrs. Rochelle bore the maiden name of Lucinda Search, and was born 
in Sussex county. New Jersey, her parents being Martin and' Elizabeth 
(Rorick) Search. Her father was a native of New Jersey and was an iron- 
worker by trade, following that pursuit in connection with his son-in-law, 
John Rochelle. His wife was born in Holland, and both died in IMuskingum 
county, Ohio. Mrs. Search came to this state with John Rochelle in 1836 
and took up her abode in the home of her son near Zanesville, while her hus- 
band remained' in New Jersey and settled up some business affairs there and 
to attend a lawsuit over some property. As the litigation continued over a 
period of several yearsi he did not become a resident of Ohio until 1869. He 



I70 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lived to the advanced age of ninety-two years, and his wife passed away at 
the ripe old age of ninety-three. It will thus be seen that longevity is a char- 
acteristic of the family, and their ^^-'Aighter, Mrs. Rochelle, is still living, at 
the advanced age of ninety-two years. She is one of the remarkable women 
of the county, retaining her mental and physical faculties to a wonderful 
degree. Through fifty years she has held membership in the Baptist church, 
and has been one of its active workers, contributing largely to its support 
and dwing all in her power for its upbuilding and growth. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Rochelle were born twelve children, six of whom are yet living, namely : 
William, a resident of Hamilton, Ohio; Dency, the widow of C. H. Barber, 
of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mary A., the wife of Daniel Hickman, of Truro 
township, Franklin county; Martin S., a practicing physician of Wichita, 
Kansas ; Winfield ; and Phebe C, the wife of W. I. Hempstead, of Reynolds- 
burg, Ohio. 

Winfield Scott Rochelle was reared in his parents' home until his six- 
teenth year, when he ran away in order to enlist in the service of his country. 
He made his w^ay to Columbus, and on the 28th of March, 1864, joined Com- 
pany C, of the Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to 
the Fifteenth Army Corps, commanded by General John A. Logan. With 
the exception of a few weeks in the hospital in Resaca and Marietta, Georgia, 
he was continuously with his command until the close of the war, and his 
loyalty and bravery were equal to that of many a veteran of twice his years. 
He was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, on the 27th of July, 1865, after 
having participated in the following engagements : Resaca, Dallas, Allatoona, 
New Hope Church, Congaree Creek, Atlanta, Griswoldville, Savannah, 
Cl'-irleston and Columbia. 

When the war was over and the country no longer needed his services 
Mr. Rochelle returned to his home and resumed the work of the farm. He 
was the only son at home and his labors proved an important factor in the 
operation of the fields. On the 4th of February, 1875, he was united in mar- 
riage to Mrs. Samarida E. Hanson, a native of Jefferson township, Franklin 
county, and a daughter of James E. Todd, who was born in Virginia and 
belonged to one of the early families of this county. 

After his father's death Mr. Rochelle continued the operation of the 
home farm, and from time to time has purchased the interest of the other 
heirs until he now owns all but a small portion of the place. His fields are 
under a high state of cultivation, many improvements having been added, and 
everything about the farm is in a thrifty condition, showing that the owner 
is a practical and progressive agriculturist. He votes with the Republican 
party, to which he has given his support since attaining to man's estate. He 
is recognized as a leader in local ranks, his opinions carrying weight in party 
councils. For many years past he has been a delegate to the county and 
state conventions, and in 1899 he was appointed a member of the county board 
of election, but resigned the office to become a candidate for the nomination 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 171 

for county infirmary director. He belongs to Reynolclsburg- Lodge, No. 
340, F, & A. M., and also to Daniel Noe Post, G. A. R. The patriotic 
spirit which prompted his enlistment in the army in his youth has been mani- 
fest throughout his life in the discharge of his duties of citizenship, and in 
all life's relations he has enjoyed the confidence and regard of his fellow men. 

^^TLLIA^I D. SIMONTON. 

William D. Simonton is one of the two oldest engineers in years of con- 
tinuous service in Columbus, running on the Norfolk & Western Railroad. 
His paternal grandparents, Theophilus and Mary Simonton, were natives of 
North Carolina, where they spent their entire lives. Their children, all born 
in that state, were as follows: Alexander, born January 12, 1794; Sally, 
born November 14, 1796; Adam, born October 8, 1798; Noah, born July 26, 
1 801; Elizabeth, born February 19, 1803; Hiram, born June 29, 1805; The- 
ophilus, Jr., born June 29, 1808; Samuel, born July 22, 1810; John, born 
February 8, 1813; and Mary, born June 10, 1815. 

John Simonton, the father of our subject, removed from North Carolina 
to Ohio in an early day, locating upon a farm in Clermont county. He was 
there married on the 14th of June, 1838, to Miss Catherine Hess, and they be- 
came the parents of six children : Melissa, born December 4, 1839; Franklin, 
born December 4. 1841 ; an infant son born November 15, 1843; Lyman, born 
November 20, 1844; William D., born September 4, 1853; ^^'^^ Lulu, born 
October 16, i860. Franklin, of this family, enlisted for service in the Union 
army, in Company I, Twelfth Ohio Infantry, and was wounded at Cloyd 
Mountain, Virginia, in 1864. He was afterward taken prisoner and nothing 
was ever heard of him from that time, although the greatest efforts were 
made to ascertain his fate. It is probable that he died in a southern prison 
and no record was kept of his demise. Melissa Simonton, the eldest sister 
of cur subject, was married to John D. Carnahan and they now reside at their 
home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their children are Franklin N., Charles and 
Clyde. Lyman Simonton, a brother of our subject, is married and resides 
at the old home in Blanchester, Clinton county, Ohio. He is a clerk in a 
store there and has one child, Clayton. William D. Simonton was married, 
April zo, 1872, to Miss Nettie Baldwin, of Blanchester, Ohio. Lulu Simon- 
ton was married to O. Willoughby, of South Lebanon, Ohio, who conducts 
a meat market there. They have one child, Stanley, who is now in his 
twelfth year. 

AVhen a young man A\^illiam D. Simonton, of this review, learned the 
blacksmith's trade, but wiching to enter railroad life, he secured a position as 
fireman on the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad on the ist of January, 1874. 
On the 24th of December. 1877, he was promoted to freight engineer on the 
same road, which was afterward absorbed by the Baltimore & Ohio road, 
and is now a part of the system controlled by that company. IMr. Simonton 



172 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

is now on the Norfolk & Western Railroad, running on the fast pas- 
senger from Columbus to Kenova, West Virginia. Since 1874 he has been 
in continuous service and has never sustained a personal injury in his rail- 
way duties. He became a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin- 
eers in 1882, and belongs to Division No. 72. 

On the 20th of April, 1872, Mr. Simonton was united in marriage to 
Miss Nettie Baldwin. Her father, Benjamin Baldwin, was born October 
17, 181 5, being the first white child born in Marion township, Clinton county, 
Ohio. His death occurred October 15, 1897, when he was eighty-two years 
of age. His w^ife, Martha E. Henry, w^as born January 4, 1829, and died 
July 17, 1893. In their family were the following: Mrs. Simonton, born 
March 28, 1854; Lucius, who was born October 25, 1851, and died' October 
8, 1884; and Marion A., who was born July 15, 1858, and was married, in 
1880, to Miss Ada Byard, their home being now in Blanchester, Ohio. The 
grandparents of Mrs. Simonton were natives of Virginia, the grandmother 
having been born in the famous Shenandoah valley. In their family were 
twelve children, ten of whom are now living, and the youngest is more than 
three score years of age. All reside in Blanchester. Ohio. 

Mr. and Mrs. Simontpn have one child, Minnie E., born March 20, 1873. 
She was married, June 6, 1894, to Charles C. Bothwell, who is an engineer 
on the Norfolk & Western Railroad and resides in Portsmouth. Ohio. Mr. 
Simonton is a member of the Masonic fraternity, holding membership with 
Magnolia blue lodge, also wnth Ohio Chapter and Mt. Vernon Commandery. 
The family are members of the Plymouth Congregational church, of Colum- 
bus. His. is a creditable record, characterized by fidelity to duty and his 
worth as a man and citizen are well known. 

JOHN KOEBEL. 

Among Franklin county's well-to-do and successful farmers are many 
who started out in life for themselves without capital, and have worked their 
way upward through their own unaided efforts. In the subject of this review 
we find a worthy representative of this class. "He is a man of enterprise and 
perseverance, and has steadily overcome the obstacles in the path to success 
by determination and untiring industry. 

Mr. Koebel was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 25th of October, 
1853, and was twelve years of age when he came to Franklin county with 
his parents. His father, George Koebel, was a native of Germany, born in 
1829, and is now a retired farmer of Marion township, this county. While 
a resident of Fairfield county he married Mary Sparrow, a native of Virginia, 
aad to them w-ere born ten children, six of whom are still living, namely: 
Bari^ara, George, John, Catherine. William and Charles, — all residents of 
Franklin county. Those deceased are Jacob, Michael, Sarah and Mary. 

The educational advantages which our subject received were such as the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 173 

district schools of Fairfield and Franklin county afforded during his boy- 
hood, and his training at farm work was obtained on the old homestead under 
the direction of his father, with whom he remained until twenty-three years 
of age. He began life for himself upon a rented farm in Hamilton town- 
ship, where he remained two years, and then rented what is known as the 
Zeb Veasy farm for three years. For thirteen years he made his home on 
the Louis Zettler farm, and at the end of that time purchased the place in 
Truro township where he now resides. When it came into his possession 
it was unimproved, but he cleared away the timber, erected a good residence 
and substantial outbuildings and now has a well improved and valuable farm 
of one hundred and eleven acres, all under a high state of cultivation. 

On the 24th of February, 1881, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Koebel and Miss Alice Victoria Helsel, who was born in Columbus, Frank- 
lin county, June 2, 1861, and is a daughter of John Helsel, also a native of 
this county. He married Clarissa A. Brown, by whom he had seven chil- 
dren,— Alice v., John E., Matthew L., Laura O., Effie C, Thaddeus B. N. 
and Fanny E. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Koebel have been born two children: 
Edith Pearl, born August 30, 1884; and Edgar Leigh, born August 2, 1895. 
The daughter is now attending the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, 
this state. The Democratic party finds in Mr. Koebel a stanch supporter 
of its principles, but at local elections he votes for the men whom he believes 
best qualified to fill the offices regardless of party ties. Religiously he is a 
liJ^eral supporter and active member of the Lutheran church. For seven 
years he has made his home upon his present farm, and is to-day one of the 
most influential and popular citizens of the community. 



ALBERT COOPER, M. D. 

The city of Columbus, Ohio, is well represented in professional life, its 
citizens being known in many states of the Union. Among those whose 
ability is remembered outside of his own locality is Albert Cooper, a physi- 
cian of high standing in this city. He is a nati\^ of the state, born in 
Coshocton county, Ohio, September 24, 185 1, a son of Archibald Wilson 
and Maria (Blizzard) Cooper. The Cooper family came to Ohio in 1808, 
the ancestors having immigrated to Pennsylvania with William Penn, being 
Quakers. The grandfather of our subject was Levi Cooper, l^orn in \^ir- 
ginia. He there married Margaret Wilson, a daughter of Archibald Wil- 
son, a captain in the Revolutionary war. The father of Dr. Cooper, Archibald 
Wilson Cooper, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, near Zanesville, in 
1810. He later in life made his home in Coshocton county, remaining until 
1864, when he went to Illinois and thence to Kansas, dying in Beloit, Kan- 
sas, October 8, 1881. The mother of Dr. Cooper was born in Hardv county, 
West Virginia, in 1814, and died January 6, 1882. They had been the par- 



174 CENTENNIAL-BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ents of four sons: Horace, an attorney at Greenville, ^Missouri; Wesley and 
Levi, twins, the former deceased; and our subject. 

Dr. Albert Cooper passed his first ten years in Coshocton and Licking 
countii^s. Ohio, removing then with his parents to Illinois. The next family 
removal was to St. Joseph, Missouri, and in that city he received the greater 
part of his education. Later he accompanied his father to Beloit, Kansas, 
and there entered the office of Dr. W. T. Donnell to engage in the reading of 
medicine. After thorough preparation he entered the medical department 
of the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery and graduated at that 
institution of learning June 22, 1875. 

The first location of Dr. Cooper was in Kansas, where he spent almost two 
years in successful practice, after which he came to Columbus and took a course 
of lectures at the Columbus Medical College, graduating at this institution in 
T877, following which he entered actively into practice in this city. He was 
the demonstrator of anatomy at Columbus Medical College from 1882 to 
1885. Always interested in education, he served one term on the school board 
and for four years was elected from the nineteenth ward as a member of the 
city council. In his political preferences he is a Republican and has taken part 
in many of the important deliberations of his party. 

The marriage of Dr. Cooper took place April 14, 1880, to Miss Jennie 
McCrum, a daughter of Samuel McCrum, of Belmont county, Ohio. She 
was an accomplished lady and before marriage a teacher in the schools of 
Worthington, Ohio. The residence of the Doctor and his estimable wife is 
at No. 2686 North High street, is in one of the best parts of the city. 

Dr. Cooper is a member of Magnolia Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Ohio Chapter, 
R. A. M. ; thirty-second degree Scottish Rite, Scioto Consistory ; the Colum- 
bus Academy of Medicine, the Ohio State Medical Society, American Medical 
Association and the Sons of the American Revolution. In his profession 
Dr. Cooper ranks high, his ability as both surgeon and physician having 
brought him into prominence. He is a fit representative of the medical pro- 
fession in his chosen city of residence. 

JOHN SAMUEL DAUGHERTY. 

The ancestors of the subject of this sketch were Irish, and his grand- 
father, John Daugherty, came with two of his brothers to the United States 
previous to the year 1800, landing at New York. The three brothers sep- 
arated, going to differents part of the country, John coming' direct to Ohio 
and locating at old Franklinton, now a part of Columbus. He brought his 
wife with him and she died a few years after their arrival. Their children 
were Nathan Daugherty, who settled in Preble county and died there; and 
John Daugherty, who died in one of the Ohio counties lying on Lake Erie. 
For his second wife John Daugherty, Sr., married Miss Gatton, a native of 
Richland county, Ohio, who bore him children as follows : James, who mar- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i75 

riecl Miss Clover and died in Prairie township at the age of ninety-three years; 
Sarah, who married Jacob Keller and died in Prairie township; Daniel, who 
married Miss Sills and died at Columbus ; Nancy, who is Mrs. Samuel King, 
of Norwich township; Mary, who married Joseph Klise and died in Brown 
township; Chloe, who is Mrs. Orrin Clover, of Norwich township; Benjamin, 
wdio was the father of the subject of this sketch; and Lovinia, who is Mrs. 
Chauncey Carter and lives at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

John Daugherty, the pioneer, fought for his adopted country in the war 
of 1812 and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 181 7. He 
helped build the old national road through Ohio. Some time after his arrival 
he beo-an clearing a farm in Norwich township, on the Scioto river, where he 
settled among the Indians in a wdld strip of timber and had many ventures 
peculiar to pioneer life. Each spring he and his boys would go into a sugar 
camp on the Norwich township line and, living in a log shanty, would manu- 
facture maple sugar, in the old way, while the season lasted. Wolves and 
other wild beasts were so numerous all about them that they were obliged 
to maintain fires at night to keep them at a distance. Mr. Daugherty died 
about 1847, more than eighty years old, and his second wife died some years 
earlier. 

Benjamin Daugherty, father of John Samuel Daugherty, was born at 
Franklinton in 181 3, and grew to manhood in Franklin county and assisted 
his father in clearing and cultivating his farm, receiving a limited education 
in a small log schoolhouse near his early home. He married Catharine 
Divelbiss, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1820^ who came to Richland 
county when a small girl wdth her father, George Divelbiss, who was a pio- 
neer near Mansfield, and in his day was perhaps the most noted hunter and 
marksman in that part of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Daugherty were married 
in Richland county and came immediately afterward to Prairie township, 
Franklin county, and after living there for a time they removed to Norwich 
towniship and settled on one hundred and fourteen acres of land, now owned 
by Jacob Fladt. Mr. Daugherty made a clearing in the woods, in which 
he built a double hewed-loghouse wnth a ground area of fourteen by sixteen 
feet, which was the home of the family until after the farm was paid for and 
money had been saved with which to buy the good frame house now standing 
on the place. By that time the farm w^as well improved. Mrs. Daugherty 
died there in August, 1872, and after that event Mr. Daugherty rented his 
farm for ten yea~rs and lived with the lessees. He then sold the farm and 
lived with his 'children, most of the time with the subject of this sketch, until 
his death in 1889. The most of the members of his family identified them- 
selves with the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a man of good ability 
and was influential as a citizen and as a Democrat. The following items of 
interest concerning his children will be found valuable in this connection: 

His eldest daughter, Elizabetli. married Elijah Scofield, and died in 
Franklin county; the subject of this sketch was next in order of birth; George 



176 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Washington married Caroline Sherwood, and died at Columbus; Daniel, of 
Brown township, married Miss Minnie Miller; Nancy married Charles 
Smith and lives in the Shenandoah valley in Virginia ; David married Rachel 
Clover and lives in Norwich township; Sarah married Orin Gatton and they 
had one child, who survives them and lives at Galloway, Ohio ; Mary married 
Edd McGlinchey and they had three children; Benjamin married Sarah Clover 
and lives at Marion, Ohio; Chloe is Mrs. James Craig, of Norwich township; 
and Andrew Jackson Daugherty died at the age of nineteen years, after receiv- 
ing- a fine business education. 

John Samuel Daugherty was born in Prairie township, Franklin county, 
November 14, 1841, and received his first schooling there. When he was 
eight years old his father moved to Norwich township, where the boy finished 
his education at the age of seventeen, under the preceptorship of Alexander 
Jones, whom he often worried by playing truant. While on one of these 
expeditions he saw the first railroad train in this part of the country, about 
1S48. He worked on his father's farm as soon as he was old enough and 
was thus employed until, at twenty-one, he began to learn the carpenter's 
trade of John Ro'binson, with whom he remained seven years, afterward 
working as a carpenter for three years on his own account. During a part 
of this time he worked for the government, building the officers' quarters, 
etc., through Kansas and Missouri. During his lifetime he has traveled a 
great deal, having visited about twenty difi"erent states. On one of these 
trips he took his eldest son, who was then suffering from that dread disease, 
consumption. 

John Samuel Daugherty was married, November 23, 1869, to Miss Mary 
Catharine Roberts, a native of Prairie township, Franklin county, born Novem- 
ber 16, 1848, a daughter of Lewis and Rachel (Richards) Roberts. Mrs. 
Daugherty's parents removed from Prairie township to Brown township 
when she was four years old and she was educated at the Welsh school, which 
she attended until she was seventeen years old. Her father was born in 
Wales July 4, 18 18, a son of Ellis and Catharine (Pugh) Roberts, who came 
with their family to the United States in 1824, landing at New York city, 
where Ellis Roberts died. In 1835 his widow and her children came to 
Browm township and located on one hundred acres of land of which her 
late husband had become possessed some years before his demise, and there 
she died in 1846. Her daughter Catharine married Thomas Thomas, and 
after his death Thomas Evans, and died in the city of New York. Her 
son Lewis was the father of Mrs. Daugherty. David, the next in order of 
birth, went to some distant part of the country and was never heard of after- 
ward. Ellis, the next younger son, died on the home farm. Susanna mar- 
ried Arthur Arnold and died in New York city. John P. died in Franklin 
county, Ohio. Lewis Roberts was born in Wales in 1818, came to the 
United States with his parents at the ac'e of six years, and lived in New 
York city until he was seventeen years old, and there received a fair educa- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i77 

tion. He grew to manhood on the family farm in Brown township, and 
married Rachel Richards, daughter of William and Mary (Williams) Rich- 
ards, who were born and married in Wales, After his marriage Lewis Rob- 
erts located on the home farm of the family and lived there until his death, 
November 30, 1878, except during five years, when he conducted a hotel at 
Rome, Ohio. He was a prominent man in the township and held several 
important offices. In politics he was a Democrat' and in religion he was a 
Baptist. His wife died June 16, 1889. Following are some facts relative 
to their children : Their son David William married Rebecca Drake and after 
her death Minerva Hemrod, and lives at Columbus, Ohio. John Ellis died at 
the age of nine years. Mrs. Daugherty was the next in order of birth. 
Lewis died at the age of twenty-six years. Daniel F. married Miss Angeline 
Carter and lives in Brown township. Richard died at sixteen, Susan at 
eighteen, John at twenty-six and Margaret at twenty years of age. Sophia 
and Hannah, twins, died in infancy. Margaret, the second of the name, died 
at two years O'f age. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Daugherty lived for ten years on 
the Colwell farm in Norwich township, and for two years lived on his father- 
in-law's farm. After that they resided for a time on the lower part of his 
present farm. He was then employed for five years at corporation work in 
the city of Columbus. In 1896 they returned to their farm and built their 
present home, and since that time Mr. Daugherty has devoted himself with 
much success to farming and stock-raising. He is an active and influential 
Democrat and has been for some time a member of the school board of his 
township. He is a member of the Christian Union church, and Mrs. Daugh- 
erty is actively and helpfully identified with the Methodist Episcopal church. 
She is an intelligent, well educated woman, well informed upon all topics of 
the day, kind, motherly, hospitable and an interesting conversationalist. She 
has borne her husband children as follows : Francis Marion was born Sep- 
tember 19, 1 87 1, and died at the age of twenty-one years. Charles Will- 
iam, born December 12. 1872, married Amanda Reed, and is employed as a 
conductor by a street-car company of Cleveland, Ohio. To them was born 
one child, Evelyn, a beautiful child of a sweet disposition. Cora A., born 
February 23, 1876, is a successful school-teacher; and her sister, Bessie Alta, 
born July 11, 1879, has taught school during the last two years. Each of 
the latter is well educated, holding diplomas from one of the best schools in 
the state. John Lewis, born February 21, 1889, died September 22, 1890. 

JAMES SAVAGE. 

The biographical sketch which follows possesses peculiar value for the 
reason that it not only deals with the careers of men important in their day 
and generation and prominent in their calling, Imt with facts and interests of 
historical value in connection with the social, political and business history of 



178 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Ohio's capital city. The name of Savage has long been well known at Colum- 
bus, where it has stood for important legitimate business enterprise and has 
represented the highest order of citizenship. 

William Montgomery Savage, one of the pioneer jewelers of Colum- 
bus, located here in 1838. He was a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and! 
was married, at Richmond, Virginia, to Mary Richards, a native of Cornwall, 
England. He learned his business with his father, John Y. Savage, whc 
moved from North Carolina to New York city about 1830, and it w^as there 
that William Montgomery Savage finished the acquisition of a practical 
knowledge of the jeweler's trade. For two years after he came to Columbus 
he was employed by Platte, an old-time jeweler, and in 1840 he opened a 
store on his own account, on the east side of High street, just south of State 
street, in a small frame building which was mounted on wheels in order that 
it might be hauled out of danger in case fire should break out near by. In 
1843 Mr. Savage moved into the Ambos building, opposite Capitol square, 
and from there he moved, about 1851, into a building just then completed 
by himself and his brother John Y. Savage, of New York city, afterward 
city clerk. Important additions were subsequently built tO' that structure 
and he occupied it until his death in 1892, when he had been fifty-two years 
in business in Columbus, and since 1866 the leading jeweler in the city. In 
1893 the stock of his establishment was divided between his sons James and 
E. G. Savage, who had been connected with his business, the first from 1861 
to 1884, the second from 1857 to 1892. W. J. Savage, the eldest son of 
William Montgomery Savage, was also identified with his father's enterprise 
until he disposed of his interest in it to found the Columbus Watch Com- 
pany, and now, relieved of business cares, he devotes much of his time to 
European travel. John Y. Savage, another of Mr. Savage's sons, who died 
in 1884, was also for a time identified with the business. William Mont- 
gomery Savage was regarded as one of the foremost jewelers of his time and 
he was given charge of the railway clocks and other timepieces of all the 
railroads centering at Columbus, and regulated them by observations which 
he took personally and independently along scientific lines. 

James Savage, a son of William Montgomery and Mary (Richards) 
Savage, was born at Columbus, Ohio, in 1844, and was there reared and edu- 
cated and learned the jeweler's business in his father's store, in which, as 
has been stated, he acquired an interest, which continued until in the fall of 
1884, when he engaged in the same line of business independently, at his 
well known stand on North High street, where he has met with much suc- 
cess and has made himself known as a merchant of enterprise and of promi- 
nence and as a jeweler of skill and reliability. 

Following in the footsteps of his worthy father, in politics as well as in 
business, Mr. Savage is a Democrat. In religious affiliation he is an- Epis- 
copalian. He married Miss Gertrude Aston, daughter of Isaac Aston, of 
Columbus, long a member of the prominent book house of Randall & Aston, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i79 

one of the best known in Ohio before and after the war of the Rebellion. 
He has a daughter named Mary Richards in honor of his mother, and a son 
named James Aston Ferree in honor of Mrs. Savage's family, her mother 
having been a Ferree of a prominent French family of that name. 

Dr. C. M. Savage, a son of William Montgomery Savage and a brother 
of James Savage, entered the Union army in 1862, when he was only fifteen 
years old, and s.aw three years' active service, and was wounded at Shiloh and 
at Kenesaw mountain. His eminence in his profession was recognized by 
President Cleveland, who appointed him chairman of the board of examining 
surgeons of the United States. He is a well known ]\Iason and Knight of 
Pythias. 

BEX7A^nN FRANKLIN WILLIA^IS. 

Among the several old Muskingum county families represented in Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, none is reDresented more worthily or more creditably than 
the family of Williams, from which came Benjamin Franklin Williams, of 
Norwich township, whose grandfather, Abraham \Mlliams, was born in 
Connecticut, about 1809, and married Catherine \\'ooley, a native of Hock- 
ing county, Ohio, and a daughter of Elijah and Mary Wooley. Abraham 
Williams passed his life as a preacher in Muskingum county, and died there 
in 1854. His wife married Henry Ray in Franklin county, where she 
became a widow about 1855, and she died in Washington township, in 1881. 
Abraham and Catherine (Wooley) Williams had the following children: 
Abraham C, who lives at Plain City, Ohio; Minerva, who married William 
Carter and lived for a time in Madison county, Ohio, and removed thence to 
Iowa and from Iowa to Nevada, where Mr. Carter died and where she is 
still living; Wesley, who died in childhood; Benjamin Franklin, the imme- 
diate subject of this sketch ; Susan, who married Asa Davis ; Mary, who mar- 
ried Alexander Walcott; Francis ]\I., who lives at Columbus,_ Ohio ; and E. 
J., who married Deborah Ramsey and lives at Hilliard's, Ohio. 

Benjamin Franklin Williams was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, 
February 5, 1849, ^n<^l was about six years old when his widowed mother 
brought him to Franklin county, Ohio, where he passed the days of his youth, 
chiefly in Norwich township. He first attended school in a log schoolhouse 
which stood just over the county line near his home in ]\Iadison county, and 
he went to school with more or less regularity until he was nineteen years 
old, while in the meantime he received every kind of practical instruction 
tending to make him a good farmer. Since his marriage he has lived on 
rented farms. He has proved himself to be a business man of ability, and' 
as -a Republican is not without a certain local influence, but he has no desire 
for public oflice. He is a Knight of Pythias and a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. 

September 28, 1871, 'Mr. Williams married jNUss Katurah Shipman, who 



i8o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was born near Duljlin, Franklin county, Ohio, a daughter of Charles and 
Mary Ann (Beard) Shipman, her father a native of Pennsylvania, her mother 
a native of Franklin county, Ohio. The children of Benjamin Franklin 
and Katurah (Shipman) Williams were born in the order in which they are 
here named : Harry, who lives in Norwich township, married Bertha Wil- 
cox, and has three children, — Oral, Ida May and Mary Belle. Benjamin, 
who lives on his own farm, married Amanda Davidson and has a son named 
Irwin. George E. lives in Clinton township, married Sarah Johnson and 
has two children, — Everett and Guy. Lena died in infancy. Charles died 
in childhood. Sumner and Ina Belle are members of their father's house- 
hold. Carrie and Ettie are both deceased. 

Mr. Williams is a self-made man who richly deserves the success he 
has achieved, and his public spirit and generous disposition make him a help- 
ful citizen who may always be safely depended upon to assist every worthy 
public movement. 

DAVID BINNS. 

David Binns, whose name introduces this review, is a prominent resident 
of Franklin county, Franklin township, Ohio, having resided on his present 
well cultivated farm near Columbus since 1872. He was born in Fayette 
county, Pennsylvania, February 18, 1837, and was a son of William Binns, 
a native of England, who was born there February 18, 1807, and came to 
America about the year 181 2, locating in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. His 
father, David Binns, was a native of Yorkshire, England, where he married 
and then came to the United States, settling in Brownsville, Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, and some years later moved to Harrison county, Ohio, where 
he died at a good old age. William Binns was reared in Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, and there married Miss Ruth Gibson, a Virginian by birth. 
She was a daughter of Amos Gibson, an old settler in Pennsylvania, also a 
native of Virginia. Mrs. Binns lived to the age of seventy-six years, dying 
at her home in Franklin township, where the family settled about 1872. A 
family of thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. William Binns, and 
four members of this family are still living. Mr. William Binns, the father, 
died at the age of eighty years. 

David Binns, the subject of this review, was about five years of age 
when he was taken to Harrison county, Ohio, and received there his educa- 
tion in the primitive schools of the time. According to the general usage of 
the locality he remained with his parents until he reached his majority, when 
he went to Wayne county, Indiana, and engaged in teaching penmanship, 
remaining in that locality for two years, upon the expiration of which time 
he returned to Harrison county and began to teach school in the neighborhood 
of his home. His grandfather had entered some land in Hardin county, and 
there David Binns spent eight busy years in the lumber business, conducting 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i8i 

a sawmill. In 1872 Mr. Binns came to Franklin township and settled upon 
his present farm, where he immediately proceeded to build and make im- 
provements. He then entered upon a successful career as farmer and dairy- 
man, which occupation he still continues. 

'in 1867 Miss Esther Gilbert, the daughter of Hammond Gilbert, of 
Hardin county, Ohio, became the wife of Mr. Binns, but her death occurred 
a few years later, leaving two children — John, deceased, and Vienna, who mar- 
ried Thomas Biddle, of Columbus. In 1877 ^I^. Binns married Miss Medora 
E. Bigelow, a native of Plain City, Madison county, Ohio, the daughter of 
Timothy and Hannah (Marshall) Bigelow, who were old residents of Madi- 
son county. Mr. and Mrs. Binns are the parents of five children: Henry 
G., who is in the employ of the Norfolk & Western Railroad; Walter B., Em- 
mett H., Mary E. and Allen Jay, deceased, all of whom have received good 
educational advantages, the older ones being graduates. 

Mr. Binns is a Friend in his religious belief, as was his honored father 
and grandfather, but takes a great interest in public affairs, although not in 
favor of unnecessary strife. He is a Republican in politics, and has held 
many positions of authority in the township. He has been justice of the 
peace, and for nine years belonged to the school board. He has placed his 
farm of sixty-eight and a half acres in a fine state of cultivation, and his 
surroundings show the peace and prosperity his life of honest endeavor have 
made possible, 

JAMES W. BARBEE. 

James W, Barbee is one of the most prominent and is also one of the 
oldest residents of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio, and was born 
in Culpeper county, Virginia, May i, 1817. He was a son of Owen Thomas 
Barbee, a native of Fauquier county, Virginia, who came to Franklin county 
very early and remained here until his death, when he was eighty-nine years 
old. His father was Joseph Barbee, of English parentage. The mother 
of our subject was of German descent, and was in her maidenhood Miss Mary 
Whitley. She died at the home of James Barbee Decemiber i, 1854. 

James W. Barbee was the third in a family of nine children. He came 
with his father to Franklin county in 1831, being at that time thirteen years 
of age. He was sent to the common school of the district, then held in the 
log cabin so well remembered by the pioneers of every state, and gained the 
education possible under the circumstances. Until he was twenty-three years 
old he remained with his father, and then started out to meet the world for 
himself. He engaged in hauling stone, a large part of it being for the erec- 
tion of the state house in Columbus, and also a part of his work was put upon 
the national pike road. His wages were sometimes thirty cents a day. To 
modern minds this seems a very small compensation, but in forty years, from 
that beginning, our subject has accumulated a fortune and is now one of the 



i82 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

wealthiest men of Franklin township. Ordinary hardships did not dismay 
Mr. Barbee, for he cleared a farm in Norwich township, where he first located. 
In 1868 he moved to his present home and proceeded to do the same task in 
Franklin township, where he now resides. This tract of one hundred and 
fifty-five acres he bought for seventy dollars an acre, selling forty acres not 
long since for four hundred dollars per acre, an increase partly explained by 
the state of cultivation to which Mr. Barbee had broughl it in the interven- 
ing years. 

The marriage of Mr. Barbee took place December 8, 1842, to Miss 
Lucinda Keller, who was born in Franklin township December 22, 1823, a 
daughter of Jacob Keller, a native of Pennsylvania, and one of the early set- 
tlers of Ohio. Her mother, formerly Mary Rossman, was a native of New 
York, and had been previously married to Dr. John Ball, and they had five 
children. Five children were also born of her second marriage, of whom 
only Mrs. Barbee and her brother Henry are the survivors. She was reared 
in Franklin county and enjoyed the best educational advantages possible at 
the time in that locality. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Barbee eleven children were 
born: Owen; Thomas; Mary; Eliza; Melville, the wife of J. S. Briton, of 
Columbus ; Alice ; Florence, deceased ; Lucinda, deceased ; James, who mar- 
ried Helen Legg; Minnie, the wafe of C. M. Rogers, of Columbus; and Laura. 

Mr. Barbee has been a very prominent Democrat, and has been called 
upon to occupy many positions of local importance. In 1850 he was elected 
the coroner of the county and held the position for two years; was county 
commissioner for six years in succession, being elected before the war of the 
Rebellion and held the position at the breaking out of hostilities. For eight 
years he was a constable, for ten years was assessor and often has been town- 
ship trustee, filling all of these offices to the entire satisfaction of the com- 
munity. Both he and his family are members of the Christian Union church, 
where they are appreciated and have hosts of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Barbee 
have spent almost fifty-nine years of happy married life, which. they fittingly 
celebrated December 8, 1892. 

LYMAN H. INNIS. 

A well known and prominent member of the bar of the city of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, is Lyman H. Innis, who was born upon a farm in this county' 
July 16, 1871, and is a son of Robert and Sarah (Longman) Innis, a sketch 
of the family appearing on another page of this volume. 

When a small child Mr. Innis removed with his parents from the farm 
to the city of Columbus, where he attended the excellent schools and pre- 
pared for college, entering later the Ohio State University in that city, at 
which he graduated in 1893, taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Mr. 
Innis took a course of study in the law department at the University, which 
was completed in 1875, and was admitted to the bar before he took his de- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 183 

gree of LL. C. He then entered into the practice of his profession with 
John J. Stoddard, with whom he is still associated. He has met with signal 
success and has become well known in the courts of the city of Columbus. 

Mr. Innis was united in marriage in June, 1895. to Miss Belto Osman, 
of Chicago, Illinois, and their union has been blessed with one son, Alwyn 
O. Innis. 

Politically Mr. Innis is a Democrat, taking a great interest in the affairs 
of his party and never sparing himself when laboring for its best interests. 
His many friends find in him a stanch advocate where their well-being is 
concerned. He is socially connected with the Knights of Pythias organiza- 
tion and is also a member of the Phi Delta Phi Society of the Ohio State 
University. 

DANIEL O. ROBERTS. 

Daniel O. Roberts was a well-known farmer of Norwich township, and 
in his death the community lost a citizen of sterling worth. He was born in 
Norwich township in 1848, and was reared as a farmer boy, early becoming 
familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. 
The occupation to which he was reared he made his life work. He inherited 
a part of his farm from his uncle, Daniel Roberts, and he placed his land 
under a high state of cultivation, adding many improvements which enhanced 
the value and attractive appearance of the place. 

On the 2 1 St of January, 1875, Mr. Roberts was united in marriage to 
Miss Minnie Moore, who was born in Union county March 7, 1854, a daugh- 
ter of Alpheus and Cynthia Ann (White) Moore. She was reared to woman- 
hood in her native township, and pursued her education in the common 
schools. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts began their domestic life upon a farm, and 
at his death our subject left to his wife and son a comfortable property. He 
was a member of the Universalist church, and in politics was a stalwart Re- 
publican, strongly adhering to the principles of his party. He was contin- 
ually in office, and for many years filled the position of trustee, discharging 
his duties promptly and faithfully. He died July 22, 1892, leaving to his 
family an untarnished name. 

William M. Roberts, his only son, was born December 19. 1876. and his 
elementary education, acquired in the district schools, was supplemented by 
study in the Hilliard's high school and in a business college at Columbus, 
where he remained for two terms. He then accepted a position as book- 
keeper for the Eaton Machine Company, of the capital city, but later returned 
to the farm and has since devoted his time and attention to its' improvement, 
the fields being under a high state of cultivation, yielding a golden return for 
his labor. He and his mother have a very pleasant home and enioy the 
warm regard of many friends in the community. In politics ]\Ir. Roberts 
is a Republican, and in the success and welfare of his party he feels a deep 
interest. 



i84 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

JUDGE T. B. GALLOWAY. 

There is no other element which comes into such close touch with Amer- 
ican people and which affects every individual as does the public policy of the 
nation. The man of mature judgment, of keen insight into public affairs 
and of strong mentality realizes the responsibility which rests upon the citi- 
zen upon whom has been conferred the right of franchise and who thus gives 
his support or opposition to measures which affect either the weal or woe of 
the entire nation. It is a matter for just pride therefore when one becomes 
recognized as a leader along political lines, and to such a position Judge 
Galloway has attained, standing foremost among those who give their efforts 
to the advancement of Republican principles. He is a lawyer of pronounced 
ability, of keen analytical mind and in his chosen profession he has won 
creditable prominence. 

The name of Galloway has long been actively associated with the public 
affairs of Ohio, and the Judge has spent his entire life in Columbus, where 
his birth occurred on the 13th of October, 1863. His father, Samuel Gallo- 
way, was an eminent citizen of Franklin county, born in Gettysburg, Penn- 
sylvania, March 20, 181 1, in a house which is still standing and which, in 
1863, was occupied as a hospital. He was educated in the public schools of 
Gettysburg. About 1828, after his father died, the family removed to Green- 
field, Highland county, and he continued his studies in the Miami University, 
at Oxford, where he was graduated in 1883. He took up the study of law 
in Hillsboro, but discontinued this, spending one year as a theological student 
in Princeton, and in the year 1835 was a professor of Greek in the Miami 
University. Ill health then forced him to resign. Later he engaged in teach- 
ing in Springfield, Ohio, and at South Hanover College in Indiana, where 
for two or three years he was a professor of classical languages. Resuming 
the study of law, he began practice in 1842 and a year later became a partner 
of Nathaniel Massie, of Chillicothe. 

In 1844 he was elected by the state legislature to the office of secretary 
of state and removed to Columbus, where he thenceforth made his home. 
He was a prominent factor in politics and belonged to the anti-slavery wing 
of the Whig party. In 1848 he was a delegate to the convention held in 
Philadelphia which nominated Taylor and Fillmore, and a speech which he 
made on that occasion was long remembered for its thrilling eloquence. In 
1854 Mr. Galloway represented his district in the notable thirty-fourth con- 
gress, when the reaction against the encroachments of the slave power had 
fully set in at the north, and the Whig party, on account of its complicity with 
slavery, had been practically annihilated, the great majority of the members 
returning from the northern states pledged to resist the further extension of 
the evil. Congress assembled on December 3d, but the house was not organ- 
ized until February 3d, when Nathaniel P. Banks was chosen the speaker, 
on the one hundred and thirty-third ballot. At midnight on February 2d 




TOD B. GALLOWAY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 185 

Mr. Galloway was aroused from his sleep and summoned to a conference 
which lasted until daybreak. Mr. Banks was the first anti-slavery member 
ever chosen as speaker of the house. Mr. Galloway took an active part in the 
deliberations of this congress and made at least one very trenchant speech 
upon the contested election case from the territory of Kansas. It was full 
of the keenest satire and the most vigorous argument. The political feeling 
in the district was strongly against Mr. Galloway during the next campaign, 
and upon his second candidacy for congress was defeated by Samuel S. Cox. 

On July 13, 1855, a convention was held in the old Town Street Meth- 
odist church in Columbus, attended by delegates from all over Ohio, rep- 
resenting anti-Nebraska elements and presided over by John Sherman. Mr. 
Galloway was one of the delegates at that convention and aided in framing 
the resolutions which gave the name of "Republican" to thejiew party. And 
this date, the sixty-seventh anniversary of the adopting of the ordinance of 
1787, containing the prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory, marks 
the birth of the Republican party. This convention nominated Salmon P. 
Chase for governor, and he w^as elected in the November following. On 
July 18, 1855, a meeting was held in the city hall to ratify the convention of 
the 13th, and the principal speakers on that occasion were Mr. Galloway, 
Henry C. Noble and George M. Parsons. For a few years following Mr. 
Galloway practiced his profession in Columbus, besides which he w^as actively 
engaged in all religious and philanthropic work, and it was less than two 
years after he left congress that Mr. Lincoln was engaged in his great debate 
with Mr. Douglas ; and there is a letter from the former asking Mr. Galloway 
to come over to Illinois and help him in that compaign. In 1861 President 
Lincoln summoned him to Washington and made him offers of responsible 
positions, all of which he refused, contenting himself with the office of judge 
advocate at Camp Chase. 

During the war the services rendered to the Federal cause by J\Ir. Gallo- 
u'ay were many and constant, although he was unable to undertake military 
duty on account of his ill health, and his eloquence contributed as much as 
that of any other man to inspire people with patriotic ardor and to keep the 
quota of Ohio always full. After the close of hostilities his professional 
duties and business cares kept him busy in Columbus, but he w-as always ready 
for public duties ; and it is probable that few men have rendered a larger 
amount of unrequited service to their party than has Mr. Galloway, and it 
was not unnatural that he should expect some recognition of this indebtedness. 
In 1871 he became a candidate for gubernatorial nomination, and his defeat 
in the convention was a disappointment from which he never recovered. His 
health almost entirely forsook him, and although he sought relief in trayel it 
was in vain, and at last he came home to die. He was at one time a member 
of the First Presbyterian church, in the councils of which he was an acknowl- 
edged leader, was more than once a commissioner to the general assemblv. 
and in the final reunion of the old and new school bodies he bore an important 



1 86 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

part. But when the Westminster church was formed he, perhaps, more than 
anybody else, was the moving spirit, and his loyal love and service were given 
to that church until his death. 

Mr. Galloway was deeply interested in educational matters, and when he 
came to Columbus in 1844, as the secretary of state, that officer was also, 
ex officio, superintendent of schools, and he took hold of the interest of public 
schools with vigor and enthusiasm. The secretary of state who had preceded 
him had given three or four pages to that department, while Mr. Galloway 
gave to his first report twenty pages, to his second thirty-two and to his 
third fifty-six, all of which were full of facts gathered with the greatest indus- 
try and patience. Illiterate teachers and slipshod methods w^ere severely 
criticised and within ten years from the time Mr. Galloway began his agita- 
tion the public-school system of Ohio was revolutionized and the schools 
compared favorably with those of any other state. 

Personally the character of Mr. Galloway was of a most admirable kind. 
He was a genial and agreeable companion, a kind neighbor, possessing gen- 
erous impulses and true compassion, a loyal and self-denying helper of the 
church, a stout champion of the freedom of the slave and of the unity of the 
nation, and a great friend of the free school. His death, which occurred 
April 5, 1872, was mourned not only by his family but also by hosts of friends, 
and the state of Ohio suffered a loss that was irreparable. 

A son of one of the renowned citizens of Columbus, Tod 13. Galloway 
entered a profession where family connection, inheritance or influence are of 
little or of no avail, for in the law success must depend upon individual effort 
and personal merit. His childhood' days were passed quietly in his native 
city, his time being largely spent in the public schools until he took up the 
more advanced studies in Amherst College, of Amherst, Massachusetts, where 
he was graduated with honors in the class of 1885. On his return to Colum- 
bus he began preparation for his life work as a student in the law office of 
the firm of Nash & Lentz, the senior partner. Judge Nash, being his preceptor. 
When he had become familiar with many of the fundamental principles of 
jurisprudence and had gained considerable knowledge of statutory law, he 
was admitted to the bar in 1888 and entered into partnership relations with 
the former firm, in whose office he had previously been a student. He .was 
thus associated until 1896, when he became the candidate for the office of 
probate judge of Franklin county, winning the election by a very gratifying 
majority, as he ran far ahead of his ticket, a fact which stand's in unmis- 
takable evidence of the confidence reposed in him and of his personal popu- 
larity among the people amidst whom his entire life has been passed. 

Political questions have always been of deep interest to Judge Gallo- 
way, and few men are better informed on the issues of the day than he. 
Since age won for him the right of franchise he has labored untiringly for 
the growth and success of his party, and in 1893 his fitness for leadership 
was recognized by his election to the office of chairman of the Republican 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 187 

county executive committee. Devoting all his time during that campaign to 
public work in the interest of the cause he espoused, it was due in a large 
measure to his earnest and well directed labors that every candidate on the 
ticket in the county was elected for the first time in the history of the party. 
In 1893-4 he served as an alderman of Columbus and gave his co-operation 
to every movement calculated to secure the advancement of the city along 
substantial lines of progress. He has been the president of the Buckeye 
Club and is connected with various public and charitable institutions. His 
administration of the office of judge of the probate court w^on him high com- 
mendation from his brethren at the bar as well as from the public. Future 
successes in the law and in politics may safely be predicted for him, as there 
is always opportunity for men of ability and discrimination to win advance- 
ment in every line. 

JAMES U. BARNHILL, M. D. 

In a brief sketch of any living citizen it is difficult to do him exact and 
impartial justice — not so much, however, from lack of space or words to set 
forth the familiar and passing events of his personal history as for want of 
the perfect and rounded conception of his whole life, which grows, develops 
and ripens, like fruit, to disclose its true and best flavor only when it is mel- 
lowed by time. Daily contact with the man so familiarizes us with his many 
virtues that we ordinarily overlook them and commonly underestimate their 
possessor. Nevertheless, while the man passes away his deeds of virtue live 
on and will in due time bear fruit and do him the justice which our pen fails 
to record. 

One of the most distinguished representatives of the medical fraternity, 
Dr. Barnhill, has attained prominence not only by reason of his skill as a prac- 
titioner, but also on account of his marked ability as an educator in the de- 
partment of medical science. He has carried his investigations far and wide 
into the realm of medical knowledge and he has led the w^ay into new and 
untried fields wherein his gleanings have proven of special benefit to mankind. 

Dr. Barnhill was born October 22, 1853, on a farm near Wattsville, 
Carroll county, Ohio, and was the fifth child born unto Rev. Williamson and 
Catherine (Dennis) Barnhill. The blood of Scotch, Irish and English 
ancestors flows in his veins and many of the characteristics of those people 
are manifest in his character. His grandprents, Robert and Elizabeth 
(Carter) Barnhill, joined a company of brave pioneer people who left their 
homes in Baltimore, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania to establish a 
settlement at what is now Bacon Ridge, Jefferson county, Ohio. This was 
two years before the admission of the state into the Union. Its lands \vere 
in their primitive condition, the forests uncut, the prairies uncultivated, and 
through the wooded avenues the Indians stalked in motley garb, having full 
dominion over the wild game then so plentiful. The Barnhills bore an active 



188 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

part in reclaiming their section of the state for purposes of civihzation, and 
the grandfather of onr subject was numbered among the loyal defenders of 
the nation in the war of 1812, thus following the example of his ancestor, 
James Hall, who was a hero of the Revolution. The maternal ancestor of 
-our subject was also represented in the war for independence by James and 
John Dennis. 

The Doctor spent his boyhood days upon the home farm, learning many 
lessons from nature and at the same time mastering the elementary branches 
of English knowledge in the district school. Later he became a student in 
the Napoleon high school. His father died in 1868, when the son was fifteen 
years of age, and for two years he was thrown largely upon his own re- 
sources. The necessity for self-help early brought forth the elementary 
strength of his character, which developed and grew with the passing years 
and enabled him to press forward on the highway to prosperity where many 
another falters by the wayside. In his seventeenth year he was employed 
as a teacher in the Barnhil'l school, in his home district in Henry county, and 
he was afterward a teacher in the village school in Canaan, Wayne county, 
and the adjacent district school. The desire for learning led him to prepare 
for college in the Canaan Academy, under the direction of Professor Wirts 
Reese, A. B., and Rev. J. W. Cummins, A. ]M., of Wooster. In 1876 he was 
graduated at the National Normal University, atLebanon, and is a matricu- 
late in the post-graduate course of the University of Wooster. For four years 
he was the superintendent of the Holgate public schools, resigning that po- 
sition to enter medical college. He read medicine under the direction of 
J. J. Stees, ^l. D., of Holgate, a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, and 
was graduated in 1883 at the Columbus ^ledical College, since which time 
he has been engaged in the successful practice of his profession in this city. 
Two months after his graduation he was appointed assistant to the chair of 
materia medica in his alma mater, and his previous experience as a teacher well 
qualified him for the duties which therein devolved upon him. Three years 
later he was made adjunct professor of materia medica, therapeutics and tox- 
icology; in 1891 he was appointed to the 'full professorship of the same chair 
and was made secretary of the faculty and physician to Mount Carmel Hos- 
pital. He has the ability to impart clearly, correctly and concisely to others 
the knowledge he has acquired, and is peculiarly successful m his educational 
labors. From 1892 to 1897 he was professor of mental and nervous diseases 
and clinical neurology, since which time he has filled the chair of obstetrics 
and clinical obstetrics in the Ohio Medical University. He was the secretary 
of the medical faculty from 1892 to 1897, and has been vice chancellor since 
that time. He is also surgeon to the Columbus Hospital for Women; 
obstetrician to the Protestant Hospital ; a member of the Academy of ]Medi- 
cine ; and also holds membership in the Central Ohio ]\Iedical Society and the 
American Medical Association. He is a valued contributor to various medi- 
cal publications, is a member of the Columbus Publishing Company and editor 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 189 

of the Columbus Medical Journal. During the administration of President 
Harrison he served as one of the United States examining surgeons for pen- 
sions also as the secretary of the board and holds the same position under 
President McKinley. 

Dr. Barnhill is a man of broad mind, of liberal culture and of humani- 
tarian principles. He takes an active interest in public affairs, especially along- 
the line of educational advancement. He served for two terms on the board 
of education and for one term was its president. He drafted the plan for 
the oro-anization of the normal school on its present successful basis; was 
active in securing a public-school library building; in establishing vital re- 
lations between the library and schools; and in adjusting the high school 
curriculum to college courses of study. The article which he prepared on 
the Columbus schools, embodied in Captain Lee's history of Columlxis, is a 
valuable contribution to the educational annals of Ohio. 

On the 8th of October, 1879. Dr. Barnhill was united in marriage to 
]\Iiss Bianca Jane Reese, a daughter of Rush and Matilda (Freeman) Reese, 
of \\'ooster. She was educated in the public schools and Canaan Academy 
and Oberlin College, and for three years was a teacher in the grammar grades 
of the Holgate schools. Two children grace the home of the Doctor and 
his wife — Eva Annetta and Helen Bianca. The parents are members of the 
First Congregational church of the city, and occupy an enviable position in 
social circles where true worth and intelligence are received as passports into 
good society. 

At this point it would be almost tautological to enter inti3 any series 
of statements as showing the Doctor to be a man of broad intelligence and 
genuine public spirit, for these have been shadowed forth between the lines 
of this review. Strong in his individuality, he never lacks the courage of his 
convictions, but there are as dominating elements in this individuality a lively 
human sympathy and an abiding charity, which.as taken in connection with 
the sterling integrity and honor of his character, have naturally gained to him 
the respect and confidence of men. 

■ JOHN KXOX. 

The value of a life well spent is appreciated by a man who has lived it 
when he retires from an active career and considers the esteem in which he 
is held by his fellow men. The well known citizen of Westerville, Franklin 
county, Ohio, whose name is above, has no disappointment in this connec- 
tion, for those who know best how he has attained success in life are en- 
thusiastic in the belief that he richly deserves every good thing which he 
possesses. 

Mr. Knox was born in Frederick county, IMaryland, May 7, 1 821, son 
of W'illiam Knox, a native of Leesbure, Vireinia. \Mlliam Knox's father 
died when he was a voung child, and his mother contracting a second mar- 



190 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

riage, the family moved from Leesbiirg to Maryland, where William was 
apprenticed to a' blacksmith and learned the trade. In early life he married 
Mary Gertrude Freidinger, a native of Maryland, who was ever prominent 
in the Methodist Episcopal church,' where her husband was for many years 
a class-leader. William Knox was an active Democrat, served long as a 
justice of the peace, and was always honored for his stanch principles. He 
was the proprietor of a hotel in Burkittsville, Frederick county, Maryland, 
until 1842, when he caught the migratory fever and started westward with 
his family. He located for some time in Circleville, Pickaway county, Ohio, 
then tried several towns in the northern part of the state, remaining but a 
short time in each place. He then journeyed farther westward, settling for 
some time in Illinois. He finally returned to Columbus, where he was en- 
gaged in farming until several years before his death, which occurred in his 
eightieth year. His wife also died in Columbus, in 1873. 

William and Mary (Freidinger) Knox had eight children, of whom the 
subject of this sketch is the eldest. All of these except one were born in 
Maryland. Two are dead — Alary, who was unmarried, and Rebecca, who was 
the wife of Isaac Ely and spent the greater part of her married life in Paris, 
Illinois. Joseph F. is a resident of Westerville, Ohio. William and Thomas 
have retired and are living in Columbus, Ohio. Lewis is a resident of Chi- 
cago, Illinois, and has also retired from active life. Harriet is the wife of 
Andrew Dobbie, a merchant of Columbus. 

In his youth Mr. Knox, the subject of this sketch, learned the black- 
smith trade, and after his marriage to Sarah Johnson, of Circleville, he moved 
to Tiffin, Ohio, wdiere he conducted a shop and engaged in various enterprises 
by which he accumulated some little capital. He soon turned his attention, 
as a contractor, to the construction of plank roads which terminated at Tiffin, 
Fremont, Fostoria and other smaller towns. For a time he lived at Fort 
Seneca and was engaged as a member of the Seneca Company in the manufac- 
ture of plow'S, a venture wdiich proved successful. At the latter place his 
wife died, at the early age of tw^enty-four, leaving- three children, of whom 
only one is living — Mary A., the wife of Andrew J. W^illoughby, principal 
in the public schools of Dayton, Ohio. 

]\Ir. Knox built the first plank road in Franklin county, from Columbus 
north to the county line near Westerville. He moved to Westerville in 1852 
and engaged in farming. Two years later he became manager of an ex- 
tensive grist and sawmill. His career from that time until his retirement 
has been that of a general business man. He has several times established 
himself as a merchant, has bought and sold town property extensively, besides 
dealing on a considerable scale in wheat and live stock. For eighteen vears 
Mr. Knox was treasurer of the People's Mutual Benefit Association, whose 
offices at that time were- located in \\'esterville. He laid out two additions 
to the town, and was one of the builders of the first brick block there. For 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 191 

a time he was the proprietor of a hotel and owned hack and stage hnes from 
Cohimbus to Westerville and Sunbury. 

Mr. Knox's second wife was Susan Berkey, of Seneca county, who died 
when about thirty-seven, leaving four children. Joseph J. is a lumber dealer 
of Westerville and Columbus. Letitia is the wife of Oscar Rowe, of Colum- 
bus. William Otterbein is engaged in farming near Westerville, and Frank 
E. is connected with railroading in Columbus. Mr. Knox's present wife 
was Miss Rebecca Shauck, of Morrow county, Ohio. Their only child, 
Nellie Shauck, is the wife of Professor Frank E. Miller, of Otterbein Uni- 
versity. 

In the institution just mentioned Mr. Knox has long taken a deep in- 
terest and has in many ways aided in its maintenance and advancement. At 
one time when Otterbein was crippled by enormous debt, he originated a plan 
to secure donations, which brought the institution eighty-five thousand dol- 
lars without any outlay to the college, and his own contributions were very 
liberal. 

Politically Mr. Knox is a Democrat. He has filled the office of justice 
of the peace, has been a member of the city council, and was for some years 
a member of the school board. Since boyhood he'lias been identified with 
the church of the United Brethren in Christ, and for many years has been 
prominent in its work, having passed up to the general conference as lay 
delegate, besides holding many subordinate positions in the service of the 
church. 

Going back to Mr. Knox's ancestors, a noticeable characteristic, both on 
the maternal and paternal sides, was the strong religious tendency. In the 
paternal line, Mr. Knox's grandfather, Thomas Knox, was a man of sterling 
principles and deep religious fervor. Descending from Scotch ancestors 
who fled from the mother country to the north of Ireland during the persecu- 
tions, his high moral character was the natural inheritance of a people suffer- 
ing tribulations and hardships for the sake of peace and religion. 

Thomas Knox was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, about 1770. and 
while yet a young man his noble character attracted the admiration of youth- 
ful Lady Letitia Parker, of the adjoining county, Antrim. Though her 
parents opposed the intimacy of the young people for reasons of a difference 
in station, true worth finally prevailed, and Thomas Knox won Lady Letitia 
for his bride. After their marriage they lived several years in Ireland, where 
Joseph was born. In 1796 they embarked for America, a daughter being 
born to them on the ocean. They settled in Leesburg, Virginia, where Will- 
iam (John Knox's father) was born and where Thomas died. 

Going still farther back, on the maternal side, was Mr. Knox's great- 
grandfather. Christian Kemp, who, with three brothers, John Conrad, Gilbert 
and Frederick (under sixteen), sailed froni_ Rotterdam for America in the 
iship "Samuel." August 27, 1733. They settled' in Frederick county. Mary- 
land, where they and their sons became prominent in the political affairs of 



192 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

the colony and were founders of churches and Sunday schools. Some by 
thrift and industry, and others by land grants, became large landowners and 
established their estates. 

Christian Kemp had eight children. Of these, the two youngest, Susan- 
nah and Esther, were bequeathed a plantation in Frederick county, where 
they resided together, their place being described in Maryland history (west- 
ern) as "The Two Sisters." They, like their father, were devout church 
workers. Esther was married in 1796 to Nicholas Freidinger, a youth who 
had come to America from Germany two years previously. Nicholas and 
Esther (Kemp) Freidinger were the grandparents of John Knox. 

And again, on the Freidinger side were deep religious inclinations. 
Nicholas Freidinger was born in 1769, in oberamt Zweibrucken, in Verk- 
heim on the Briest, Germany, and came to America in 1794. Diplomas and 
papers of recommendation which he brought from Hamburg describe him as 
a man of pious nature and high moral character. 

Such were the ancestors of John Knox, whose long, successful life has 
been the result of those only methods satisfactory to old age — honesty and 
piety. 

JOHN CUMMINS. 

The middle portion of the nineteenth century may properly be termed 
the age of utility, especially in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. The vast 
regions comprised within those portions of the country were but then opened 
up to civilization, and the honored pioneers who found homes in this fertile 
but undeveloped region were men who had to contend with the trials and 
difificulties of pioneer life. Theirs were lives of toil. They were endeavor- 
ing to make homes, to cultivate farms, to establish business enterprises, and 
often from early youth to old age their lot was one of labor; but their im- 
portance to the community cannot be overestimated, and the comforts and 
luxuries which we to-day enjoy we largely owe to the brave band of pioneer 
men and women who came to the west during its primitive condition. It is 
also encouraging and interesting to note that many who came here empty- 
handed worked their way upward from a humble position in life to one of 
affluence ; that as the years passed and the country improved prosperity at- 
tended their efforts and wealth rewarded their earnest endeavors. 

The Cumminses' were among those who became active in the development 
of Ohio, and the subject of this review is numbered among the worthy repre- 
sentatives of an honored pioneer family. He was born in Pickaway county 
on the old family homestead, December 14, 1828, and traces his ancestors 
back to the Emerald Isle, whence his great-grandfather, a native of Ireland, 
crossed the Atlantic to Virginia, there spending the remainder of his days. 
Wilham Cummins, the grandfather of our subject, when a youth came with 
his parents to America, the family taking up their abode in Virginia, and in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i93 

the Old Dominion he remained throughout his life. William Cummins, the 
father, was born in Fairfax county, Virginia, and was reared on a farm, his 
educational privileges being very limited. He was married in his native 
state to Miss Mary Myers, a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, and in 1816 
he came with his wife to Ohio, the trip westward constituting their bridal 
tour. The journey was made by wagon, and on reaching Pickaway county 
they first settled in Harrison township upon a tract of wild land of 
one hundred and forty acres. ]\Ir. Cummins then cleared a small portion and 
erected thereon a log cabin, after which he continued to work and improve 
his farm, becoming one of the enterprising agriculturists of that locality 
until his life's labors were ended in death. His wife also died in Pickaway 
county. In politics he was a Democrat, and both he and his wife were mem- 
bers of the United Brethren church. This worthy couple were the parents 
of eight children : Sydney, who died in Pickaway county ; Mary, the wife 
of J. ]\I. Spindler, of the same county; George F., of Columbus; William, of 
Franklin county; John, of this review; James, who died in Galloway; Frances 
INIarion, of Decatur county, Iowa; and Edward, who is living in Galloway, 
Ohio. 

Amid the wild scenes of the frontier John Cummins was reared on a 
farm in Pickaway county and received his education in a log schoolhouse, 
his first teacher being Mr. Harper, who believed firmly in the old adage, "to 
spare the rod was to spoil the child." He entered heartily into ,the arduous 
task of developing the home farm, in grubbing up the stumps, splitting rails, 
plowing and planting, carrying on the work after the primitive manner of 
those days when improved machinery for the purpose was unknown. 

In Pickaway county in 1853 Mr. Cummins was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary Ellen May, a daughter of Charles May. She was born in that 
county April 24, 1830, and as a bride was taken to the home of her husband's 
father, where the young couple remained for a year. Mr. Cummins then 
purchased a small tract of land at the edge of Madison township in Pickaway 
county, where they lived for a few years, after which he rented a farm in 
\\'alnut township for several years. In November_^ 1859- however, he came 
to Pleasant township. Franklin county, locating upon a farm now owned by 
his son, J. F. Cummins. It was then but little improved, and with character- 
istic energy he began the work of its further development. He first owned 
one hundred and thirty acres and afterward purchased forty acres adjoining 
the first tract on the west. Later he bought sixty-three acres of D. B. Peters 
and sold the forty-acre tract, and afterward he bought seventy-seven acres 
of Mr. Peters. By his' next purchase he became the owner of seventy-seven 
acres of his present farm, upon which he took up his abode, ultimately adding 
to it fourteen acres and eighteen acres at different times. He now has fine 
farming land, having, however, sold a portion of his realty, while to his son, 
J. F. Cummins, he gave seventy-two acres, to his son George Edward sixty- 
three acres and to his daughter, Mrs. Marv E. O'Harra, seventv-seven acres. 



194 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Four children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Cummins, who are yet 
living, namely: James Francis, George Edward, Mary E., and John, the 
last named residing upon the farm with his parents. One daughter, Martha 
Alice, and two sons, William and Chester, have passed away. Mr. Cummins 
is strictly a self-made man, who owes all that he possesses to his own efforts 
and to the able assistance of his estimable wife. They are people of gen- 
uine worth, holding membership in the United Brethren church, of which 
Mr. Cummins has served as trustee for many years. In politics he is a stal- 
wart Republican, has filled the offices of township trustee and treasurer and 
has been a member of the school board. To those at all familiar with his 
record it is; needless to say that his duties have ever been faithfully and 
promptly performed, for he is a man who in every relation of life has been 
found loyal and true to the trust reposed in him. 

GEORGE K. LEONARD. 

The work of an educator requires peculiar talent and ability. Many 
men are learned, but lack the power of imparting their knowledge to others. 
There are certain essential elements in the make-up of every successful in- 
structor. These include a ready understanding of human nature, a deep sym- 
pathy with the individual, a comprehensive mastery of the subjects under 
discussion, and a clearness and readiness of expression not surpassed by the 
minister in the pulpit or the lawyer before the court. Well qualified in all 
these, Professor George Kasper Leonard occupies a position of distinction 
in connection with educational interests in Columbus, now occupying a chair 
in the Capital University of this city. 

Professor Leonard was born in Augusta county, Virginia, February 20, 
1847, ^"d his youth was passed upon a plantation. His father was John 
Leonard, his grandfather George Leonard. The latter was born in Switzer- 
land and in colonial days crossed the Atlantic to the new world with his 
parents, the family locating in Berks county, Pennsylvania. He was only 
two years of age when the family came to the United States, and after the 
Revolution he removed to the Old Dominion. At the time of the Revolu- 
tionary war he responded to the call of the colonists to aid in the establish- 
ment of the American independence, and served under the immediate com- 
mand of General Lee as a member of the Light Horse Regiment. After 
the war he married Susannah Wenrich and became the owner of a plantation 
in Augusta county, Virginia, in 1797, devoting his energies to agricultural 
pursuits until his death, which occurred at the old home in 1837. His wife 
also died on the old Virginia plantation in 1849. 

John Leonard, the father of our subject, was born in 1802 and was the 
ninth of a family of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. About 
the year 1825 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Harner, and, follow- 
ing in the business footsteps of his father, he became connected with agri- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i95 

cultural interests, dying at the old home in the state of his nativity hi the 
year 1877. His widow died in Virginia in 1891, and with the exception of 
Professor Leonard all of the children are residing at or near the old home, 
which is located in the Shenandoah yalley, in that district made famous by 
the great battles of the Civil war. Of the children, Rebecca died in 1849, 
and "one son, William, died in infancy. The others are: Jacob H., John 
F., Martin Luther, David E., Susan F., George K., James M. and Mary E. 
Three of the sons were soldiers in the First Virginia Confederate Cavalry, 
and one served under John Mosby in the Civil war, while the subject of this 
sketch remained at home, the chief hand upon the farm, but was compelled 
to be a refugee three times. • 1 1 • 

Professor Leonard, whose name introduces this record, acquired his 
earlv education in the country schools of Virginia, under the old system of 
education which prevailed in that state at the time. After the cessation of 
hostilities between the north and the south he spent about two years upon_ a 
farm in his native state, and in 1869 he went to Woodford county, Illinois, 
where he engaged in farming for three years. He afterward entered the 
State Normal University, where he continued his studies for four years in 
that institution. On the completion of his course he began teaching in Illi- 
nois, following that profession for two years, and in 1877 he came to Colum- 
bus.' Not content with the educational privileges he had already enjoyed, he 
entered the Capitol University and was graduated in 1880. Again he went 
to the west and taught school, but returned, at the beginning of 1883, to 
accept the chair which he now occupies and which he has held for the past 
seventeen years. 

Professor Leonard was married in 1892 to ^liss Mary ^largaret Hanger, 
the wedding being celebrated at the home of the bride in Virginia, of which 
state she is a native. Three children grace this marriage : Florence Ethel, 
born October 26, 1893; John Paxton. born in 1895; and George Dana, born 
in 1897. Professor and Mrs. Leonard have a wide circle of friends in Colum- 
bus and occupy a very enviable position in a society where true worth and 
intelligence are received as passports. 

WILLIAM R. HUNTER. 

The life record of William R. Hunter illustrates most forcibly what may 
be accomplished in this land of fair opportunity by those of determined pur- 
pose, laudable ambition and unflagging industry. He was born at West Jef- 
ferson, Ohio, on the 22d of February. 1848. and traces his ancestry back to 
Solomon Hunter, his great-grandfather. His son. John Hunter, became the 
grandfather of our subject. He was a lad of twelve years when he accom- 
panied his parents on "their emigration to the United States. The family 
located in Pennsylvania, where Solomon Hunter died. In the Keystone state 
John Hunter was reared to manhood, spending his youth in the usual man- 



196 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ner of farmer lads of that period. He was married, in Pennsylvania, to 
Miss Rebecca Russell and in 1816 they removed to Ohio, making the journey 
in wagons. Here the grandfather purchased one hundred acres of timber 
land from Lucas Sullivan, and of the tract only three acres had been cleared. 
In the midst of that little clearing a log cabin had been erected and it became 
the pioneer home of the family. He paid two dollars and a half per acre for 
his land and increased its value by cultivation and improvement. The sturdy 
strokes of his ax soon brought low the monarchs of the forest and waving 
fields of grain were seen where once stood the tall trees. He afterward pur- 
cliased a farm of two hundred acres; in Jefferson township, Madison county, 
on which he erected a brick house, making it his home until his death, which 
occurred in 1865, when he was eighty-five years of age. He had also erected 
a brick residence on his farm in Prairie township, Franklin county, and it 
stood until a few years ago, one of the old landmarks. It was built of what 
was called slop brick, mixed by oxen and burned by Mr. Hunter, for it was 
customary in those days for every man to burn his own brick. When the 
task was almost completed it was found that the supply of wood was exhausted 
and he therefore hauled rails from the fences in order to complete the burn- 
ing. His first wife died on the home farm in Madison county and he after- 
ward married again, but had no children by the second union. Those born 
of the first marriage w^ere as follows: Jame'S ; Park, who was born, in 1806 
and died at the home of our subject in 1891, where he had resided for four- 
teen years prior to his demise; Mary, who became the wife of William Har- 
per and died at her home in Fort Wayne, Indiana ; Russell, who was a gov- 
ernment surveyor and died in Wisconsin; Jennie, who became the wife of 
John Hastings and they spent their last days in Larue, Ohio; a daughter, 
Matilda, who became the wife of John Plall and died in Prairie township; 
Betsey was the wife of William Chandler and they spent their last days in 
California; and Samuel Swan, who completed the family. 

The last named was the father of our subject. He was born in the old 
log cabin on the Hunter farm in Prairie township February 12, 1820, and 
was reared amid the wild scenes of the frontier, experiencing all the hardships 
and trials which fall to the lot of early settlers. He pursued his education 
in a log schoolhouse and as a boy he manifested a special fondness for horses 
and delighted in horse racing. As he grew this trait developed and he became 
well known as a trader and dealer in horses. After leaving the country 
schools his father sent him to college with the hope of having him enter the 
ministry, but such a life did not prove attractive to him and he abandoned 
his preparation therefor. He continued dealing in horses and when about 
twenty-one years of age he went to the west, going to Wisconsin, where he 
joined his brother, who was a surveyor in that state, and also in northern 
Illinois, surveying a considerable portion of Chicago. In the early days he 
purchased much real estate there which afterward became extremely valu- 
able, but the papers showing the real estate transfer were destroyed and he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i97 

lost all that he had. Samuel Hunter remained with his brother for a short 
time and then went into the pine forests, where he engaged in cutting lumber 
and rafting it down the river to St. Louis. He became an expert raftsman 
and very miich enjoyed life in the wild woods. He possessed a vigorous 
constitution and great strength and could down almost any one in a wrestling 
match. After spending three years in the west he returned to his home hi 
Franklin county. He was a very popular man and one who was not afraid 
to stand up for his own convictions. He married Miss Ann Smith, who was 
born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio when six years 
of age with her parents, John and Rebecca (Bell) Smith. They located in 
Prairie township and her father worked on the national pike. Later he 
removed to Iowa, where his last days were passed. 

After his marriage Samuel S. Hunter took up his abode upon the old 
home farm of one hundred acres and as time passed he added to that another 
tract of three hundred acres. His land was operated by others while he 
devoted his attention to raising and dealing in fine stock, especially horses. 
Ultimately he removed to Paulding county, taking up his abode on a small 
farm, where he spent his remaining days in quiet retirement from the more 
arduous duties of life. In politics he was a stalwart Republican, but was 
never an aspirant for office. He died in Paulding county, in 1896, and was 
survived by his second wife. His first wife, the mother of our subject, died 
in October, 1875, on the home farm and was there buried. Their children 
were William R. ; Achilles, who died at the age of two years; Evans, a resi- 
dent of Illinois ; Jennie, who died at the age of fourteen ; John, who is living 
in Oregon; Park, of Galloway; and Almira, the wife of Charles Fenner. of 
Galloway, Ohio. 

William Russell Hunter was but an infant when his parents located upon 
the old homestead in Prairie township. He began his education in a little 
school at Rome, his first teacher being Ruth Ann Hamilton, and then con- 
tinued his studies at intervals until eighteen years of age, his labors in the 
schoolroom being alternated by work upon the home farm. He remained 
at home until his marriage, which important event in his life occurred on 
the 6th of September, 1870, Miss Melissa Huddle becoming his wife. She 
was born in Madison township, Franklin county, October 15, 1850, and spent 
the greater part of her girlhood days in the village of Lockbourne, where she 
attended school, her first teacher being Mary Roberts ; and she is a daughter 
of John M. and Elizabeth (Reynolds) Huddle. Her father was born in 
Ross county, Ohio, and in Lockbourne,- Franklin county, was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Elizabeth Reynolds, whose father was Jacob Reynolds and 
whose mother bore the maiden name of Miss Gilman. He was born in Penn- 
sylvania and came to Ohio at an early day in the development of this state. 
Mrs. Hunter's father died in Plain City, Ohio, January 3, 1896, and his wife 
passed away in 1884. His father had come to the Buckeye state from Vir- 



198 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ginia and died in Marion county when forty years of age. He was a tanner 
by trade. 

After his marriage Mr. Hunter located upon the farm which is now his 
home. He spent one year in the old brick house and then built his present 
residence. He also had a road opened by his farm and it was worked and 
improved a year later. In 1882 he removed with his family to Nebraska 
and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Clay county, con- 
tinuing its cultivation for three years. Within that time he also became the 
owner of six hundred and forty acres of land in Keith county, Nebraska. In 
the fall of 1885 he returned to his farm in Prairie township, having sold 
his quarter-section farm, he still retaining the six hundred and forty acres. 
His time is given to the further development and cultivation of his land 
and therein he has won creditable success. In politics he is a Republican, 
but has never sought or desired office, preferring that his energies shall be 
devoted to his business. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hunter have been born six children: William S., 
who was born May 30, 1872, is now a school teacher; Ira M., born Septem- 
ber 2, 1874, married Lestia Spring and resides in Brown township; Annie 
E., born December 26, 1876. is the wife of Charles F. Althen, of Rome. Ohio; 
Elva R., born May 4, 1879, James Arthur, born September 20, 1881. and 
Alta lona, born January 3, 1886, are in school. The family is one well known 
in Prairie township and the members of the household occupy a leading 
position in the social circles of the community. 

ALPHEUS BIGELOW^ MOORE. 

The biographical sketch which follows will be found interesting not alone 
because it details the leading facts in the career of a prominent citizen of 
Brown township. Franklin county, Ohio, but because it tells of pioneer days 
in that part of the country and recalls events of interest connected with the 
struggle for American independence and others connected with the history of 
our Civil war. 

Alpheus Bigelow Moore was born at Galena. Ohio. August 26, 1830. and 
died at his ITome in Franklin county, Ohio, November 8, 1898. When he 
was nine years old his parents removed from Galena to Brown township, 
settling on the farm noAV owned by Frank Walker. The boy received a good 
common-school education and married Cynthia Ann White, a native of West 
Canaan township, Madison county, Ohio, born February 24, 1835, a daughter 
of William J. and Amelia (Marshall) White. William J. White, of Mary- 
land nativity, came to Ohio when a young man and there married. He set- 
tled in Canaan township, Madison county, where he died and where the fol- 
lowing children were born to them : Sarah Ellen married Isaac Fisher and 
died in Madison county, Ohio. Cynthia Ann married the subject of this 
sketch. William married Harriet Scribner and died in Union county, Ohio. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i99 

Joshua lives in Dakota, and Benjamin in Amity, Madison county, Ohio. 
EHza is Mrs. Stephen Warner, of Plain City, Ohio. Delilah died at the age 
of six years. William White, grandfather of Mrs. Moore, was born in Mary- 
land, became a general in the continental army under General Washington, 
and died at Washington, D. C, leaving three children: William J., father 
of Mrs. Moore; Eliza and Maria. Mrs. Moore's grandfather in the maternal 
line was Joshua Marshall, who was born in Maryland, was a prosperous 
farmer, married Sarah Haig and died at Plain City, Ohio. 

After his marriage Mr. Moore lived for sixteen years on the homestead 
of his family. He then bought fifty acres of land in Norwich township, 
where he farmed successfully until the end of his life. He saw three months' 
service in the Civil war as a private in the Seventeenth Regiment, Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, and during all his active life was a prominent and influential 
Republican. The following data concerning his children will be of much 
interest in this connection: His daughter Minnie is the widow of the late 
Daniel O. Roberts. Jane married Charles Ritchey, of Franklin township. 
W. M. P. Moore was born in Amity, West Canaan township, Madison 
county, Ohio, November ii, 1859, was educated in the district schools of 
Norwich township, Franklin county, and is now a successful traveling sales- 
man. He married Mary Ann Kiser, who was born near Columbus, a daugh- 
ter of Nicholas and Margaret (Miller) Kiser. He is the only Democrat in 
his family. Lenna, Mr. Moore's youngest daughter, married Stephen Ball, 
of Brown township, 

ALMON F. COE. 

Among the successful agriculturists and highly^ esteemed citizens of 
Clinton township, Franklin county. Ohio, is the subject of this review, who 
was born upon his present farm July 22, 1839, and is the sixth and youngest 
child of Ransom and Elizabeth (Beers) Coe, a sketch of whom is given in 
connection with that of Alvin Coe elsewhere in this volume. 

Almon F. Coe acquired a good practical education in the district schools, 
which he attended until his sixteenth year, and gained an excellent knowledge 
of agricultural pursuits upon the home farm. Being the youngest child he 
remained with his parents, and is now the owner of the old homestead, com- 
prising one hundred and fifty-three acres, which is now under a high state 
of cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. 

On the 19th of October, 1865. Mr. Coe led to the marriage altar Miss 
Elizabeth, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Hindell) Helser, of Brown 
township, this county, and by this union were born three children: Charles 
E., who resides on the home farm; and two who died in infancy. Charles 
E. was born June 11, 1869, married, June 11, 1898, Mabel E. Town, and 
has one son, born September 6, 1900, and named Almon Ransom. Mrs. 
Elizabeth Coe departed this life January 30, 1872. 



200 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Coe was again married December 16, 1875, his second union being 
with Mrs. Ahiiira Winterbotham, by whom he had two children: Erwin 
L., deceased ; and one who died in infanc}^ unnamed. Mrs. Coe's first hus- 
band was John Winterbotham, and to them were born two children : John- 
etta and one who died in infancy. Her father, Francis La Chapelle, was 
born near Montreal, Canada, in 1814, and was a molder by trade. He was 
a member of the Christian church, and fraternally was a charter member of 
Columbus Lodge, No. 9, L O. O. F. His death occurred September 10, 
1844. In New York state he married Eleanor Ward, and they became the 
parents of three children : Eleanor, Almira and Frances. For her second 
husband the mother married William Say, now deceased, but she is still liv- 
ing, at the age of eighty-two years. 

Mr. Coe is one of the representative and popular citizens of his com- 
munity, and has been called upon to serve as township trustee for eight years. 
Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in i860 he has 
never wavered in his allegiance to the Republican party, and, as every true 
American citizen should, he takes an active interest in public affairs. In 
religious belief he is a Universalist, while his wife holds membership in the 
Congregational church of North Columbus. They are widely and favorably 
known and have a host of warm friends in the community where they reside. 

DANIEL J. RYAN. 

Daniel J. Ryan was born at Cincinnati, January i, 1855. His father, 
John Ryan, and his mother, Honora Ryan, were born in Ireland and came 
to this country about 1850 and settled in Cincinnati. They afterwards re- 
moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, where young Ryan received his education in the 
public schools, passing through all the grades'. He was graduated at the 
high school in 1875. For a year before leaving school he was entered as a 
law student jn the office of Judge James W. Bannon, where he continued his 
studies after graduating. In February, 1877, he was admitted to the bar by 
the supreme court at Columbus. 

He at once commenced practice alone at Portsmouth, and in the follow^- 
ing April was elected city solicitor; was re-elected in 1879, serving until the 
spring of 1881. In 1883 he was elected a member of the Ohio house of rep- 
resentatives, and w^as re-elected in 1885. During this service he was speaker 
pro tern, and chairman of the committee on public works. At the expiration 
of his legislative duties he resumed practice. In 1888 he was elected secretary 
of the state of Ohio, and in 1890 wasi re-elected for a second term. He 
resigned this ofiice, however, in 1891 to accept the appointment of commis- 
sioner-in-chief for Ohio of the World's Columbian Exposition, the duties of 
which required his services until May, 1894. While secretary of state he 
as'sisted in the compilation of Smith & Benedict's edition of the Revised 
Statutes of Ohio. He has since been engaged in the practice of law at Colum- 
bus. He has always been a Republican; was the first president of the Ohio 




DAHIEL J. RYAN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 201 

Republican League, and presided at New York over the first convention of 
the National League of Republican Clubs, which met in 1887. . 

For ten years Mr. Ryan has been one of the trustees of the Ohio Histori- 
cal Society He was appointed by the Exhibitors' Association at the W orld s 
Fair as one of the commissioners to the Antwerp Exposition in i894- Lie 
was appointed by Governor McKinley as a delegate to the National Water 
Ways Convention, which met at Vicksburg in 1894. At the present tune he 
is the president of the Ohio Canal Association. 

Mr Ryan is well and favorably known throughout the state as a man ot 
hiffh character and a lawyer of ability. He has been identified with many 
important cases in Ohio which have attracted general attention both m and 
out of the state, among which might be mentioned the case touching the con- 
.stitutionality of the abandonment of the Hocking canal and litigation relating 
to the food department of the state. 

On the loth day of January, 1884, ^Ir. Ryan was married to ^iyra L. 
Kerr, of Portsmouth, and by this union five children were born, two of whom 
are living, — Julia E. and Elinor. 

JOHN PFEIFER. 

It is always interesting to note the advance of one who has spent his 
entire life in a single locality. It is said that a prophet is never without honor 
save in his own country, and yet it will be found that the American people 
are willing to accord recognition for the possession of those qualities^ which 
insure progress and contribute toward success. Although Mr. Pfeifer has 
spent his entire life in Columbus, he is accounted one of the enterprising busi- 
ness men of the city and well merits his prosperity. 

He was born in 1859. a son of Mathias Pfeifer, a native of Bavaria, 
Germanv, in which country he was reared and educated. He there learned the 
tailoring trade, but hoping to better his financial condition in the new world 
he sailed for America about 1840, and followed his chosen vocation in Colum- 
bus. He was one of the first German Republicans in the city, casting his 
ballot in support of that party when only six of his nationality voted the 
ticket. When the country became engaged in civil war he joined the Union 
army and loyally aided in the defense of the stars and stripes. He died in 
1865, from the effects of exposure in the service, and his wife passed away 
in 1862, leaving five children. 

John Pfeifer acquired his literarv education in the schools of his native 
citv,'and afterward attended the Columbus Business College. At the age 
of 'thirteen he began learning a trade, and in 1886 commenced business on 
liis own account, in connection with George D. Saas. The firm is still in 
business and has a large jobbing trade in all lines. Their patronage is very 
extensive, and thus their income is annually augmented. 

In his political afi^liations Mr. Pfeifer is an active Democrat. He was 
appointed one of the first directors of the Columbus workhouse by Mayor 



202 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Allen in 1895, for a term of four years, but resigned in 1897, and was 
appointed by Mayor Black on the board of elections for a four-years term. 
He is still serving in that capacity, the board 1)eing in control of the elections 
of the city. 

Socially Mr. Pfeifer is connected with the Masonic and Knights of 
Pythias fraternities, and in the latter has served as a representative to the 
grand lodge. He is a past grand in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
belongs to the Red Men and the Elks, and is the president of the Olentangy 
Club, the leading social organization in the state. In manner Mr. Pfeifer 
is courteous and genial, and his social disposition, his sterling qualities and 
well-known reliability have made him a popular resident of Columbus. He 
wedded Miss Mary F. Zengler, a native of this city and a daughter of ]Matthew 
and Catherine Zengler, of Germany. They now have two children: Carl 
Matthew and Walter Adam. 

JOSEPH WATSON TIPTON. 

Among the veterans of the Civil war now representing the farming inter- 
ests of Franklin county is Joseph Watson Tipton, who resides in Prairie 
township. He is of English lineage and the family was founded in America 
at an early day. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Tipton, was a native of 
Shenandoah county, Virginia, where he died. He was married in Monroe 
county, that state, and for many years resided there. His wife, Mrs. Rebecca 
Tipton, passed away in Franklin county, Ohio. 

Joseph Tipton, the father of our subject, was born in Shenandoah county, 
Virginia, whence he went to Monroe county. West Virginia, where he was 
reared to manhood, early becoming familiar with the work of the farm. His 
educational privileges were somewhat limited, but his experience made him 
a practical business man. He was married, in Monroe county, to Miss Cath- 
erine Watson, who was born in Virginia, a daughter of George Watson. They 
began their domestic life in West Virginia, where five children were born 
to them, and in 1848 they came to Ohio, settling in Perry township, Franklin 
county, near the present site of Marble Cliff. The father rented land for a 
short time and afterward removed to Jackson township. His death occurred 
in the town of West Jefferson, Madison county, Ohio, in 1886, but his widow 
is still living, in her eighty-sixth year, her home being on Fifth avenue, in 
Columbus. She holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, with 
which Mr. Tipton was also identified. In his political affiliations he was 
first a Whig, afterward becoming a Republican. He had twelve children, 
namely: Mary, who died in childhood; William, who died at the age of 
twenty-three years; Joseph W., of this review; Amanda, now the wife of 
Charles Huff,' of Columbus ; Isaac, of Columbus, who served in the Ninth 
Ohio Cavalry during the Civil war; Nancy, the wife of Alonzo Horrington, 
of Barbertown, Ohio ; Elias, who is living in Columbus ; Charles, who makes 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 203 

his home in Indianapolis; Frances, wife of Lawrence Stone, of Columbus; 
Margaret, wife of Thomas Johnson, of Kansas; George, who was a member 
of the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died 
in the hospital at Cincinnati, in 1865 ; and John, who is living in Illinois. 

Joseph W. Tipton, whose name forms the caption of this sketch, was born 
in Monroe county. West Virginia, December 31, 1839, and in 1848, when 
a lad of nine summers, accompanied his parents to Ohio. He began his edu- 
cation in the subscription schools of his native place and completed his studies 
in Franklin county, at the age of eighteen. In the early spring time he 
assisted in the plowing and planting of the fields and later bore his part in 
the work of harvesting the crops. After the inauguration of the Civil war, 
prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he enlisted in the ranks at the call of the 
president, joining the army at Columbus as a private of Company B, Fifty- 
fourth Ohio Infantry, for three years' service. He was under command of 
Captain Williams and Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith, and went to Camp Den- 
nison, near Cincinnati, where he remained for five months, when the regiment 
was ordered to Paducah, Kentucky. The first engagement in which he par- 
ticipated was the battle of Shiloh, and this was followed by the siege of Corinth 
and the battle of Memphis. They next went down the river with General 
Sherman, the army attacking Vicksburg upon the Yazoo Bluffs. With his 
command he afterward proceeded on a march through Arkansas, across the 
Kansas line. The Union troops succeeded in capturing Fort Gibson, and 
then made their way to Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side. That winter they 
were engaged in digging General Grant's canals, after which they proceeded 
to Hard Times Landing and then marched against Jackson, Mississippi, cap- 
turing the city; moving on toward the rear o'f Vicksburg. While en route 
they participated in the battles of Champion Hills and Big Black river, and 
then began the siege of Vicksburg, on the 19th of May, 1863. A charge was 
made, but they could not get inside of the fortifications, and again on the 
22d a charge was made. Both days the Union troops were forced to fall 
back and they then settled down to besiege the city, continuing the siege for 
forty-four days, when the strong central southern city surrendered. \\'hile 
the Union troops were engaged in the siege Joe Johnston with his Confederate 
troops approached in the rear, and when Vicksburg had fallen they engaged 
them in battle, winning the victory. This encounter occurred at Jackson. 
Mr. Tipton with his command was afterward in camp at Black river and then 
went to Vicksburg, proceeding up the Mississippi to Memphis and across the 
country to Chattanooga, participated in the engagement at Mission Ridge 
and on to Knoxville, where they raised the siege. Returning thence to Chat- 
tanooga, they were afterward in camp at Larkinsville. Alabama. At that 
place Mr. Tipton re-enlisted as a veteran and returned home on a thirty days' 
furlough. When the leave of absence had expired he rejoined his command 
in ]\Iarch, 1864, and started on the Atlanta campaign, being under fire for 
more than one hundred davs. From Atlanta the Union troops followed Hood 



204 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

back to within sixty miles of Chattanooga, thence returned to Atlanta and 
prepared for the march to the sea, which has become memorable in history. 
The troops Avere engaged in battle at Fort McAllister, marched through South 
Carolina and North Carolina, participating in the battle at Averysboro and 
then followed Johnston to Raleigh, where that Confederate commander sur- 
rendered. With his regiment Mr. Tipton proceeded to Washington and par- 
ticipated in the grand review, after which he was sent to Louisville. Wdien 
General Hazen volunteered to go to Texas to quell the disturbances Mr. Tip- 
ton accompanied him, and after some time spent in the northern portion of 
the Lone Star state, proceeded to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was dis- 
charged August 15, 1865. He returned home with the rank of sergeant. 
At Arkansas Post he was wounded in the left foot by a musket ball and a 
piece of shell also struck him in the head on the 22d of July, 1864, in front 
of Atlanta. On the same day he narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. 
He was always found at his post of duty loyally defending the cause in which 
he believed and his bravery was displayed on many a southern battle-field. 
After his return to the north Mr. Tipton resumed farming and has since 
devoted his energies to the cultivation of his land. He was united in mar- 
riage, June 10, 1866. to Miss Mary Ann Allegre, a daughter of Lorenzo D. 
Allegre, deceased. Seven children have been born unto them, four yet living : 
Myron and William, who are living in Brown township; Katie, wife of Alva 
Alwood; and Leroy' at home. At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. 
Tipton took up their abode on the land which was rented from her father, 
and in 1879 our subject purchased his present farm, comprising a large and 
valuable tract of ninety-six acres. This is under a high state of cultivation, 
being well improved with substantial buildings and all modern accessories. 
Mr. Tipton gives his attention exclusively to agricultural pursuits and at 
the same time he is also true and faithful to his duties of citizenship as when 
he wore the blue and followed the stars and stripes on the battle-fields of 
the south. 

WILLL\M HEADLEY. 

One of the most attractive homes of Columbus is occupied by William 
Headley, a retired farmer, whose labors in former years brought him a hand- 
some competence, and thus he is enabled to enjoy a well merited rest. He 
was born August 12, 1827, on the farm in Jefferson township that is now 
occupied by his brother, Daniel Headley, his parents being William and Mary 
(Havens) Headley. His grandfather, Joseph Headley, was a native of 
Sussex county, Virginia, and when he came to Ohio he cast in his lot with 
the pioneer settlers of Franklin county. There were only two grocery stores 
in Columbus and visits to the city were made on horseback, the way lying 
through the woods. No mads had been made and the path was marked by 
blazed trees. In pioneer times \\'illiam Headley, the father of our subject. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 205 

purchased two acres of land at the corner of High and Broad streets, but 
some years later sold it and through the dishonesty of the purchaser was 
swindled out of the money. He was reared in his parents' home and in early 
life acquired eighteen hundred dollars by cutting wood and burning charcoal. 
In 181 1 he came west to Ohio and selected a location in Jefferson township, 
after which he returned to Sussex county with some horses. In the spring 
of 1812 he came to this state and located at what is now Headley's Corners. 
He erected a grist and saw^mill, and as he needed assistance in the operation 
of the industry he admitted his brother Samuel to a partnership in the busi- 
ness. They carried on operations for several years, after which William 
Headley purchased his brother's interest and Samuel removed to Licking 
county, Ohio. 

William Headley, of this review, received such educational privileges 
as the common schools afforded. It was his intention to go to California in 
the spring of 1850, his father having promised to send Him, but the cholera 
epidemic was so great that his father believed it unwise for the son to make 
the trip. In the spring of 1852. when he had accumulated enough money of 
his OAvn to accomplish the journey, \\'illiam Headley started across the plains 
for the gold fields, leaving home on the 24th of April and arriving at his 
destination on the 26th of August. He landed at Eureka. California, whence 
he went to Poor Man's creek and to Hopkins' creek, spending the first year 
at those places. He finally located at Biddle's Bar, wliere he was taken ill 
with typhoid fever. After ele\'en weeks he resumed work, but soon had a 
relapse and was again in bed for six weeks. In the :Spring of 1853 he drove 
some pack animals across to the east branch of the north fork of Feather 
river. He also cut five hundred logs at Biddle's Bar, but the rainy season 
was late that year and he therefore abandoned them. In July, 1855, he 
returned to Ohio with twenty-eight hundred dollars, which he had accumu- 
lated. The journey to his old home was made by water. The year follow- 
ing his return, accompanied by his parents, he went to Lucas county, Iowa, 
on a trip, and there he purchased five hundred and ten acres of land, with 
the intention of locating there. 

On the 27th of November, 1855. ]\Ir. Headley was united in marriage 
to Miss Margaret Beem, a native of Licking county, Ohio, born April 7. 
1 83 1, her parents being John and Margaret ( Albery) Beem, who came from 
New Jersey to Ohio in an early day. ]\Irs. Headley objected to removing 
to Iowa, and our subject therefore purchased fifty acres of land lying north 
of his father's farm. He next traded his Iowa land for one hundred and 
fifty acres east of his fifty-acre lot, and still later added the fifty acres that 
lay between his two tracts. At his father's deatli he inherited fi+tv acres, 
so that his landed possessions aggregated three hundred acres. This was 
operated under his management for some years and became one of tlie best 
improved properties in the county. He was very successful in his farming 
and stock-raising interests and made a specialty of the raising of sheep, for 



2o6 CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

which he found a ready sale upon the market. In 1883 he retired from active 
business life and purchased residence property on Garheld avenue, in Colum- 
bus, where he remained for six years. He then traded his farm property 
for his present valuable residence on East Rich street. In 1885 he erected a 
brick building at the corner of High and Eleventh avenue, and his various 
realty holdings bring to him an excellent return. 

On the i8th of October, 1875. ^-^i'- Headley was called upon to mourn 
the lossi of his wife, who died leaving three children. George, now an agri- 
culturist of Licking county ; Amanda R.. the wife of William T. Foster, a min- 
ing operator of Joplin, Missouri; and Margaret L.. at home. She super- 
intends the household for her father, and the home is one of the attractive 
residences of Columbus. ]\Ir. Headley is a believer in the Universalist doc- 
trine, but does not hold membership in any church, although he has made 
many liberal contributions to the support of religious work. He espouses 
the cause of the Democracy, keeps well informed on the political issues and 
has served for about four terms as trustee of Jefferson township, while for 
several years he filled the office of school director. As an energetic, upright 
and conscientious business man he acquired a handsome competence and by 
patient striving worked out for himself a solid reputation as a successful 
agriculturist. His record both public and private has been marked by the 
strictest integrity and faithfulness to every trust reposed in him, and he is 
widely known as an honorable gentleman and as a pleasant social companion. 

AMERICUS S. HAGER. 

Franklin county has many well-to-do and successful farmers who are the 
architects of their own fortunes and have been prominently identified with the 
upbuilding and development of this section of the state. Among these is 
the subject of this personal history, who now owns and operates a good farm 
in Norwich township. 

The paternal ancestors of our subject were from the Green Mountain 
state. His grandfather, Daniel Hager, was born at the foot of Bald moun- 
tain, near Montpelier, Vermont, and married a INIiss Baldwin, also a native of 
that state. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and in 1820 brought 
his family to Ohio, locating where Plain City now stands, when the Indians 
were still quite numerous in that locality. He was one of the pioneers of 
that region, and his home was the usual log cabin of those early days. Plain 
City now stands upon a part of what was his farm. 

John Baldwin Hager, the father of our subject, was born in Vermont in 
1820, and was taken by his parents to Ohio during infancy. He grew up in 
the wilderness and aided his father in the arduous task of clearing and improv- 
ing the farm. The Indians would often come to the home and take his sister 
Octavia to their village to play with the Indian children. On reaching man- 
hood he married Miss Sarah Clark, and for a time remained upon the home 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 207 

farm, but later located on a farm two and a half miles up the creek on the 
opposite side of that stream. Being a wild, w^ooded tract, he erected a saw- 
mill and engaged in the manufacture of lumber from the timber on his own 
land. He died in 1852, having survived his wife but one week. To them were 
born three children: Gelucius, deceased; Amanda, the wife of William Har- 
per, of Hilliards; and Americus S., our subject. 

The last named was born on the old homestead in Jerome township, 
Union county, November 10, 1847, ai^<^l ^^'^s not quite five years of age when 
his parents died, while his brother was but fifteen and sister thirteen. The 
home being broken up, the farm was sold and our subject and sister went 
to live with an uncle for three years, at the end of which time his uncle bound 
him out to James Smith Britton, of Norwich township, Franklin county, 
until fourteen years of age. He was able to attend school but very little, 
though his training at farm work was not so meager. On leaving the home 
of Mr. Britton he joined his brother in Union county, and remained with 
him until the latter entered the army. After his death our subject returned 
to the home of Mr. Britton, for whom he continued to work a couple of 
3'ears. 

:\Ir. Hager was then married, in April, 1871, to Miss Jennie Baker, and 
to them have been born six children : Albert, a resident of Hilliard's ; Amanda, 
the wife of George Fisher; Rosie, wife of David Cox; Rilla, at home; and 
Charles and Elmer, both deceased. 

After his marriage Mr. Hager rented Mr. Britton's farm near Hilliard's 
for two years, and then w^as on another farm of that gentleman for the same 
length of time. The following seven years were spent upon Mr. Britton's 
home farm, and at the end of that time he purchased seventy-eight acres of 
land in Scioto tow^nship, Pickaway county, Ohio, which he sold after residing 
thereon for four years. He next bought two hundred and eight acres in 
partnership with ]\Ir. Britton, and erected a house thereon, but a year later sold 
that place and purchased an adjoining tract of one hundred and fifty-three 
acres, making it his home for four years. On disposing of that property he 
bought his present farm of thirty-two acres in Norwich township, and is 
now successfully engaged in truck farming. 

]\Ir. Hager is a very intelligent and well informed man, and a good 
talker on all political questions, especially on free silver. He is an ardent 
supporter of the Democratic party, and takes an active interest in public 
affairs. 

^Irs. JOHN CLAPHAM. 

]\Irs. John Clapham. one of the highly esteemed residents of Blendon 
township, bore the maiden name of Harriet Nutt and was born in Muskingum 
county, Ohio, February 25, 1828, a representative of one of the old pioneer 
families of the state. Her parents were Edward and Allie (Coe) Nutt. 



2o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Her fatlier was l)orn in or near Winchester, Virginia, in 1789, and dnring 
his boyhood accompanied his father to Muskingum county, Ohio, where he 
was reared. After attaining to man's estate he was married and in 1833 
came to Frankhn county, where he purchased one hundred and thirty acres 
of land just north of the Clapham farm in Blendon township, and, with the 
exception of a short period spent in Delaware county, Ohio, in his later life, 
he continued to make his home in Franklin county until called to his final 
rest, on the 30th of August, 1873, ^vhen in his eighty-fourth year. While 
he was never associated by membership with any church, he was a constant 
attendant on the services of the Baptist church and contributed liberally to its 
support. His life was in harmony with the principles of upright manhood; 
in all his dealings he was strictly fair, and for his many sterling qualities 
he was highly respected. His wife was born near Baltimore, Maryland, May 
23, 1803, and when six years of age accompanied her parents on their removal 
to Virginia, the family settling near Charleston. Five years later they took 
up their abode near Zanesville, Ohio, where Mrs. Nutt attained her woman- 
hood. On the 20th of May, 1823, she gave her hand in marriage to Edward 
Nutt, and through a long period they traveled life's journey together. In 
1834 she united with the Baptist church and throughout the remaining years 
of her life she was a consistent and active member of that denomination. She 
departed this life April 4, 1890, in her eighty-seventh year. This worthy 
couple became the parents of ten children, but only three are now living, 
namely : Rebecca, the widow of Alfred McLeod, of Delaware county, Ohio ; 
Mrs. Clapham; and Elizabeth, the wife of William Beever, also of Delaware 
county. 

Harriet Xutt spent her girlhood days under the parental roof and acquired 
her education in the common schools. On the 26th of May, 1853, she became 
the wife of John Clapham. He was a native of Blendon township, born on 
the 28th of April, 1829, on what is now known as the Osborne farm, near 
Alum creek. The following year his parents removed to the farm now owned 
by William C. Goldsmith, and in connection with the sketch of the latter 
appears an account of the life record of the parents of Mr. Clapham, who 
grew to manhood and were married in this locality. He and his wife began 
their domestic life upon the farm wdiere the family yet reside. This place 
comprised ninety-three acres and was purchased by his grandfather, Joseph 
Clapham, being then known as the old Landon farm. Subsequently the 
grandfather willed it to John Clapham and it remained his home up to the 
time of his demise, on the 12th of January, 1879, and has since been the 
place of residence of his wadow and children. During his active business 
career, however, Mr. Clapham added to the farm a tract of ten acres, and 
after his death his widow purchased an adjoining thirty acres, so that the 
place now comprises one hundred and thirty-three acres. Thev were the 
parents of four children : Orlena, now the widow of DeWitt Gates, of Blen- 
don township; Rosetta, at home; Edward C, a farmer of Blendon township, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 209 

who married Miss Olive Gates and has five children; and Clayton H., who 
operates the home farm and who married Nettie Martin, by whom he has 
two children. 

In his political views Mr. Clapham was an ardent Republican, and 
although he never sought office or political honors for himself he believed 
firmly in the principles of the party and did all in his power to promote its 
growth and insure its success. He was one of the most highly esteemed 
men of the county. His life history contains no exciting chapters, but was 
one consistent with many principles, and thus to his family he left the priceless 
heritage of an untarnished name. Mrs. Clapham still resides on the old home- 
stead. She has long been a resident of the county and has many warm 
friends throughout this portion of the state. 

FRANKLIN RUBRECHT. 

In no case is there a career more open to talent than in that of the law, 
and in no field of endeavor is there demanded a more careful preparation, 
a more thorough appreciation of the absolute ethics of life, or of the under- 
lying principles which form the basis of all human rights and privileges. 
Unflagging application and intuitive wisdom and a determination to fully 
utilize the means at hand, are the concomitants which insure personal success 
and prestige in this great profession, which stands as the stern conservator 
of justice; and it is one into which none shouM enter without a recognition 
of the obstacles to be overcome and the battles to be won, for success does 
not perch on the falchion of every person who enters the competitive fray, 
but comes only as the diametrical result of capability and unmistakable ability. 
Possessing all the qualities of the able lawyer, Franklin Rubrecht is already 
winning marked success in his profession. He is yet a young man and the 
future undoubtedly has in store for him a very successful career. 

A native of Ohio, Mr. Rubrecht was born in Delaware, August 31, 
1867, his. parents being Joel and Priscilla Helen Rubrecht. The father was 
born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1839, upon a farm, and followed 
agricultural pursuits throughout his residence in the Keystone state. With 
his family he removed to Delaware, Ohio, and there became a contractor, 
builder and architect. He has since been actively identified with the improve- 
ment of the city along building lines and many substantial structures there 
stand as monuments to his enterprise, diligence and thrift. His wife, who 
was born in Delaware county, Ohio, in 1842. died in 1894. She was the 
mother of three sons and one daughter, all of whom lived to years of maturity. 

Franklin Rubrecht, whose name forms the caption of this sketch, attended 
the public schools of his native town and was graduated at the high school, 
after which he pursued a commercial course in Professor Sharp's Business 
College, in Delaware. In 1884 he arrived in Columbus and became a student 
of law in the office of R. H. Piatt, an attorney of this citv, who directed his 



2 10 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

reading for some time. He also acquired a knowledge of telegraphy and 
was employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company, acting as an 
operator in Columbus for a considerable period. This gave him the funds 
necessary to continue his legal education, and in October, 1892, he completed 
the law course in the Ohio State University. He then began the practice 
of his profession. He was appointed assistant director of law, and by virtue 
of that office became prosecuting attorney of the police department, serving 
acceptably in that position until 1897. He received his appointment from 
Judge Owen, who at that time was director of law, and was appointed by 
and served under Mayor Black until 1899. Retiring from that position, he 
resumed the active practice of law and has figured in several very important 
cases. In December, 1899, he was elected the attorney for the Columbus 
Humane Society. On the 9th of April Mr. Rubrecht was appointed first 
assistant director of law by Hon. Luke G. Byrne, director of law under Mayor 
John N. Hinkle. This position is perhaps the most important one in the 
law department, since it fallS' to the lot of the first assistant to conduct all 
the litigation in which the city of Columbus is interested. 

On the 1 8th of September, 1894, Mr. Rubrecht wedded Miss Blanch 
Xewell, of Columbus, a lady of culture and refinement and a daughter of O. 
H. Newell. One child graces this marriage, namely, Mercedes. In his polit- 
ical affiliations Mr. Rubrecht is a Democrat, and has been twice elected chair- 
man of the congressional committee of the twelfth district of Ohio. He 
possesses a laudable ambition, without which effort would be fruitless and labor 
of no avail. In his legal practice he is favorably known for the care with 
w^hich he prepares his- cases and for his devotion to his clients' interests. 

DANIEL ELLIOTT. 

Daniel Elliott, now deceased, was a man of marked perseverance and 
strong force of character, and though he started out in life empty-handed at 
the early age of fourteen years at the time of his death he was the possessor 
of a handsome property, all acquired through his own well directed efforts. 
He w^as a grandson of James Elliott, who was born and reared in Sherman 
Valley, Pennsylvania. He married Jean Hart. During the w^ar of the Revo- 
lution he fought for the independence of the nation and in compensation for 
his services was afterward granted by the government sixteen hundred acres 
of land in Norwich township, Franklin county. He never settled on that 
tract, however, but lived and died at the place of his nativity, wdiere his wife 
also passed away. The following is the record of their children : Robert, 
the father of our subject, w^as the eldest. William located south of Piqua 
in Miami county, Ohio, and there spent his remaining days. James took 
up his abode in Hancock county, Ohio, where he remained until called to 
his final rest. John, who was an Indian agent for many vears, lived and 
died in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Sally married a cousin, ]\Ir. Elliott, and died 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 2 1 1 

near Wapakoiieta, leaving an infant son, Thomas. The father engaged an 
Indian woman to act as nurse for the baby and when he grew older he ran 
away from home and joined the Indian tribe of which his former nurse was 
a member. Betsy became ]\Irs. William Nelson and died at Greenfield, High- 
land county, Ohio. 

Robert Elliott, father of our subject, was born in 1774, in Sherman's 
Valley, Perry county, Pennsylvania, and was there reared to manhood on a 
farm. He married Nancy Black, also a native of the same locality, and soon 
afterward they started for Ohio, locating at Hillsboro, where they remained 
for about four years. They then located on a farm of two hundred and sixty- 
seven acres in Norwich township, Franklin county, which was a part of the 
government grant to his father. He built a log cabin in the midst of the 
forest on the banks of the Scioto river by a large spring, but the land was 
low and wet and produced ague ; so he built a house on higher ground on the 
west side of the Dublin pike, making his home there until his' death. He was 
a hard-w^orking man and became prosperous. For fifteen years he served as 
justice of the peace, capably filling that office. By his first marriage he had 
six children: James, who died in Columbus; William, who died in Iowa; 
Robert, who died in Champaign county, Ohio; George, who departed this 
life in Franklin' county; Nancy, who married Bigelow Spain, and died in 
Champaign county, Ohio ; and Polly, who became the wife of Jacob Vorhees 
and died in Illinois. After the death of his first wife the father married 
Susan Brunk, a native of Maryland and a daughter of Daniel and Margaret 
(Grace) Brunk, also natives of that state. She was four years old when 
she accompanied her parents to Ohio, the family locating in Washington 
township, Franklin county, where she grew to womanhood among the Indians. 
The children of Mr. Elliott's second marriage were Sally, the wife of Tillman 
Sullivan, of Norwich township; Samuel, who died in Columbus; Margaret, 
the wife of Edson Aldrich. of Hardin county, Ohio; Eliza, the wife of Cap- 
tain Imes, of Columbus: Jackson, who died at the Soldiers' Home in San- 
dusky, Ohio; Daniel; and David, of Norwich township. 

Daniel Elliott was born in Norwich township, spent his early youth on 
the farm there and attended school through the winter months until four- 
teen years of age. He was only four years old when his father died. He 
remained with his' stepfather until fourteen years of age, when he went to 
live with his sister, Mrs. Sally Sullivan. He attended school only one winter 
after that. He became self-supporting at the age of fourteen, first earning 
his living by digging post-holes in connection with his brother David, at 
three cents per hole. He worked at anything he could get to do, husking 
corn, assisting in the harvest fields, or doing any kind of farm work that 
would yield him an honest living. He saved his money and when he was 
twenty-four years of age his grandfather, Daniel Brunk, gave him forty dol- 
lars. He inherited two acres of land from his father and from his brother 



212 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

David purchased two acres adjoining-. In 1861 he l)uilt a hewed-log house 
of two rooms, which was' raised on the i8th of JNIarch, 1861. 

On the 6th of July, i860, Mr. Elhott had married Miss Sidney Wynkoop, 
who was born in Brown township, Frankhn county, September 20, 1843, ^ 
daughter of Strickland and Eliza (Sandy) Wynkoop. In 1850 her father 
removed to Louisa county, Iowa, going by way of Cincinnati. He accom- 
plished part of the journey by taking passage on a steamboat to St. Louis. 
At the falls of the Ohio river the oldest son, James, fell overboard and the 
steamer backed up to rescue him, but he was struck by the vessel and sank to 
a watery grave. At. St. Louis, on account of an accident, they had to change 
boats, but ultimately arrived at Fort Louisa, Iowa, then a small place of six 
houses and one shop. They were three weeks on the water. After landing 
they proceeded by wagon to the Missouri river, crossed that stream on a ferry 
to Wapapello, and by wagon went four miles into the country. With a land 
warrant Mr. Wynkoop ^secured forty acres of prairie land and began the erec- 
tion of a house. He had almost completed it when he was taken with ague, 
which developed into dropsy, and the other members of the family also became 
ill. Their two little children, twins, between three and four years of age, 
had to carry water for them. Another child was born and nine days later 
the mother died, leaving thirteen children. Mr. Wynkoop then sold his land 
and returned to Franklin county, Ohio, making his home with relatives while 
the children were scattered among families in this portion of Ohio. He died 
in 1882, at the age of ninety-one years, six months and six days. 

Mrs. Elliott was only eleven years of age when she went out in the 
world to do a woman's work. For a year she lived with her sister. Mrs. 
Delilah Harrington, and then went to live with her grandfather, but he had 
married a second time and therefore she was not welcome there. She hired 
out to do house-work, providing entirely for her own support. Her educa- 
tion was acquired at intervals when she found opportunity to attend school. 
At the age of seventeen she gave her hand in marriage to Daniel Elliott, and 
to him she proved a faithful helpmate and companion on life's journey. In 
1871 he purchased twenty-three and three-fourths acres of land adjoining 
the old Elliott homestead. Mrs. Elliott would bake, churn and cook and 
attend to all the household duties. Her husband would prepare the fields for 
cultivation and then she would go out to assist him, working: in the fields 
until dinner time, when she would return and get dinner and afterward again 
join her husband in the fields, where they w^ould work until dark. In 1876 
thev purchased sixteen and three-quarters acres of the old homestead, and in 
1882-3 added fourteen acres more, making a total of fiftv-seven and three- 
fourths acre?'. To the cultivation and improvement of his land ]\Ir. Elliott 
devoted his energies untiring until his death. 

Unto our subject and his wife were born the following children : Samuel 
Francis, born October i'4. i86r, died in infancy. Nettie Adeline, born 
April 16, 1865, was married, September 29, 18S6. to Elmer E. Shrum, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 213 

they have two children. — Ivan E. and Sidney Lester. Ida EHza, born Novem- 
ber 29. 1866, is the wife of Ulysses Hoffman, who resides near Logansport, 
Indiana, and they have one child, Daniel Elliott. 

When seventeen years of age Mr. Elliott, the subject of this review, was 
converted, joined the Methodist Episcopal church and lived an earnest Chris- 
tian life. In politics he was a stanch Republican, but never sought or desired 
public ofitice. He was honest and conscientious in all his dealings and conr- 
manded the respect of all with whom he came in contact. He passed away 
December 21, 1891, esteemed by all who knew him. His widow still resides 
on the homestead farm, which sl>e assisted him to secure, and in the com- 
munity she has many friends. 

JOHN PEIFFIER. 

Long a resident of Columbus and known as one of the reliable and enter- 
prising citizens, John Peiffier certainly deserves representation in this vol- 
ume. He was born in Little York. Pennsylvania, July 4, 1834, and was four 
years of age wdien he accompanied his father on his removal to Winchester, 
Ohio. They had been installed in their new home about a year when Jacob 
Peiffier, the father, was killed by a team of horses that ran over him. His 
w4fe, Mrs. Margaret Peiffier, was left with a family of small children. She 
afterward married Henry Herpst, at Winchester, and about 1844 the step- 
father with the family came to Franklin county, locating on a farm three 
miles north of Columbus, and afterward removed to the city, where JMrs. 
Peiffier died in 1882. 

The subject of this review continued upon the homestead farm in this 
county until he had attained his majority, when he removed to the city and 
for thirty-five years wa,& connected with the fire department, the period between 
1855 and 1890. He was a well known figure among the members of the 
department and in the city, and his bravery was displayed on many occasions. 
It requires a spirit no less .fearless and resolute to fight the fiery element than 
to meet the enemy upon the field of battle, and, though there are periods of 
rest and quiet in the life of the fireman, there are also many times of great 
danger and excitement, when cool nerve and steady hands are needed. ]\Ieet- 
ing every requirement, Mr. Peiffier long continued in the service and rendered 
valued aid to the city in suppressing the chief element of destruction to life 
and property. 

On the 3d of July, 1856. in the home of the bride on Mound street, in 
Columbus, i\Ir. Peiffier was united in marriage to Aliss Olive Pope, whose 
parents were among the honored pioneer settlers of the capital. Her father, 
John Pope, was born in New York, in 1786, and served during the war of 
181 2. With his father he came to the west, settling in Ohio about the year 
1823, and here he was married. From 1829 until 1844 he conducted a hotel 
at Hibernia, Franklin county, and in 1850 he took up his abode in Colum- 



214 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus, spending his remaining days in this city, his death occurring at the 
home of his daughter, Mrs. Miller, in 1862. His wife, Mrs. (Jettruda) 
Pope, died in the same year. Their children were : Mrs. Peiffier ; Henry, 
who was born in 1836 and died on his farm in Franklin county in 1875; 
Phoebe Ann, who married Phillip Dutoit, of Columbus, and died at their 
home east of the city; Mary Jane, who became the wife of William Lennox, 
who resides in Mattoon, Illinois, where her death occurred in 1898; Martha 
Pope, who became the wife of Gilbert Green and after his death married a 
Mr. Brown, who died in 1895, since which time she has been living with 
her daughter, Mrs. Helmbrech, on East Livingston street, Columbus; Caro- 
line, who became the wife of Harvey O'Hara and died in 1870, her husband 
passing away in 1895, leaving one daughter; Mary, now the wife of James 
Brown, who is living on East Sixth street, Columbus; Harriet, the wife of 
Gideon Miller; John, who died soon after the Civil war; and Louisa, who 
passed away in 1844. The following is the record of the children born unto 
Mr. and Mrs. Peiffier: William, their eldest child, was born in 1857 and 
married Miss Tillie Brown, of New Britain, Connecticut, where they reside 
with their children, Grace, Jane, Lionel and Charles. Charles, the second 
son of Mr. and' Mrs. Peiffier, was born in 1859, is married and is engaged 
in the grocery business on Harrison avenue, Columbus; Jettonda was the 
wife of Joseph Davidson, the proprietor of the Columbus Iron Works, and 
their children were as follows, — Florence and Frank Davidson. Flora Belle, 
who was born in 1864, is the wife of Frank Smith and has five children, 
namely : Edgar, Hardy, Elizabeth, Franklin and Robert. Her death occurred 
in 1894. Her son Edgar, who was born in 1884, resides with his maternal 
grandparents. Nettie, the next member of the Peiffier family, is the wife 
of Edward Radcliffe, of Columbus, and their children are : Eva, Hazel and 
Margaret. Olive resides at home. Frederick married Miss Ada Tobin and 
resides on Second avenue. 

Mr. and Mrs. Peiffier have resided at their present home through the 
past eighteen years. Their house occupies the site of the old sugar camp 
which was on his father's farm more than a half century ago. The family 
are all members of the Episcopal church, and Mr. Peiffier is numbered among 
the pioneer residents of Columbus, having witnessed much of the growth 
and development of the city as' it has emerged from a village into a thriving 
metropolitan center. His life has been a useful one, devoted to the welfare 
of his fellow men, and wherever he is known he is held in high regard. 

HENRY R. HESS. 

Prominent as a representative of the farming interests of Franklin county 
stands Henry R. Hess, an enterprising, practical and progressive agricult- 
urist, whose labors are bringing to him desirable prosperity. He is the only 
child of Thomas INI. and Marv A. (Rutherford) Hess, who was born in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 2 1 5 

Delaware county, Ohio, in the year 1850. His mother died when he was 
only eighteen days old, and he then resided with his grandparents in Dela- 
ware county until six years of age. He pursued his education in the district 
schools of Franklin county and remained upon the farm with his father until 
twenty-eight years of age, when he left the parental roof in order to establish 
a home of his own, securing as a companion and helpmate on life's journey 
Miss Katie Reeb, a daughter of Henry Reeb, of Franklin county, the wedding 
being celebrated in 1879. Their marriage was blessed with two children, of 
whom one, Anna R., is still living. The mother died in January, 1890, and 
her loss was deeply mourned not only by her family but by many friends, for 
her womanly qualities and estimable characteristics, had gained her the warm 
friendship of those w^th whom she had been brought in contact. 

Throughout his business career Mr. Hess has carried on agricultural 
pursuits and now owns and operates one hundred and fifty-two acres of rich 
land, all under cultivation and well improved with modern accessories. The 
richly tilled fields bring to him golden harvests, and the buildings upon his 
place stand as a monument to his enterprise and thrift. He is a man well 
and favorably known for his many good qualities and he takes an active 
interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community. He is a 
public spirited and wide-awake citizen, and in his life exempLfies the enterprise 
so characteristic of America. 

CLINTON W. TUSING. 

One of the successful and enterprising farmers and stock raisers of 
Franklin county is Clinton \\\ Tusing, of Truro township, who has one 
hundred and ninety-two acres in his homestead farm and also owns valuable 
property elsewhere. He was born in Violet township, Fairfield county, Ohio,' 
on the 24th of August, 1849, and is a son of Rev. G. N. Tusing. His edu- 
cation was acquired in the schools of his native county and he afterward 
engaged in teaching in Franklin and Fairfield counties for five years. He 
first began farming upon a forty-acre tract of land which he received from 
his father. He made all of the improvements upon the place, transformed it 
into a richly cultivated tract and afterward sold that property at a good 
advance in price. He then purchased the farm upon which he now resides 
and it has been his home for a quarter of a century. As he had to give 
possession of the old farm sooner than he had expected his house upon the 
new one had not then been completed and he therefore took up his abode in 
the barn until the residence was erected. It was finished in the year 1875, 
and in it his family were soon installed. As the years have gone by he has 
added to his place all the improvements and accessories of a model farm, and 
to-day his home place of one hundred and ninetj^-two acres is a very valuable 
tract, the well tilled fields yielding a golden tribute in return for his care 
and labor. He also owns a farm of one hundred and fiftv-one acres in Lick- 



2i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ing county and he has three city lots in Cokimbus. He makes a specialty 
of raising polled Aberdeen Angus cattle, and his stock is of a fine grade and 
finds a ready sale on the market, thus materially increasing his income. 

On the 1 6th of November, 1871, Mr. Tusing was united in marriage 
to Miss Hulda Roads, a daughter of Joseph Roads, who was a successful 
farmer living near Hebron, Licking county, Ohio. His wife bore the maiden 
name of Nancy Moore and was born near Newark, in Licking county, Ohio. 
They were the parents of eight children. Emily became the wife of Amor 
Smith, of Fairfield county, Ohio, and died in 1863. The others were: Mrs. 
Laura Stover ; Mrs. Rebecca Smith ; Mrs. Louise Tusing ; Jessie, deceased ; 
Hulda; IMrs. Anna Bretz; and Mrs. Lucinda Miller. The eldest child of 
Mr. and Mrs. Tusing was born while they were living in a barn. They 
have become the parents of six children, three sons and three daughters, 
namely : George N., who aids in the operation of the home farm ; Ludo 
Lonzetta, who is a bookkeeper with the Consolidated Street Car Company of 
Columbus ; Myrtle Maud, who is a teacher in Jefferson township ; Lutie 
Gertrude ; and Ernest Clem and Edna Esther, w' ho are still with their parents, 

Li his political affiliations Mr. Tusing is a Democrat on questions of 
national importance, but votes independently at township and county elec- 
tions, nor has he sought office as a reward for allegiance to Democracy. 
His wife and two oldest daughters hold membership in the Primitive Baptist 
church and he contributes liberally to its support. He gives his aid and co-op- 
eration to all movements for the general good and' is an enterprising citizen. 
Li his business affairs he has manifested strong determination, unabating 
energy and industry, and thus he has been enabled to overcome all the diffi- 
culties and obstacles in his path and work his way steadily upward to success. 

WILLL\|yI NEISWENDER. 

Throughout almost his entire life William Neiswender has made his 
home in Jackson township, this county, and has been prominently identified 
with its industrial and agricultural interests. His has been a long and useful 
career, and he well merits the high regard in which he is uniformly held. 

He was born in Pennsylvania, on the 25th of May, 1818, and was only 
two years of age W'hen he removed to Knox county, Ohio, with his father, 
John Neisw^ender, a native of Pennsylvania. Subsequently the familv came 
to Franklin county and took up their residence in Jefferson township among 
its first settlers. Here the father purchased a tract of w^oodland, which he 
cleared and improved, his occupation being that of farming. 

William Neiswender began his education in Jefferson township, his first 
teacher being Worthy Mitchem; but he was able to attend school only about 
two months during the year, the remainder of the time being employed in 
helping his father in clearing and cultivating the home farm. After attain- 
ing his majority he entered a select 'school, where he paid his own expenses 
by chopping wood mornings and evenings. When his education was com- 




MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EEISWEHDER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 217 

pleted he worked as a blacksmith's striker for some time and then learned the 
carpenter's trade, which he followed for fourteen years. Being the only car- 
penter in the neighborhood, in case of a death he was called upon to make 
coffins. After discontinuing work at the carpenter's trade, he bought the 
farm in Jackson township, which has now been his home for fifty-six years. 
His first residence was a log house of but one room, which has since been 
replaced by a modern and commodious residence. He has made many other 
improvements upon the place, and now has one of the best cultivated and 
most desirable farms of the locality. 

On the 3d of November, 1842, Mr. Neiswender married Miss Polly 
Hoover, who was born in Jackson township, this county, February 4, 1823, 
and died in 1873, leaving six children, who are still living, namely: Levi, 
Catherine, Aaron, Ezra, Lydia and Julia. Mr. Neiswender also has twenty- 
two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. 

Through his own individual efforts Mr. Neiswender has becoms n well 
educated man, and can speak both English and German fluently. He has 
ever taken an active and commendable interest in educational affairs, has done 
his share toward it® advancement, and gave the land on which the first school- 
house in his neighborhood was built. He served as clerk and treasurer of 
the school before they had a board of directors, and was afterward elected one 
of the directors. He is a life member of the Free Thought Federation, and 
is one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens of his community, 
as well as one of its most honored' members. In the course of his life he has 
visited Florida four times and has brought back a fine collection of shells and 
other relics, and also has the finest collection of old coins in the state. 

FRANCIS B. DEAN. 

Francis B. Dean, who carries on ag'ricultural pursuits in Mifilin township, 
was born on the farm where he yet lives on the 6th of October, 1832. His 
father, Ebenezer Dean, was born in Stamford, Fairfield county, Connecticut, 
and in the year 18 10 came to Franklin county with his parents, Lebbeus and 
Ruah Dean, both of whom were natives- of Connecticut. They located in the 
midst of the wild forest in Mifflin township where the home of our subject 
now stands, and there the grandfather carried on agricultural pursuits until 
his death. The father of our subject was married, in Columbus, to ]\Iiss 
Rachel Dalzell, who was- born in Rochester, New York, and came to Franklin 
county in early life, locating here in 1818. Her father, William Dalzell, 
removed with the family from Rochester in July of that year, and located 
at Columbus, but afterward engaged in farming. The young couple began 
their domestic life on the farm which is still the home of their son, Francis. 
The father was killed by a falling tree in 1841, when about forty years of age. 
His wife passed away in 1893, ^^ ^^'^^ ^^^ ^^ eighty-four years, having long 
survived her husband. In their family were six children, all of whom were 
born on the old family homestead, namely : Francis B. ; Robert D., of Colum- 

14 



2i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus; John D., who is also hving in that city; Ebenezer, who resides in Mifflin 
township; and George and James, who have passed away. 

Mr. Dean, of this review, was the eldest child. He was reared on the 
old family homestead which was the scene of his childhood pleasures as well 
as of his manhood labors. With the family he experienced all the hardships 
and trials wdiich fall to the lot of the pioneer. He pursued his education 
in the district schools of the neighborhood, spent one year as a student in 
Columbus and also one year in a school in Pittsburg. On the expiration of 
that period he accepted a clerkship in the wholesale grocery house of Bailey 
& Renshaw, of Pittsburg, continuing in that position for one year, after which 
he returned to his home in Mifflin township and resumed farming. He was 
then twenty-one years of age. As a companion and helpmate on life's jour- 
ney he chose Miss Fredonia C. Phelps, their courtship being consummated by 
marriage on the 4th of May, 1854. The lady was born in Blendon township, 
Franklin county, November 14, 1835. Her father. Homer M. Phelps, was 
also a native of that township, born February 9, 181 2, while the grandfather, 
Edward Phelps, was a native of Windsor township, Hartford county, Con- 
necticut, whence they came to Franklin county in the month of August, 
1806. He located in Blendon township and was prominently connected with 
the work of pioneer development here. One of his sons, Edward Phelps, 
cut the first stick of timber in the township and the family name has been 
deeply engraved on the history of this portion of the state. Homer M. 
Phelps was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth G. Connelly, a native of 
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, who, in 1831, came to Franklin county. 
Mrs. Dean is the eldest of their three children and is the only daughter. Her 
brothers are : Warren, who is living in Columbus ; and E. Clinton, wdio makes 
his home in Chicago. Mrs. Dean was reared in Blendon township and com- 
pleted her education by a five-years course in the seminary in Worthington, 
Ohio. 

After his marriage our subject took his bride to the old homestead, where, 
as the years passed, seven children were added to the family, but only three 
are now living: Homer P., who married Shirlie Turney, by whom he has 
two children, Francis B. and Emerson T. ; Katie R., the wife of W. E. Postle, 
by whom she has two children, Sydney E. and Cyril D. ; and Howard F., who 
married Olive McLeish, and has a daughter. Helen M. Those who have 
passed away are Clara B., who was the wife of William Longman, by whom 
she had two children, Hazel and Francis F. ; Mary E., who married W. E. 
Dill and had three children; Joe Foraker, Dean E. and Parke E. Laura M. 
died when twelve years of age, and Blanche died in infancy. The children 
were all born on the old family homestead which has been occupied bv the 
Deans for almost the entire century. Howard is now a student in a medical 
college. 

At the time of the Civil war Mr. Dean manifested his loyaltv to the 
government by enlisting in May, 1864, as a member of Company F, of the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 219 

One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving as ordnance 
sergeant. He had charge of all the ammunition and equipments and made 
out the muster roll for the company before they started for the front. They 
went to Parkersburg, thence to Washington, D. C, and on to City Point, on 
the James river, where they were stationed. Mr. Dean served until the 
expiration of his three-months' term and with his command held Fort Pow- 
hattan. He received an honorable discharge at Columbus and then returned 
home to resume the peaceful pursuits of the farm. He to-day has about three 
hundred and fifteen acres of valuable land, some of which he rents. His 
farm is one of the best improved in the county, being supplied with all modern 
accessories and conveniences. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Dean is a stalwart Republican, having 
always supported the men and measures of the party, and on that ticket he 
has been elected to the offices of trustee, assessor and land appraiser. He 
is a member of John A. Miller Po,st, No. 592, G. A. R., and is taking an 
active part in its work. He served as its first commander and has held the 
office for three years and has filled all of the official positions in the organiza- 
tion. His wife belongs to J. M. Wells Corps, with which she has been 
identified for thirteen years, and she has served as a delegate to the national 
convention in Pittsburg. She is a member of the Congregational church of 
Columbus. 

Mr. Dean has led a busy and useful life, diligence being one of his marked 
characteristics. Along these lines he has won a creditable success and is 
to-day numbered among the substantial farmers of his native country. For 
«ixty-eight years he has been a witness of the growth and development of 
this portion of the state and is a worthy representative of an honored pioneer 
family who, through his own labors, has carried forward the work of improve- 
ment begun by his ancestors. 

GEORGE L. GEARY. 

It is probable that Americans adapt themselves to all the requirements 
of citizenship with more facility and precision than any other people, for the 
farmer and tradesman becomes a soldier when soldiers are needed, and when 
peace is declared the soldier loses no time in again becoming the farmer or 
the tradesman and is equally to be depended upon in business or in battle. 
The farmer who develops any portion of his country does as good a work 
for humanity as the soldier who assists to uphold his country's flag, and those 
wdio. like the subject of this sketch, have done both are doubly deserving of 
credit. 

George L. Geary, a prominent farmer and citizen of Washington town- 
ship, Franklin county, Ohio, was born at the southeast corner of Front and 
Race streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 22, 1843, ^ son of Benjamin 
Geary, and a grandson of Richard Geary. His grandfather was born in 



220 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, : 

Dublin. Ireland, April 21, 1782, and married, November 12, 1804, Benigna 
Binns, who was born July 21, 1784. He became a barrister and a man of 
local prominence and died at Dublin October 24, 1834. In 1839 his widow 
came with her second husband, whose name was Joseph Bromlow, to the 
United States, and they settled in Washington township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, on the farm now occupied by Frank A. Zimmer. There Mr. Joseph 
Bromlow died and his widow married Patrick O'Farrell, who died in Wash- 
ington township. Mrs. O'Farrell died at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. 
Moses Latham, in 1857. She bore her first husband children as follows: 
Ann Binns, who was born August 31, 1805, and died February 19, 1850; 
John, wht) was l)orn September 14, 1806, and died at Columbus, Ohio, No- 
vember 3, 1886; Jane, who was born November 9, 1807, and died May 23, 
1808; Richard, who was born October 29, 1809, and died in Ireland; 
Benigna. who was born September 25, 181 1, and died' March 19, 1835; 
Benjamin, the father of the subject of this sketch, who was born July 16, 
1816. will receive a more extended notice in this article; and Maria, who 
married the late Aloses Latham, of Washington township. Mrs. Latham 
was born October 12, 1826, and died at Columbus, Ohio, March 11, 1900. 
Mrs. O'Farrell had' no children by her second and third marriages. 

Jonathan Binns, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch in the 
maternal line, was born in Dublin, Ireland, September 17, 1721. He be- 
came a well-to-do jeweler and silversmith and at his death left a large estate. 
His first wife was Ann Emerson, who was born December 8, 1725, and died 
September 28, 1763, after having borne him children as follows: Ambrose, 
May 5, 1746; John, September 2y, 1747, who died October 19, 1775; Mary 
Hannah, August 26, 1750, who died November 13, 1752; Christian, Septem- 
ber 14, 1752. who died October 10, 1754; Elizabeth, September 26, 1754; 
Jonathan, September 25, 1756; Ann, September 23, 1758; Keziah, April 7, 
1760. who died September 3, 1763; George, September 23, 1761 ; Joshua, 
June 6, 1763, who died December 20. 1764. ]\Ir. Binns married Ann Ver- 
ney December 7. 1764. Miss Verney, who was born October 26, 1744, 
was the mother of George L. Geary's grandmother, and bore her and other 
children to her husband as' follows: Mary. January 11, 1766, who died 
January 25 following; Sarah, February 15, 1767, who died in London, Eng- 
land. August 8, 1790; Keziah, May 26. 1768; Joshua, October i, 1769, wdio 
died June 20, 1771 ; Moses William, January 21, 1771; Hannah, April 15, 
1772; Rebecca, July 2;^. 1773- ^vho died ]\Iarch 5, 1785; Mary, August 26, 
1774. who died September 14 following; Priscilla, born October i, 1775, who 
died June 11, 1777; Elinor, born December 20, 1776; John, March 28, 1778, 
who died November 2 following; Thomas, born August 25. 1779, who died 
May 31, 1800; John, born September i, 1781 ; Frederick, March 11, 1783, 
who died in the following June ; Benigna, the grandmother of the subject of 
this sketch, born July 21, 1784, who died October 3. 1857; Benjamin, born 
January 31, 1786; and Joseph, born March 17, 1787, who died August, 1789. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 221 

Benjamin Geary, a son of Richard and Benigna (Binns) Geary and the 
father of George L. Geary, of Washington township, FrankHn county, Ohio, 
was born in DubHn, Ireland, July 16, 1816, and was well educated. He mar- 
ried and came to the United States in 1836, landing at Philadelphia with very 
little money with which to begin life in a new land. He opened a small 
grocery stand at the southeast corner of Front and Race streets, Philadelphia. 
His business prospered and' he bought property at 126 North Front street, 
where he continued his enterprise on a larger scale. In Alay, 1856, he came 
to Washington township, Franklin county, and bought the farm now owned 
by George Datz. consisting of sixty acres, which he paid for in cash at thirty- 
five dollars an acre. He began improving and cultivating the land and soon 
developed it into a productive farm. \\'hen he began here he knew abso- 
lutely nothing of farming, but was willing to work and learn, and he became 
one of the most scientific farmers in the county. After he had made a start 
in his new home he went back to Philadelphia and brought his family on to 
Ohio and kept a diary of their journey, which would be very interesting read- 
ing did space permit of its reproduction here. He was' energetic, industrious 
and persevering and was no less able as a business' man than as a farmer. He 
was active and influential in politics and during his residence in Philadelphia 
was a member of the Episcopal church. His public spirit made him a very 
us'eful citizen in Washington township, and when he died, Jul}- 24, 1867. he 
was deeply regretted by all who had known him. His wife, who died July 
II, 1871, was Miss Hannah Ann Dunn. Her father was a sea captain, and 
during his absence on a voyage she was born at Kingston, Ireland, and her 
mother yielded up her life in bringing her into the world. She was taken 
into the family of a sister of her mother's, and later, before her marriage, 
lived for a time with members of her father's family. She bore her husband 
children as follows: Benigna was born May 26, 1837. and married Charles 
Franks September 17, 1861, and died September 29, 1889. Richard Henry 
was born September 27. 1839, and died ]\Iarch 20, 1845. -^"11 J^^e was 
born August 20, 1841, and died Xovemlier 29. 1852. George L. is the sub- 
ject of .this sketch. Sophia was born March 17, 1846, married James A. 
Smith December 30. 1869, and died in Washington township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, April 8, 1880. 

George L. Geary attended the public school at the Xew street school 
house in Philadelphia from 1850. when he was seven years old, until 1856, 
when, at the age of thirteen, he was brought by his parents to Ohio. In 
1850, during his first year in school, a terrible explosion of gunpowder and 
saltpetre occurred in Philadelphia, wh.ich Mr. Geary states wrecked the Xew 
street school house and four hundred other buildings. His sister Benigna 
was hurled into the cellar of a dwelling which had been blown away bv the 
explosion and young Geary's father was thrown into the Delaware river, from 
which he managed to make his escape. A man who had been thrown into the 
same cellar with her helped Benigna to a i)lace o{ safety. After the explosion 



222 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Air. Geary's father's house was a refuge for many people who had Ijeen ren- 
dered homeless by the calamity. There is matter for reflection for believers 
in dreams in Mr. Geary's statement that before the explosion his father 
dreamed of precisely such a catastrophe and that he was thrown into the water 
as described above. 

George L. assisted in the work on his father's farm in Ohio until he was 
eighteen years old, and then, October i6, 1861, he enlisted "for three years 
or during the war'' of the Rebellion, as a private in Company D, Forty-sixth 
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His company commander was his 
cousin, Captain Harding C. Geary, and his regimental commander was Colonel 
Thomas Worthington. The Forty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, was attached to the Fifth Division, commanded by General Sherman, 
and when army corps were formed was included in the Second Brigade, Fourth 
Division, Fifteenth Corps. General Sherman was the division commander 
and General McDowell commanded the brigade. Mr. Geary also served lui- 
der Generals Grant, IMcPherson, Logan and Walcutt. The regiment fought 
at Shiloh. took part in the siege of Corinth and also in the siege of Vicksburg, 
and in the engagements at Jackson, Atlanta and numerous other places. Air, 
Geary was at length discharged from the service by reason of expiration of 
his' term of enlistment, October 26, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

Returning to Ohio, Mr. Geary resumed work on his father's farm. Sep- 
tember 23, 1866, he married Miss Martha J. Cosgray, who was born in Wash- 
ington township, Franklin county, Ohio, October 31, 1843, ^ daughter of 
Joseph and Elizabeth (Gordon) Cosgray. An extended sketch of the Cos- 
gray family appears elsewhere iu this work. After hisi marriage Mr. Geary 
lived for a time on the Geary home farm and then removed to Jerome town- 
ship. Union county, Ohio, where he bought a farm on which he remained 
two years. He then returned to Washington township, Franklin county, 
and, after working rented land four 3'ears, bought his present farm of fifty- 
six acres, one of the good farms of the township, the house on which was 
built by John Watts' in 1840. A man of good business ability, he has made 
a creditable success in life and is regarded as a citizen of much public spirit, 
who advocates all measures tending to benefit his fellow^ townsmen and ad- 
vance the best interests of his township, county and state. Politically he is 
a Democrat, and he is an active worker for the success of his party and has 
held several important township offices, having been long a member of the 
school board, township trustee for two. terms and justice of the peace for 
several years, and a decennial appraiser of real property in 1900, performing 
the duties of these offices with an ability and integrity which have won him 
the commendation of the leading men of his township regardless of party 
affiliation. He is a member of John A. Spellman Post, No. 321, Grand Army 
of the Republic, of Hilliard's. and has twice been elected its' commander. 

The following facts concerning the children of George L. and Martha J. 
(Cosgray) Geary will be found interesting in this connection: Lucy, the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 223 

eldest, was born August 12, 1867, and married A. F. DeWitt and lives in 
Jerome township, Union county, Ohio. Anna E. was born March 7, 1869. 
Sarah E. was born November 29, 1871, and was married September 5, 1894, 
to William Lig-gett and lives in Washington township, Franklin county. 
Benigna, born September 27, 1874, married George Leppert October 8, 1896, 
and lives in Washington township. John B., who was born December 13, 
1876, was married to Gertie Skidmore December 20, 1899. Bessie Sophia 
w^as born May 12, 1882. 

EBENEZER BARCUS. 

The city of Columbus is noted for its representative business men, and 
among them may be classed Ebenezer Barcus. He was born in Kent county, 
Delaware, and was a son of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Glandon) Barcus, the 
former of whom was born in Maryland, in June, 1790, the latter in the same 
state about 1793. The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation and 
moved to Ohio in 1828, locating in Columbus, where he engaged in work as 
a carpenter. He was well known and respected. His death 'occurred in 
1869, having survived his wife thirty-nine years. It is probable that the 
Barcus family came from Scotland and Ireland to America before the war 
of the Revolution. 

Ebenezer Barcus, our subject, received his education in the city schools, 
later enjoying some advantages at a private school. He was then taught the 
trade of bricklayer, the rapid growth of the city giving him plenty of em- 
ployment. During the great gold excitement of 1849 ^'^^ joined a company 
consisting of thirty members and started across the plains for California. 
After reaching his destination he began operations on the Yuba river, in 
Gulch Digging^s, this proving fairly remunerative. His observation soon told 
him that a fine business might be carried on in purchasing and supplying 
necessary .supplies to miners, and into this he then entered and successfully 
conducted it for a period of three years. 

Returning to Columbus, Mr. Barcus embarked in the grocery business 
and also pork-packing, being indirectly connected with the Comstocks, ex- 
tensive pork-packers. From 1863 to 1874 he was actively engaged in this 
undertaking, but at that time disposed of his interests and invested his pro- 
ceeds in the fine farm lands through Franklin and Pickaway counties, Ohio, 
His present landed estate now numbers t\yenty-five hundred acres of choice 
land, a portion of it being a first and second bottom, lying on the Columbus 
and' Chillicothe pike and all on the Scioto river. This land is among the most 
fertile in the state and is best adapted for growing grain. Mr. Barcus has 
no difficulty in finding tenants for these farms, and the income is a large one. 
In 1 87 1 he erected his business house on High street, which is now occupied 
by the Ohio Furniture Company. It is one of the best adapted houses in the 
city, four stories in height, the upper floors being occupied as offices. 



224 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Our subject is a Republican in poHtics, voting that ticket in national and 
state matters, but in local issues he prefers to be independent. For several 
years he served the city as a member of the council. Socially he is a mem- 
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He began life with small 
means, but industry, energy and honesty have brought to him prosperity. 

JOSEPH B. POWELL. 

Joseph Bigelow Powell, one of the oldest native residents of Truro town- 
ship, Franklin county, was born in a log cabin on the farm where he now re- 
sides, March 27, 1822. It is supposed that his great-grandfather, Joseph 
Powell, was a native of Wales. Joseph Powell, Jr., the grandfather, was 
born in Maryland, was a farmer by occupation, and died in Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania. He married a IMiss McCoy, who was born and reared in 
]\raryland, and was a relative of Robert McCoy, who built the American 
Flotel in Columbus. 

Archibald Powell, the father of our subject, was born near Hagerstown, 
Maryland, and when about ten years of age went to Bedford county, Penn- 
sylvania, a mountainous district, in which he was reared to manhood. There 
in 1808 he married Elizabeth Adams, who was born in Virginia, and when 
three years of age was taken to Bedford county, Pennsylvania. Her father, 
Jacob Adams, was probably a native of the Old Dominion and was of Ger- 
man descent. He married Clara Dustheimer, also a native of Virginia. The 
great-grandfather was born in Germany. After his marriage Archibald 
Powell resided in Pennsylvania until 181 5, when he came to Ohio, bringing 
with him his wife and four children. In Truro township he secured a claim 
which was covered with a dense growth of timber and in its midst he built 
a little log cabin, fourteen by sixteen feet. There his family of six took up 
their abode, living in true pioneer style, for they were among the first settlers 
of the township. The father was' a lifelong Jeffersonian Democrat, and for 
many years was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
lived to be nearly eighty-five years of age, and his wife was about eighty-six 
years of age at the time of her death. They were the parents of four sons 
and five daughters, all of whom reached mature years and reared families of 
their own, namely: William, who was' born in 1809; Mary, in.i8io; Jacob, 
in 1813; George, in 1815; Malinda A. and Rachel M., in 1818; Josepli B., in 
1822; Elizabeth, in 1824; and Clarissa A., November 19, 1828. The first 
four children were natives of Pennsvlvania, the others of Franklin county, 
Ohio. 

Mr. Powell, of this review, is the seventh child and fourth son, and is 
the only survivor of the family. He spent his boyhood in the cabin home 
and pursued hisi education in a log schoolhouse with a mud-and-stick chimney, 
an immense fireplace, slab seats and one door. He went to school during the 
three winter months and throughout the remainder of the year worked on the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 225 

home farm from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested 
in the autumn. For some years before his father's death he had charge of the 
old homestead. In 1850 he went across the plains to California, where he 
was employed in mining for about two years, returning by way of the water 
route to New York city. He paid eight dollars to ride twenty-five miles on 
the railroad from Chagres river to Aspinwall. From New York he came to 
Franklin county by way of Buffalo and Cleveland. 

In 1863 Mr. Powell married Lucinda T. French, who was born in Fair- 
field county, Ohio, and died in 1870, leaving three sons, — Clement M.. Will- 
iam A. and Andrew J. For his second wife Mr. Powell chose Mary S. 
Fancher, the wedding taking place in 1876. They have three daughters, — 
Gerda M., Flavia E. and Vashti E., — all with their parents'. 

Mr. Powell now owns and operates two hundred and twenty acres of 
good land, all under a high state of cultivation. He has passed the seventy- 
ninth milestone on life's journey, but still superintends his farm, and the well- 
tilled fields yield him a golden tribute. He takes' an active interest in every- 
thing pertaining to the welfare of the community, and for six years he served 
as township trustee, proving a most competent officer. Few men have a 
wider acquaintance and none are more favorably known in his township and 
the surrounding country than Joseph B, Powell. 

HENRY HUFFMAN. 

Henry Huffman, the subject of the present review, is the owner of a 
fine farm on the Jackson pike, six miles south of Columbus, in Jackson town- 
ship, Franklin county, Ohio. He was born in this county August 12. 1845, 
a son of Henry and Catherine Huffman, both natives of Washington county, 
Pennsylvania, who became early settlers of Franklin county, Ohio, building 
a log house in the woods and enduring the trials and privations of pioneer 
life, this accounting perhaps' for the death of Mr. Huffman when only forty- 
nine years old. Both parents of our subject had contracted previous mar- 
riages, Mr. Huffman, Sr., having married a Miss Spohn, of which marriage 
three children were born, and Mrs. Huffman at the time of her second mar- 
riage was a Mrs. Catherine Meech and the mother of two children. A fam- 
ily of five were born to the parents of Mr. Huffman, and he was the second 
son of thisi union, one sister and one brother still surviving. 

Although Mr. Huffman was so unfortunate as to lose both parents when 
■he was but twelve, he remained with relatives in Jackson township until he 
•was about fourteen, when he was sent to relatives in Washington county, 
Pennsylvania, where he lived for six years. Here he earned his own living, 
but when he reached his majority he returned to Jackson township and there 
engaged in any and all work that would bring compensation. Finally he 
rented a patch of ground from his father's estate, cleared it up and disposed 
of his crops successfully, later buying one hundred acres on Jackson pike, 



226 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

adjoining- the farm where he lives, paying for this twelve thousand dollars, 
and resided there nineteen years. Mr. Huffman has made a success of gen- 
eral farming and truck farming, also engaging extensively in the raising of 
cattle. His land in Jackson township includes two hundred and seven acres, 
while he is also the owner of one hundred and eighty acres in Union county, 
Ohio. 

The marriage of Mr. Huffman took place in April, 1866, when Miss 
Jane E. Lowe became his wife. She was born in Franklin county and is 
the daughter of one of the old settlers. Mr. and Mrsi. Huffman are the par- 
ents of four children : Ira, who married Catherine Scharf, of Jackson Pike, 
and the names of their two children are Albert and Lisle; Inez became the 
wife of E. B. Graham and resides at Denyer, Colorado; Orin married Ola 
Blake and they reside at Shadeville, with one daughter, Helen ; and Liska is 
still at home. 

Mr. and Mrs. Huffman are valued members of the Presbyterian church, 
and the whole family is one that commandsi the esteem of the community in 
which they live. 

JAMES PIPPIN. 

It is profitable to write and to read the life history of a self-made man, 
who, beginning poor and without aid, makes his way to a creditable station in 
the world. About every element of interest in such a personal record at- 
taches to the biography of James Pippin, an old and respected resident of 
Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio, w^ho was born in Belmont county, 
thisf state, January 31, 1833, and at the age of twelve years began to fight 
the battle of life for himself. His father, William Pippin, died when he \vas 
very young. His mother, who was known as Widow McConnell before 
William Pippin married her, had three children by her first marriage and five 
by her marriage to Mr. Pippin. 

James Pippin was the fourth in order of birth of the two daughters and 
three sons born to William and Mary (McConnell) Pippin, and traces his 
ancestry on his father's side to early settlers of Pennsylvania and on his 
mother's side to early pioneers of Maryland. He was reared in Holmes 
county, Ohio, and when little more than a child was doing heavy farm work 
and driving a team, hauling goods through Ohio mud. His schooling w^as 
limited to a few months' attendance at one of the private schools among the 
hills of Holmes county. When he had attained his majority he was mar- 
ried and engaged in farming in that county until 1857, when he went to Mor- 
gan county, Indiana, with the intention of remaining there ; but, not liking the 
country, he came to Franklin county, Ohio, and took up his residence in a 
little building in Franklin township, on wdiat was known as the Wilson farm, 
which now does service as a blacksmith shop. For two years he chopped 
wood, which he piled on the railroad or hauled to Columbus, and after that 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 227 

for four years he rented the Riordan farm, which was located just across the 
road from Camp Chase, which was in existence during the Civil war. He 
then bought a forty-acre farm, which he sold in a year in order to buy the 
farm on which he has since lived. At that time there were few improve- 
ments upon the place, nothing in the way of a house but a small log hut, into 
which he moved with his family. The place, which consists of about fifty 
acres, was a very productive farm, upon which he gradually made improve- 
ments, erected a dwelling-house, barns and other outbuildings as he was able, 
and has developed it into a good property. 

In Washington township, Holmes county, Ohio, Mr. Fippin was united 
in marriage to Miss Mary Shank, a native of Holmes county, whose parents 
moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio in the early days of the settlement of the 
state. Unto Mr. Fippin and his wife have been born six children, namely: 
John, who lives in Jackson township; and Ambrose J., who lives in Frank- 
lin township. Franklin county, Ohio ; they are both -married ; Mary Ann, who 
married Frank P. Sperry, of Franklin towns'hip ; James E. ; and Samuel and 
Charles, who are married and live in Columbus, Ohio. 

Mr. Fippin is a pioneer in his neighborhood and has been prominent in 
township affairs ever since he located there. He is a Republican, but votes 
for the best man for any local office regardless of the candidates' political 
views; has served his township ably as a justice of the peace; is a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church,' and has filled the offices of trustee and 
treasurer of the church of that denomination with which he is identified. 



GEORGE R. SCHOTT. 

It argues well for Franklin county that so many of her native sons retain 
their residence here throughout the period of their active business careers. 
Mr. Schott is numbered among those who. having been born in the 
county, are still living within its boundaries, being a well known representa- 
tive of agricultural, commercial and industrial interests. His birth occurred 
in Blendon township on the 24th of July, 1867, his parents being Charles and 
Rebecca E. (Ellis) Schott. The father is a native of Columbus, born April 
29, 1840, a son of John Schott, whose birth occurred in Germany and who 
came to the United States when a young man. He took up his abode in the 
capital city and there followed his trade of brick-mason throughout his entire 
life. When his sons became voung men he purchased a farm in the north- 
west corner of Plain township and removed to the country, his sons engaging 
in the operation of the land while he continued to follow his chosen vocation. 
Charles Schott, the father of our subject, spent his boyhood days under the 
parental roof and learned the brick-mason's trade. After the country became 
involved in civil war. the south attempting to throw off allegiance to the 
national government, he joinq^l the E^nion army, in 1862, as a member of the 



228 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

One Hundred and Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for 
three years, loyally supporting the old flag and the cause it represented. 

In 1866 Charles Schott was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca E. Ellis, 
a native of Tuscarawas county. Her parents died when she was three years 
of age and she was reared by strangers. After their marriage Mr. Schott 
purchased a tract of land of sixteen acres in Blendon township, on which 
was standing a log cabin. It was in that home that our subject was' born. 
In 1879 the father removed with his family to Shelby county, Ohio, but after 
a year returned to Blendon township, Franklin county, and six months later 
removed to Plain township, taking charge of the old family homestead, which 
he managed for his mother, his sons doing the work of the farm while he 
engaged in business as a stone-mason for four years. Later he purchased 
his present home farm of fifty acres and his sons resided thereon. The culti- 
vation of the fields is largely performed by his son Leo, while he and his sons 
Milton and Lewis work at tTie brick-mason's trade. In politics he is a stanch 
Democrat and is a member of the Lutheran church. In the family were 
nine children, seven of whom are yet living, namely : George R., Milton and 
Lewis, who are associated with their father in business ; Leo ; Margaret ; 
Noah, deceased; Emma; Ada, deceased; and Nora. All of the children with 
the exception of our subject are with their parents. 

George R. Schott was surrounded by the influences of a good home in 
his youth. He acquired his education in the common schools and at Central 
College, and when nineteen years of age he began preparation for the re- 
sponsible duties of a business career by entering upon an apprenticeship to 
the brick and stone-mason's trade, following those purusits through the suc- 
ceeding six years. He was a thorough and conscientious) workman and his 
services, therefore, were always in demand. On the 31st of October, 1892, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Clotts, a daughter of Daniel Clotts, 
Sr. The following year Mr. Schott took charge of his father-in-law's farm, 
and in the eight years' which have since passed he has shown himself to be a 
capable business man and one of the leading agriculturists of this section. 
In connection with farming, he is one of the stockholders and a member of 
the board of directors of the Gahanna Creamery Company. 

In his political views Mr. Schott is a Democrat where national issues 
are involved, but at local elections he votes independently, regarding only 
the efficiency of the candidates. He belongs to the Lutheran church and is 
one of the progressive and highly esteemed citizens of Franklin county. 



WILLIAM H. INNIS. 

William H. Innis, deceased, was one of the foremost citizens of Clinton 
township from early manhood until his death. He was a gentleman of more 
than ordinary information and attainments, and as a public-spirited and pro- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 229 

gressive citizen he gave his support to those enterprises calculated to advance 
the moral, social, intellectual or material welfare of his native county. 

Mr. Innis was born in Clinton township, February 2, 1824, and was the 
third in order of birth in a family of six children, whose parents were Henry 
and Isabelle (Clifford) Innis, pioneer settlers of Franklin county. He was 
reared on the home farm and as soon as old enough entered the subscription 
schools of that day, wdiere he laid the foundation for a collegiate course. At 
the age of eighteen he became a student at Central College, near Westerville, 
Ohio, and in that institution completed his education. This enabled him to 
engage in teaching, a calling which he followed in Franklin county during 
the winter months for some time. At the beginning of his career as a teacher 
he bought twenty acres: of land in Clinton township, and through the sum- 
mer season he engaged in its operation. When he discontinued teaching he 
devoted his attention entirely to farming, and met with excellent success in 
that vocation. As his accumulations increased he invested in other land, 
and his estate at one time comprised five hundred acres of valuable land, all 
in Clinton township. One of his subsequent purchases was the Henry C. 
Noble farm, which came into his possession during the Civil war and upon 
which he located October 2, 1863; and four years later he bought the re- 
maining portion of that tract, upon which he made his home throughout the 
remainder of his life. He erected thereon a large brick residence and made 
other permanent improvements which added greatly to the value and attractive 
appearance of the place. 

On the 3d of October, 1854, Air. Innis was united in marriage with Aliss 
Mary Margaret, a daughter of Adam G. and Margaret Gantz, of Marion 
township, this county, and to them were born nine children, five sons and 
four daughters, as follows: Maxwell P., mentioned below; Adam G. ; 
Louvina, the wife of James Dumm, of Delaware, Ohio; Sarah G., the wife 
of Charles Schneider, of Columbus; Isabelle, the wife of William Dumm, 
also of Delaware, Ohio; Lewis, a resident of Clinton township, this county; 
William H., also of this county; Ada R., wife of George Williams, of Colum- 
bus; and James H., who died in infancy. 

Mr. Innis died on the i6th of February, 1890, and his wife departed this 
life December 23, 1891. In early youth he united with the Methodist Episco- 
pal church, and always took an active and prominent part in church and Sab- 
bath-school work, laboring untiringly to disseminate the truths of the scrip- 
tures in the minds of the young and serving as a teacher of the Bible class for 
many years. He was also a member of the official board of the church, and 
in all of his religious work was nobly assisted by his devoted wife, who with 
her husband was foremost in doing good in the cause of the Master. Politi- 
cally he was originally a Whig, and after the organization of the Republican 
party joined its ranks, becoming a firm supporter of its principles. During 
his last years, however, he voted the Prohibition ticket. He was drafted 
during the Civil war and paid five hundred dollars for a substitute. Mr. 



230 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Innisi was a ver}^ generous man, contributing liberally to all churches regard- 
less of denomination, and to all worthy public enterprises. He was a self- 
made man, having begun life with no capital, and the success that he achieved 
was certainly justly merited. 

Maxwell P. Innis, the eldest son of our subject, was born on the home 
farm in Clinton township, September 12, 1855, and received his preliminary 
education in the district schools. In 1876 he entered the Ohio State Uni- 
versity, where he pursued the agricultural course. His education being com- 
pleted, he returned home in 1877 ^^^ remained under the parental roof until 
his marriage, which was celebrated November 26, 1882, Miss Mary E., a 
daughter of George Kirts, of this county, becoming his wife. Three children 
were born to them, but one died in infancy, the others being Ethel B. and 
Bessie M. The parents are both active members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, and in politics Mr. Innis is a Prohibitionist. After his marriage he 
purchased twenty-five acres of land from his father, upon which he lived 
until 1895, when he removed to his present farm, having inherited the same 
from his father's estate. He owns seventy-eight acres of well improved land 
in Clinton township, and is successfully engaged in i.ts operations. Socially 
he is one of the most highly respected citizens of his community. 

JACOB M. WEIBLIXG. 

Jacob M. ^^'eibling, the proprietor of the leading livery stable of Wester- 
ville, was born in Woodbury, Morrow county, Ohio, on the 2d of May, 1857, 
and is a son of John and Catherine (Emahiser) \\'eibling, of whose family 
of four children only our subject siurvives. The father was born in York 
county, Pennsylvania, September 25, 1814, and there grew to manhood, 
learning the trade of cabinet-making. In his youth he married a Miss Klein- 
felter and they became the parents of seven children, of whom one is yet 
living, Mary, now the wife of Oliver Hathaway, of Edison, Ohio. 

Some years after his first marriage the father came to the Buckeye 
state, settling in WoodlDury, where he engaged in work at his trade and also 
followed farming. After the death of his first wife he married ]\Iiss Cath- 
erine Emahiser, and in 1858 they came to AVesterville, where the father en- 
gaged in carriage-painting. Subsequently he erected the building now owned 
by Lou Adams and opened a furniture store and undertaking establishment, 
which he conducted up to the time of his death. He was a thoroughgoing 
business man, industrious and reliable, and enjoyed a prosperous trade. For 
some time he was associated in business with Squire Arnold, and later ad- 
mitted to a partnership his son Edwin, who remained in the business up to 
his father's death, November 7, 1882. John Weibling was a skilled mechanic 
who could execute any kind of work in his line, and his success resulted from 
ability, capable management and enterprise. In his political views he was a 
stalwart Republican and was an active member of the United Brethren church. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 231 

His wife was born in York county, Pennsylvania, about 1829, and came to 
Ohio with her parents during her girlhood. She is still living, her^ home 
being Westerville. 

Jacob M. Weibling spent his boyhood days under the parental roof, and 
in the common schools obtained his education. At an early age he began 
to earn his own living as a farm hand, and when seventeen years of age en- 
tered upon an apprenticeship to the trade of harness-making. On the ex- 
piration of the four years he purchased the shop in which he had been 
employed, and conducted the business on his own account until 1892, when 
he purchased a room, admitted a partner and put in a stock of hardware and 
buggies' in connection with the harness and saddlery goods. Some three 
years later, however, they discontinued the trade in harness, implements and 
buggies, continuing to conduct only the hardware store. On account of his 
health Mr. Weibling was forced to leave the bench and it was this which led 
him to abandon the harness trade. In September, 1900, he sold his store and 
purchased the livery business of Burr Lunnberry and is now conducting the 
leading livery stable in the town. 

Mr. Weibling was united in marriage to Miss Anna Dailv, a native of 
Knox county, Ohio, and a daughter of Decorum Daily, now' of \\'averly, 
Kansas. They had two children, but ]\Iyrtle ^I., the elder, is now deceased 
Their living child is Merrill M. 

In his political views Mr. Weibling is a stanch Republican, is serving his 
second term as the township treasurer and is also the treasurer of the town 
of Westerville. He belongs to Blendon Lodge, No. 339, A. F. & A. M., 
^^'esterville Lodge, No. 273, K. of P., and to the Fraternal Mystic Circle! 
Having long resided in Westerville, there are few of the residents of this part 
of the county who do not know i\Ir. Weibling, and the high reputation which 
he has ever borne in business transactions, coupled with his genuine worth of 
character, have gained for him many friends. 



FREDERICK BARBBERT. 

The truth that the German element in our population is one of its best 
factors has been so many times emphasized in the lives of German emigrants 
wdio have found a home here and left an impression of their sturdy character 
on civilization that it is referred to here only to suggest a still further illustra- 
tion in the careers of members of the family of Barbbert, a somewhat peculiar 
name well known in Franklin county, Ohio. In 1840 Frederick and Dorida 
Barbbert, taking their infant son and a few of their portable belongings, 
sailed from the ''fatherland" in quest of better opportunities in the new world. 
Coming to Franklin county, Ohio, they located in old Clinton township, 
within the territory now known as North Columbus, whence they removed to 
Marion township, where Mr. Barbbert attained success as a gardener and 



232 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

where he and his good wife both died. They had ten children, six of whom 
are Hving. 

Frederick Barbbert, the eldest child of Frederick and Dorida Barbbert, 
was born in Germany December 3, 1839, and was six months old when his 
parents came to Franklin county, where he has lived since that time. lie 
was educated in the public schools near his home and all through his boyhood 
and young manhood was a valuable aid to his father in raising and marketing 
the products of his land. In 1862, when he was about twenty-three years 
old, he married Mary Fisher, who was brought to Ohio by her parents when 
she was about twelve years old and was doubly orphaned not many years after- 
ward, and located on his present farm and engaged in grain raising and 
gardening. His efforts have been crowned with such success that he is 
regarded as one of the prominent farmers and gardeners of his township. 
His farm, consisting of thirty-two acres, is bounded on one side by the cor- 
poration line of the city of Columbus, and because of its productiveness and 
its favorable location is considered valuable property. 

The children of Frederick and Mary (Fisher) Barbbert number four and 
they are named as follows: Daniel married Katie Ickner and is a well known 
gardener of Marion township. Mary is the wife of Rudolph Basseler and her 
husband is also a gardener in Marion township. Dora married John Homan, 
of Columbus, Ohio. Katie is not married, and since the death of Mrs. Barb- 
bert, in 1897, has been her father's housekeeper. Mr. Barbbert is a member 
of the Holy Cross Catholic church of Columbus. In political affiliation he 
is a Democrat when he votes the national ticket, but when he considers candi- 
dates for local offices he casts aside all thought of party and votes for the 
best men, for he is public-spirited to such a degree that he has exerted a rec- 
ognized influence on the development and prosperity of his township. Those 
who know him best respect him most highly and refer to him as one of the 
most honorable and reliable of men. 

ROBERT WILSON PERRY. 

The real-estate interests of Columbus, Ohio, have been increasingly im- 
portant as the city has advanced in wealth and population and its boundaries 
have extended, and they have for the most part been handled by first-class 
men. One of the well known real-estate operators of Columbus at this time is 
Robert Wilson Perry, who was born near Westerville, Franklin county, Ohio, 
in 1859, a son of George Perry. John Perry, the father of George Perry, 
fought the English in the war of 1812-14 as a member of a Pennsylvania 
regiment and died in the service. He was a native of Pennsylvania, as was 
also his wife Jennie. They located on a farm near Shippensburg, that state, 
in Franklin county, where he worked at the blacksmith's trade. About 1820 
he went out to war with the Indians and was never heard from afterward. 
He left a wife and one son. George. His widow five years afterward mar- 
ried a man named Kelly, while George was adopted by a lady of the name of 



^^^^^m^^^^?i. 




R. W. PERRY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 233 

Rotts, and was brought to Ohio at the age of twelve years, the family settling 
northwest of North Columbus, on the Hess farm, when George was eighteen 
years old. After the marriage of his mother to ]\lr. Kelly he lost all trace 
of her. 

George Perry, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania, in 
1 818, and in 1826, at the age of eight years, came with Mrs. Rotts to Frank- 
lin county. In 1840 he married Mr. Sherbourn's daughter Margaret, who 
was born in Pennsylvania in 1819, and died at Worthington, Franklin county, 
at the age of seventy-sixyears, in 1897. They had ten children, of whom 
the eldest, a boy, died. Mr. Perry spent all of his active years on a farm in 
Blendon township until 1884, when he retired to Westerville, whence he re- 
moved in 1897 to Worthington. Although now eighty-two years old. he is 
in good health and in possession of all his faculties. 

Mr. Perry has five brothers: and three sisters. Emory Andrews Perry 
is a grocer at Marysville, Ohio, and is an active and well known citizen of that 
town. George W., Frank Peeples, William Edward and John Roth Perry 
are all progressive farmers in Delaware county, Ohio. Jennie Perry married 
John Youell, and Mary Ellen Perry married John Huffman, and they both live 
in Worthington, Franklin county; and Anna Margaret Perry married the Rev. 
John Stottler, a minister of the Christian church, and lives at Mount Carmel, 
Illinois. 

Robert Wilson Perry, whose name introduces this review, was educated 
in the public schools of Blendon township and at Otterbein University, at 
Westerville, where he took a four-years normal course and branched out into 
business in 1886. From 1887 to 1889 he was in the creamery business at 
\\'esterville, and from 1889 to 1897 he was the city salesman at Columbus 
for the Circleville Creamery, at Circleville, Ohio, and since then he has de- 
voted himself exclusively to the real-estate business. He is a well known 
Republican, and was received as an Entered Apprentice, passed the Fellow 
Craft degree and was raised to the sublime degree of Master Alason in Frank- 
lin Lodge, No. 3, F. & A. M., of Columbus, and is a member also of the 
Eastern Star orders. He has demonstrated that he is a man of public spirit, 
who takes an interest in his city and county, and as a business man he is held 
in high esteem by all who know him. 

WILLIAM H. GROTTHOUSE. :M. D. 

The world instinctively pays deference to the man whose success has 
been worthily achieved, who has attained wealth by honorable business meth- 
ods, acquired the highest reputation in his chosen calling by merit, and whose 
social prominence is not less the result of an irreproachable life than of rec- 
ognized natural gifts. We pay the highest tribute to the heroes who on bloody 
battle-fields win victories and display a valor that is the admiration of the 
world. Why should tribute be withheld from those who wage the blood- 
less battles of civil life, who are conquerors in the world of business? 



234 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Greater than in almost any line of work is the responsil)ility that rests upon 
the physician. The issues of life and death are in his hands. A false pre- 
scription, an unskilled operation, may take from man that which he prizes 
above all else, — life. The physician's power must be his own; not by pur- 
chase, by g-ift or l)y influence can he gain it. He must commence at the very 
beginning, learn the very rudiments of medicine and surgery, continually add 
to his knowledge by close study and earnest application and gain reputation 
by merit. If he would gain the highest prominence it must come as the 
result of superior skill, knowledge and ability, and these qualifications are 
possessed in an eminent degree by Dr. Grotthouse. Although one of the 
vounger members of the profession, he is widely know^n as one of its most 
able representatives. 

The Doctor was born in Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, May 8, 1868, and is 
the second son and youngest child of Herman Rudolph and Margaret Maria 
(Kastens) Grotthouse, both of whom w^ere natives of Hanover, Germany. 
The father was born July 6, 1837, the mother in 1836. He is a son of John 
Rudolph Grotthouse, who was a pharmacist, as was also the great-grand- 
father of our subject. The former married Mrs. Myers, who was born in 
(Strubbe December 18, 1806, while his birth occurred July 2, 1802. By her 
former marriage Mrs. Myers had two children, — Henry and Regina, — both 
of whom preceded the mother to America, settling in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 
Henry afterward became a resident of Holmes county, Ohio, where he mar- 
ried a Miss Leyman. He died in 1870, at the age of sixty-five years. He 
had two children. — Louise and William, — both of whom have now passed 
away. Regina Myers- married Henry Buddemeyer, of Pittsburg, who is 
now a retired merchant. They became the parents of two children. — Louise 
and Henry. The former died at the age of eighteen years, while the latter is 
a prominent citizen of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now acting as the discount 
clerk in the German National Bank of that city. In 1853 John Rudolph 
Grotthouse came with his wife and three children, — John, Herman Rudolph 
and William, — to America. They landed in New York, whence they made 
their way to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where the eldest son, John, died in 
:854, at the age of twenty- four, a victim of the cholera. Both of the parents 
died of the same dread disease on the 21st of September, 1854, and upon the 
two surviving children devolved the sad of^ce of preparing the parents for the 
tomb. The youngest child, William, died in Pittsburg, in 1858, at the age 
of eighteen years, so that Herman Rudolph is the only survivor of the family. 

The Doctor's father was sixteen years of age when he arrived in Amer- 
ica. In Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, he learned the cooper's, trade, and was 
there married, in 1861, to Miss Margaret Maria Kastens, who came to Amer- 
ica in 1854. After their marriage they continued to reside in Pittsburg until 
June, 1868, Mr. Grotthouse there conducting a cooperage establishment. In 
that year they came with their family to Ohio, taking up their abode in Ber- 
lin, Holmes county, where the Doctor's father has since successfully followed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 235 

his trade. He is known as a gentleman of sterling integrity and strong char- 
acter and is a valued citizen of his community. His wife died December 11, 
1 871. She was a devoted wife, a faithful and indulgent mother and a devoted 
Christian woman, who during her life was a consistent member of the Lutheran 
church. In the family were two sons : Henry Herman, who was born in 
Pittsburg January 30, 1865, and William Henry, of this review. 

The elder son was educated in the public schools of Holmes county and 
in early life he embarked in merchandising in Berlin, Ohio, and later was 
identified with commercial interests as. a merchant at Millersburg, where he 
carried on business until 1889, since which time he has been a well known 
and prominent representative of the Oliver Chilled Plow Company, with 
headquarters at Dallas, Texas. In 1900 he visited the Paris exposition and 
also paid a visit to the old home of his ancestors in Germany. He is a young 
man of fine attainments and is the president of the Texas State Endeavor 
Society. 

For his second wife Herman Rudolph Grotthouse wedded ]\Iary Gep- 
hart, and unto them were born two children, — Edward and Charles. The 
former died in infancy, and the latter is engaged in merchandising in Berlin 
and is an enterprising young man of twentj-two years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Grotthouse are both members of churches, the former being a Lutheran in 
religious connection, while the latter is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. 

Of the maternal ancestry of the Doctor but little is known. His mother, 

Margaret Maria Grotthouse, was a daughter of and Wilhelmina 

Kastens, both natives of Hanover, Germany. The former was a farmer 
by occupation. He died very suddenly after attending the wedding of one of his 
daughters. Mrs. Kastens passed away March 11. 1869, at the age of sixty- 
five years, three months and two days. Their children were Henry,- Diedrich, 
P'rederick, Sophia, Margaret, Maria and Wilhelmina, all now deceased but 
Wilhelmina, who married Mr. Rottman and is a widow residing at the 
ancestral home in Germany. Sophia was the wife of a Mr. Klein. 

Dr. Grotthouse, whose name introduces this record, was brought to Ohio 
when only about a month old', the family locating in Berlin, Holmes county, 
\vliere hisi childhood days were passed in attendance at the public schools of the 
village. He there acquired his literary education, which he completed in the 
spring of 1886. During the last five years of that period he worked upon 
a farm for nine months of each year, attending school only through the winter 
months. In November, 1886, he entered the employ of the firm of Strome 
& Hull, pharmacists of Millersburg. Ohio, with whom he remained until 
October, 1891. In 1887 he began a home course of study in pharmacy, which 
he completed the following year and successfully passed the examination of 
an assistant pharmacist. In 1889 he took the regular pharmacy examina- 
tion and was duly registered according to the law of Ohio. In the spring of 
that year he began reading medicine, under the supervision of Dr. S. P. 



236 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Wise, a prominent physician of Millersburg. who was^ his preceptor initil 
October, 1891, at which time he matriculated in the StarHng- Medical Col- 
lege, of Columbus, Ohio, w^here he diligently prosecuted his studies in medi- 
cine'until the following ]\Iarch. At that time he entered the Wooster Medical 
College, of Cleveland, where he continued his studies until the following Sep- 
tember. He was then admitted to the ]\liami Medical College, of Cincin- 
nati, Ohio, where he completed his course, being graduated in that institution 
in April, 1893. During the nineteen months of arduous study in the above 
named institution the Doctor enjoyed only one vacation, of eight days. 

After his graduation he entered the office of his preceptor, with whom 
he practiced until 1894. in which year he came to North Columbus and estab- 
lished himself in the drug business, being associated with W. H. Shoup, of 
]Millersburg, Ohio. In 1899 he pursued a post-graduate course in the New 
York School of Clinical Medicine, wdiich institution conferred upon him 
its diploma of graduation. In his chosen profession he is a close student and 
keeps constantly in touch with the best thought of the ablest minds' in the 
medical fraternity. 

Dr. Grotthouse is a member of the ]\Iasonic order, belonging to Alag- 
nolia Lodge, No. 20, of Columbus, into which he was initiated June 30, 1896, 
and he is also a member of the Scottish-rite bodies. He is an ex-president of 
the Acacia Club, a social Masonic organization of North Columbus. Of the 
Congregational church of North Columbus he also is a member, and in social 
circles he is recognized as a popular and highly esteemed young man, enjoy- 
ing the sincere regard of the majority of those with whom he has been 
brought in contact. 

SA^IUEL D. DONEY. 

This enterprising and progressive citizen of Truro township is one of the 
most extensive farmers of Franklin county, and his management of the estate 
is marked by the scientific knowledge and skill which characterize the modern 
agriculturist. A native of Harrison countv, he was born in Athens town- 
ship February 27, 1858, and is a son of Abraham Covert Doney, whost birth 
occurred in Harrison county, Ohio, August 29, 1829. The paternal grand- 
lather, Samuel Doney, was also a native of Harrison county, where he died 
when comparatively a young man. 

The father became one of the most successful and prosperous farmers 
and stock-dealers and shippers of Truro township, where he located in 1865, 
his place being what was known as the W'hite Hall farm, w'hich name it 
receiA-ed on account of the White Hall tavern which once stood there and 
which was a stopping place for stages before the days of railroads. When 
he first came to the township ]Mr. Doney purchased three hundred acres of 
land v\-here our subject now resides. Prosperity crowned his well-directed 
efforts, and at the time of his death he left to his heirs six hundred acres of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 237 

valuable land which had been improved by him. For six years he most 
capably and satisfactorily served as justice of the peace, and then refused to 
longer allow his name to be used as a candidate for that office. He was 
also a school director for a number of years and was a Republican in national 
politics, but voted for whom he considered the best men at township and 
county elections. For a quarter of a century he was an active and prominent 
member of the Third Street jMethodist Episcopal church of Columbus, and 
was a liberal contributor to the same. He died January 28, 1900, at the age 
of seventy years, honored and respected by all who knew him. 

His' wife, who bore the maiden name of Emily V. Brock, was born in 
Fairfield county October 20, 1837, a daughter of Dr. Meredith D. Brock, who 
was also a native of Ohio and for twenty years was a resident of Columbus, 
where he died at the age of seventy-five. He was a prominent Knight 
Templar, having joined the Masonic order in 1835. In 1842 he organized 
Salem Lodge, No. 87, in which he held the office of worshipful master for the 
long period of twenty years. In 1854 he was elected junior grand warden of 
of the grand lodge of Ohio ; the following year served as senior grand warden ; 
in 1886 was elected deinity grand master, and filled the office of grand master 
during that Masonic year. In 1861 he organized Reynoldsburg Lodge and 
served as its worshipful master for eleven years, making in all thirty-one 
years in that office. In his ]\Iasonic work he laid corner-stones, dedicated 
halls and installed officers for many years and was one of the most prominent 
and popular officers in the order throughout this section of the state. To 
Abraham C. Doney and wife were born six children, of whom five are still 
living, namely: Jesse B., born February 10, 1856: Samuel D.. our subject; 
J'.iary C, deceased, born October 6, i860; DeWitt C, born :\Iarch 12. 1863; 
Carl G., born July 24, 1867; and Emma C born March 28, 1870. 

The district schools of hisi native township afforded Samuel D. Doney 
his early educational privileges, but later he attended the Capital University, 
of Columbus, the JMount Laiion College, in Stark county, this state, and the 
Ohio State University. When his school days were over he returned to 
Truro township and assisted his father in his farming operations. He is 
now administrator of the latter's estate, which consists of six hundred acres 
of farm land and other valuable property. Most of the farm is now operated 
by tenants. 

On the 31st of December, 1S91, 'Mr. Doney was united in marriage with 
Ida Sprague, of Truro township, who died July 30. 1897. In his political 
affiliations our subject is a Republican, but at local elections he generally 
votes independently of party lines. For twelve years he served as justice 
of the peace with credit to liimself and to the entire satisfaction of all con- 
cerned, and was also land appraiser in 1890. Socially he is' a Mason, a 
member of Goodale Lodge, No. 372, of Columbus, of Ohio Chapter, N(3. 12, 
and Columbus Council of that city, and is a Sir Knight of IMount Vernon 
Commandery. Religiously he is connected with the Third Street ^.lethodist 



238 CEXTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Episcopal church, eif which he has been a nienil)cr for twenty-one years. He 
is one of the most highly respected citizens of his c<nnmunity, and wherever 
known is held in high regard. 

J. M. POLSLEY. 

J. M. Polsley, a highly respected resilient of Columbus, w?as born in 
Brooke county. West Virginia, in 1845. His father, Daniel Polsley, was a 
native of Marion county, that state, born in the year 1803, and in the place 
of his nativity he continued to reside until 1824, when he left there and went 
to W^llsburg, in Brooke county, where he commenced the practice of law\ 
He became a leading and distinguished jurist and a man of great influence, 
l)eing a recognized leader of public thou^-ht and action. Perhaps no man 
in the state did more to secure the admission of West Virginia into the 
Union than did Daniel Polsley, who soon afterward w-as elected to represent 
the newly formed state in congress. He left the impress of his individuality 
upon public affairs, and his name is endearingly and honorably inscribed 
on the pages of the history of the commonwealth. 

During his' infancy Air. Polsley, of this review, was taken by his parents 
to Mason county. West Virginia, the family settling at Graham Station, 
where he continued to reside upon the home farm, aiding in the work as far 
as his strength and years would permit. His educational privileges were 
somewhat meager, but he attended school at intervals until seventeen years 
of age. Avhen he became connected with steamboating on the Ohio river, fol- 
lowing the river in various capacities for a period of almost thirty years, 
during which time he occupied almost all of the different positions known to 
river navigation. During the period of the Civil war he was acting as pilot 
on government vessels and is one of the few sur\iving oflicers of the fleet of 
steamboats' engaged in transporting General Grant's army across the Ten- 
nessee river on the day previous to the battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Land- 
ing. On the boat wdiich he piloted, known as the Tigress, the general him- 
self and his staff were conveyed to the point where the battle was fought, — • 
a battle which has since become famous in the history of the war between 
the north and the south. Although less than twenty years of age at the time, 
Mr. Polsley was found at his post of duty while the iron hail w^as rattling 
around him and bravely steered his vessel through the raging flood safely to 
the landing place. But few instances of similar courage and bravery are 
believed to have been shown by persons not actually enrolled in the army 
during the Civil war. On the occasion of General Buell reinforcing General 
Grant at Shiloh, the latter met Buell at the landing, on the steamer Tigress. 
General Buell inquired, "What preparation have you made to retreat? You 
have not boats enough to carry ten thousand soldiers.'' After quietly remov- 
ing his cigar General Grant replied, "Sir, if I retreat I do not expect to have 
ten thousand soldiers to retreat with." During the progress of the battle 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 239 

General Grant's horse fell, spraining the General's ankle so badly that he 
had to return to the steamer Tigress and have a crutch made. Mr. Polsley 
met him at the landing, assisting him off his horse, and instructed the car- 
l^enters to make the crutch. 

In 1870 Mr. Polsley was united in marriage to Miss Fannie J. Atkinson, 
a daughter of John Atkinson, of Gallipolis, Ohio, and was for many years 
a valued resident of that place, dying there in 1890, honored and respected 
by all who knew him. By this marriage the following children were born : 
Guy H., who was born in 1871 ; Rose V., born in 1873; Kate A., born in 
1875; and J. F., born in 1877. The family circle yet remains unbroken by 
the hand of death. The eldest son is residing in Point Pleasant, West Vir- 
ginia, and is connected with the Point Pleasant Register, a newspaper pub- 
lished in the county seat of Mason county. 

In 1884 Mr. Polsley removed to Gallipolis, where he continued to reside 
until the year 1898, when he brought his family to Columbus, where he now 
resides. He votes wath the Republican party, with which he has affiliated 
for thirty years as an unswerving advocate of its principles. He is now 
enjoying a well earned rest after long years of activity. 

EDGAR J. POCOCK. 

One of the esteemed citizens of the city of Coumbus. Ohio, a prominent 
business man and a veteran of the Civil war. is the subject of the present 
sketch. He was born June 21, 1838, near the village of Keene, Coshocton 
county, Ohio, a son of Joshua and Katherine (Wilson) Pocock, pioneers of 
eastern Ohio, who dated their entrance into the state back to the days when 
it was yet a territory. They were of excellent stock and were leaders in 
their section, where their names are still remembered with respect. 

Colonel Pocock received his education in the schools of his native countv. 
going thence to the Spring Mountain Academy, following which course he 
engaged in teaching school for a time, later conducting a dry-goods store. 
Unlike many of his brother officers^. Colonel Pocock won his promotion bv 
gallant service, having enlisted in the army as a private soldier and serving 
nearly four years. Among the more important battles in which he took part 
were Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, 
during the last three commanding his company. He served all through the 
memorable campaign from Missionary Ridge to Atlanta, being on the staff 
of his brigade commander for a considerable period. At the battle of Resaca 
he was wounded, recovering in time, however, to take part in the battles 
around Atlanta and those of Spring Hill, Columbia, Franklin and Nashville, 
and the skirmishes which resulted in the dispersing of Hood's armv. 

When peace was attained Colonel Pocock resumed his mercantile pur- 
suits, first at Bloomfield, Ohio, and later at Coshocton, where he continued 
until 1884. At this time, desiring a change of business, he entered that of 



240 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

life insurance, and since then has continued in that line, except for a short 
interval. He is now occupying the position of general agent of the New- 
York Life Insurance Company, and was also the agent of the Northwestern 
Life Insurance Company, which has its main office in Milwaukee, Wiscon- 
sin. Colonel Pocock is well and most favorably known, his capable manage- 
ment of the affairs of the two great companies being satisfactory in the high- 
est degree. 

In 1876 Colonel Pocock wa& elected captain of the Coshocton Company 
of the Ohio National Guards, lieutenant-colonel of the Seventeenth Regi- 
ment, Ohio National Guards, in 1878, and later acted as its colonel for twelve 
years. He was in command of his regiment at the Cincinnati riots of 1884-5, 
and upon the accession of Governor McKinley he was appointed adjutant- 
general, resigning this honorable position, however, in 1893, to return to his 
business' of life insurance. 

Colonel Pocock was married in 1865, to Miss Mary A. Hunt, the daugh- 
ter of Judge Hunt, of Millersburg, Ohio. Three daughters were born to 
Colonel and ]\Irs. Pocock; Caroline A., the wife of Major Harry Parker 
Ward, of this city; Madeline, the wife of Harry Ross Jones, of Cleveland, 
Ohio ; and the ycungest daughter, Lucy H., is a student at the Ohio State 
University. 

Colonel Pocock has been highly honored by his former companions-in- 
arms, having been made commander of the Richard Lanning Post of the 
Grand Army, at Coshocton, and of McCoy Post, at Columbus, and stands 
high in the regard of many other veteran associations, one of these being 
the military order of the Loyal Legion. In every relation of life Colonel 
Pocock has borne well his part and Columbusi has no more highly esteemed 
citizen than he. 

DAVIS BROWN. 

Ohio, which was in its pioneer days a great camping ground utilized in 
the settlement of the west, retained as permanent residents many of those 
who were seeking to build their fortunes, and who, recognizing the value 
and possibilities of the territory here, were willing to let well enough alone. 
The history of events proves that Ohio rewarded all such pioneers most 
bountifully for the confidence they reposed in her. Franklin county was 
the stopping place of many on the journey to the vaguely defined west, and 
she presented opportunities which were recognized by some who remained, 
many of them eventually to reap the benefit of the work of men who had come 
before them and gone on. The name of Brown has long been connected 
with the history of Norwich township, and Davis Brown is a prominent rep- 
resentative of the family there. 

Basil Brown, the father of Davis Brown, was' reared near Baltimore, and 
fought for his country in the war of 181 2. He married Nancy Davis, who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 241 

was born near Baltimore, a daughter of John and Ann (Simpson) Davis. 
With his wife and three children he came with a few other families to Ohio 
about 1 81 6. He brought along one horse and a few necessary agricultural 
implements, some tools, but no furniture to speak of except a bed. The 
families journeyed from Pittsburg to Point Pleasant by boat. They traveled 
from Point Pleasant to Delaware county, Ohio, by wagon and located on 
Elm creek, where Mr. Brown opened a shoemaker's shop and where the 
family remained one 3'ear. He then removed to Dublin, Franklin county, 
Ohio, where he soon established himself as a shoemaker, working part of the 
time in his shop and going sometimes to the homes of his customers and 
remaining until he had made shoes for the whole family. When not employed 
at his trade'he did any work that came to hand. His health failed eventually 
and in 1835 he set out for Maryland, hoping that the climate of his native 
state would restore him to his old-time vigor, but he was taken sick at Aliddle- 
town, Ohio, and died there in August. of that year. His widow did not 
marry again, and lived until November, 1869. 

The following items of information concerning their children will be 
found interesting in this connection : Louisa, who is deceased, was Mrs. 
Abraham Sells; Susie, also deceased, was Mrs. James Ramsey; Ann, deceased, 
was Mrs. George Kilpatrick ; Sarah married Edward Henry ; James is deceased ; 
Edith, deceased, was ]Mrs. Henry Martin : and Davis was born at Dublin, 
Washington township, Franklin county, Ohio, December 19, 1830. He 
attended one winter term of school of three months at Dublin. When old 
enough to work he wa& employed at farm labor by Mr. Eversole, who was 
also the proprietor of a sawmill, and after he had plowed or worked other- 
wise in the fields all day he was oftenkept busy until late at night carrying 
lumber out of the mill. His father had died when he was only five years old, 
his mother was poor and the country was new, and he considered himself 
fortunate to be able to earn five dollars a month and his board even by hard 
and continuous work that would have sent a man away looking for some- 
thing easier. By the time he was twenty-one years of age he had saved enough 
money to buy a team and wagon, and he began life for himself on a rented 
farm. February 18, 1858. he married ]\Iiss Viana Urton, who was born in 
Franklin county, Ohio, October 5, 1838, a daughter of John and Keziah 
(Bishop) Urton. 

In the spring of i860 ]\Ir. Brown removed to Norwich township. Frank- 
lin county, Ohio. He rented a farm there for four years and then bought 
fifty acres of land which adjoins his present farm and which consists of one 
hundred and eighty acres. He has made many improvements in the way 
of buildings, fences and orchards. He also owns a farm of one hundred and 
forty-five acres situated partly in Washington township and partly in Norwich 
township. Mrs. Brown died March 27, 1894. and his loss is one which he 
believes can never be repaired. She was a model wife and mother and a 
devout member of the JMethodist Episcopal church at Hilliard's, of which 



242 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Brown has been a trustee since its organization. She bore him five 
children, who are here mentioned in the order of their nativity : James mar- 
ried Mattie Van Schoit and is a resident of Norwich township; Isabel mar- 
ried J. W. Shepper, of Columbus, Ohio; Charles married Ida Warren and 
lives in Washington township; Basil married Sadie Floyd and assists his 
father in the management of the home farm; and Emma ]\I. married Edward 
Baldwin. ]\Ir. Brown cast his first presidential vote for John Charles Fre- 
mont, the "pathfinder," and his next for Abraham Lincoln, and he has voted 
for every Republican presidential nominee since. He is influential in the 
councils of his party, and though not a seeker for office he has been prevailed 
upon to accept some positions of trust and responsibility. He has been a 
member of the school board of Norwich township and was for feeven years 
township trustee. He is a public-spirited man, always ready to aid his fel- 
low citizens to the extent of his ability, and his assistance is always generous 
and practical. 

SAMUEL J. COCHRAN. 

Honored retirement from labor is the fitting reward of a well spent life. 
Diligence, industry and capable management will cause the portals 'of success 
to swing wude before the individual, and when he has garnered the reward 
of his efforts it is but just that he should enjoy a period of rest surrounded 
by the comforts that former toil has brought to him. This has been vouch- 
safed to Mr. Cochran. He is now pleasantly located in a comfortable home 
at No. 1035 Dennison avenue, Columbus, Ohio. 

He was born October 22, 1832, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. His 
parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, but were of Scotch descent. His 
father, James Cochran, died about the year 1859, while his mother passed 
away in 1897, at the very advanced age of eighty years. The public schools 
afTorded him his educational privileges. On the 6th of April, 1853, he was 
united in marriage to Miss Emily B. Greer, the wedding being celebrated at 
her home in Mif!lin county, Pennsylvania. 

The year following his marriage Mr. Cochran renimed with his young 
wife to Shelby, Richland county, Ohio, where he entered the service of the 
Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad Company. For a year and a 
half they resided in that county and then removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where 
they also remained for a similar period, taking up their abode afterward in 
Zanesville, this state. Mr. Cochran was in the service of the Central Ohio 
Railroad Company for a quarter of a century, and his ability and fidelity won 
him promotion from time to time. He served successively as a passenger 
conductor, master of transportation and as superintendent of the Bellaire & 
Southwestern. On the expiration of that period Mr. Cochran retired to 
private life, having in the meantime acquired a very handsome competence, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 243 

which suppHes him with all the comforts^ and many of the luxuries which go 
to make life worth the living. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cochran has been born but one child, ;Mrs. Saidie 
Janet Cull, who was married in 1898. Her husband is the owner of a large 
sheep ranch in Wyoming and there they spend the summer months in the 
mountains, while the winter season is passed in their pleasant home in Colum- 
bus. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran have a very wide circle of friends in this city^ 
and enjoy the warm regard of many who know them. Of different fra- 
ternal organizations he is an active and valued member, being a representative 
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias. 
In political views he is a Jacksonian Democrat, and in the questions of the 
day he takes a deep interest, keeping well informed concerning the issues, yet 
never desiring public office. His life has been one of activity in the business 
world, and the success which he has achieved is a fitting crown of his well 
directed labors. 

CHARLES W. HALDY. 

A worthy representative of the thrifty, progressive German factor in 
the population of Franklin county, Ohio, which has done so much for the 
advancement of all its leading interests, is Charles W. Haldy, of Franklin 
township, who devotes his time to farming and to the management of his 
father's large estate. Mr. Haldy is a son of Frederick Haldy, a biographical 
sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this work, and was born at 
Zweibruecken, Germany, June 23, 1848, and was only a year and a half old 
when Frederick Haldy and his wife, Louisa, brought him to the United States. 
The family came to New York city and thence to Columbus, where Charles 
W. Haldy secured his primary education in the public schools. In 1S62, 
when he was fourteen years old, his parents removed to their farm on A\'est 
Broad street, where he has since lived and where he began active life as a 
farmer and dairyman. 

After his marriage, which occurred May 11, 1887, he began farming for 
himself and has developed a considerable dairy business. Since the retire- 
ment of hisi father he has been in charge of his estate, having supervision 
over two hundred acres of land in Franklin township near the Columbus 
corporation line, and of much city property. He is a director in the new 
Columbus Watch Company and is a stockholder in the concern manufacturing 
the Hallwood cash register, and is interested in the Ambos building and in 
other valuable real estate in Columbus. He is not only a man of good busi- 
ness ability but also possesses a wide range of general information and has 
traveled extensively both in America and in Europe, having in 1883 visited 
England, Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Belgium. A Republican in 
politics, he has taken an active part in political work and at this time holds 



244 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the office of judge of elections. He is a member of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows. 

jMr. Haldy married Norma E. Schueller, a native of Columbus, Ohio, 
and a daughter of the late Ernst Schueller, who was prominent in that city 
as a druggist and respected as a citizen. Mr. Schueller married Helen Wirth, 
and Mr&. Haldy, who was their second child and oldest daughter, was grad- 
uated at the Columbus high school. Mrs. Schueller was born at Leipsic, 
Germany, a daughter of an old "fatherland" family, and came when young 
to Columbus, where she formed the acquaintance of, and married, Mr. 
Schueller, also of German birth and parentage. Charles W. and Norma E. 
(Schueller) Haldy have two daughters, named Helen and Gertrude. 

PERCY S. LOWRY. 

The subject of this sketch was born at Senecaville, Guernsey county, 
Ohio, ]\Iarch 6, 1866, being one of the six children of Porter and Susan 
Lowry. The latter was a daughter of Rev. Thomas and Jane Rosemond 
Taylor, prominent in the pioneer history of the county. In and near Seneca- 
A'ille the subject of our sketch resided until eighteen years of age, attending 
school in winter and helping on the farm in summer. He then attended the 
Ohio Normal University, at Ada, Ohio, and taught school alternately, being 
graduated at that institution in 1889, with the degree of A. B. After then 
teaching" one year he received an appointment, through the civil service, in 
the war department at Washington, D. C. ^\^^ile fulfilling the duties of this 
position he also pursued the study of law at the Columbian University Law 
School, receiving, in 1893, the degree of LL. ]\I. Thereupon, having passed 
the state examination, he was admitted to the bar of Ohio and began the 
practice of his profession at Columbus, having resigned his government 
clerkship. 

In politics always a working Republican, ]\Ir. Lowry at once took an 
active part in political affairs of the capital city, and in 1900 was elected a 
justice of the peace, which office he now holds. 

September 5, 1900, he was united in marriage to ■Miss Gertrude Saun- 
ders, of Essex county, Virginia, but at that time residing in Washington, D. 
C. In fraternal circles he is a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias 
and of the Modern Woodmen of America. 

EUGENE LANE. 

One of the prominent professional men of the citv of Columbus, Ohio, is 
Eugene Lane, who is actively engaged in the practice of law in this city. 
He was born at Mount Carmel, Clermont county. Ohio. October i. 1848, 
and was a son of John S. and Anne (Richards) Lane. The grandfather of 
our subject was Shadrach Lane, who had come to Ohio as one of the pioneers 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 245 

from his native state of North Carohna. He married Betsey Van Eaton, also 
a native of the Old North state, who, like himself, had come early to Cler- 
mont county, Ohio. In this county occurred the .birth of the father of our 
subject, and here he spent most of his life, dying at Delaware, Ohio, in 1875. 
For many years he had been a successful farmer, also engaging in survey- 
ing and in civil engineering through the county. 

Mr. Lane spent his boyhood days on the farm and attended the district 
school until his sixteenth year. Just at this time came the exciting events 
leading up to the opening of the Civil war, and Mr. Lane, with others of hisi 
young companions, resolved to enter the army and do battle for the Union. 
Friends, however, prohibited this rashness, but were not able to quench the 
fire of patriotism burning in his bosom which resulted a short time later in 
another attempt, this time successful. Joining the army at Goldsboro, North 
Carolina, Mr. Lane w^as assigned to Company E, Fifth Ohio Volunteer Cav- 
alry, under Colonel Thomas Heath, and served faithfully until October 30, 
1865. He took part in several skirmishes and was for some time in General 
Shcrnian's command. 

After his return home from the army ]\Ir. Lane returned to his studies, 
entering the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, here meeting a large 
number of students who^like himself, had postponed their college courses 
until they could be assured of the safety of the country. He met there many 
young men who have since become prominent, both in business and politics, 
among them Hon. J. B. Foraker, General Axline and others. 

Mr. Lane graduated at the university in 1871 and soon afterward removed 
to Quincy, Illinois, where he engaged in business until the fall of 1875, return- 
ing then to Ohio, where he entered the law office of L. J. Critchfield, as a 
student of law, and in 1877 was admitted to the bar. Since that time ]\Ir. 
Lane has been in the active practice of his profession in this city. Always 
an active worker in the ranks of the Republican party, he became its choice, 
in 1893, for representative, and was elected to the state legislature. 

Mr. Lane was united in marriage to Miss Abbie A. Dexter, of Delaware, 
Ohio, on July 20, 1871. She is a daughter of Francis and Elizabeth (Peck) 
Dexter, natives of Vermont, but residents of Delaware, Ohio. A family of 
five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lane, as follows : Charles 
■Ey, a graduate of Starling Medical College, who served two years in the 
Spanish-American war, later being sent to the Philippines, was honorably dis- 
charged June 19, 1900, and is now practicing medicine at Lima, Ohio; Laura 
R., the wife of L. H. Vinson, a prominent manufacturer of Dayton, Ohio; 
Mazie E., a student; Ernest G.. who served in the Spanish-American war and 
is now employed at Dayton, Ohio; and Annie, who is a student. 

Mr. Lane has long been a very active worker in several organizations and 
liis services have been recognized by his appointment to some of the most 
important positions in the orders. He is a past master of York Lodge, A. F. 



246 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

& A. ]\I., and past grand of Dennison I. O. O. F., also a past chancellor of 
Norwich Lodge, K. of P., and is a comrade in Beers Post, G. A. R. 

Mr. Lane is a lawyer of ability, thoroughly understanding the technical 
points of his profession, and possessing the power to impress his views upon 
his hearers. His career has been a very successful one, and his friends and 
admirers are not confined to the legal profession. 

JOSEPH ARMSTRONG. 

Joseph Armstrong was born in Belmont county, Ohio, near St. Clairs- 
ville, July 26, 1829, and is a son of John Armstrong and a grandson of 
Robert Armstrong. The latter was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, and his 
wife, Rose Ann Armstrong, was also a native of the locality. After the 
birth of their first child they emigrated to America, settling in Westmoreland 
county, Pennsylvania, and later came to Ohio, locating in Belmont county 
about 1824. There the grandparents of our subject spent their remaining 
days. Their children were James, William, John, Thomas, Robert, Samuel, 
Margaret and Rose Ann. The daughter Margaret became the wife of 
Thomas Thompson. The grandparents were members of the Free Presby- 
terian church and were exemplary Christian people. Mr. Armstrong died 
in 185 1, when more than eighty years of age, and his wife passed away ten 
or twelve years previously. 

John Armstrong, the father of our subject, was born in Westmoreland 
county, Pennsylvania, and was there reared to manhood, acquiring his edu- 
cation in its public schools. He married Miss Jane Thompson, a daughter 
of Joseph and Jane (Patton) Thompson, both of whom were natives of the 
Keystone state. The former entered the army during the Revolutionary 
war, loyally aiding in the struggle for the independence of the nation. After 
the establishment of the Republic he made his way over the mountains, set-- 
tling in Westmoreland county, where he w^as married. About 1824 he went 
to Belmont county, Ohio, in company with the Armstrong family, and there 
his death occurred, while his wife passed away in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, 
i.i 1836. Joseph Thompson, a son of Joseph Thompson, Sr., was in the war 
of 1 8 12 and was present at the time of Perry's magnificent naval victory on 
Lake Erie, on the loth of September, 1813, when the British fleet was 
destroyed. They had nine children, as follows : Joseph, William, James, 
Robert, Andrew, Thomas, Samuel, William and Jane. 

John Armstrong, the father of our subject, was born May 6, 1803, and 
therefore attained his majority when the family came to Ohio. After his 
marriage he continued to live in Belmont county until 1834, when he removed 
to Tuscarawas county, settling near Urichville, then called Waterford, and 
for seventeen years Mr. Armstrong followed farming in that locality. Pie 
then removed to Gallia county, Ohio, where he resided until 1858, when he 
came to Franklin county, locating in Perry township, where he purchased 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 247 

twenty-seven acres of land, now the town site of Elmwood. Upon that farm 
he made his home for a number of years, and on selling the property went 
to Liberty township, Delaware county, Ohio, where his wife died in 1873, 
at the age of seventy-one years, her birth having occurred in 1802. Mr. 
Armstrong died September 6, 1887. Both were members of the United 
Presbyterian church and their Christian conduct exemplified their belief. 

Joseph Armstrong, the immediate subject of thi& review, was reared on 
the old family homestead in Tuscarawas county, Qhio, and accjuired his 
education in the paid schools. In 1849 h^ began learning the carpenter's 
trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years, during which time he received 
eight dollars a month for the first year, ten dollars a month for the second 
and twelve dollars a month for the third year. He then started out upon an 
independent business career, in 1853, making a dollar a day. In 1853 he 
came to Franklin county, after having worked at carpentering in Madison 
county for about six months. Subsequently he removed to Delaware county, 
where he engaged in carpentering for a short time, during the winter of 
i854"5- He then took up his residence permanently in Perry township, and 
on the 20th of June, 1855, he was' united in marriage to Miss Louisa Hard, 
a native of Perry township and a daughter of Myron E. and Elizabeth Hard. 
In 1859 Mr. Armstrong purchased seventeen acres of land now comprising 
the site of Elmwood and continuously engaged in carpentering in connection 
with farming until 1875, when failing health compelled him to abandon his 
trade. He was a very competent workman and in the construction of build- 
ings gave very careful attention to designing the flues and constructing" them 
in a safe manner. It may be truthfully 'said that no house which he erected 
ever burned down. He has been a prosperous man, and his enterprise and 
thrift have resulted in the accumulation of a good property, now comprising 
one hundred and four acres. This is a valuable tract, highly cultivated and 
improved with all modern accessories. He may truly be called a self-made 
man, for he began life in Franklin county with a capital of only two dollars 
and a half. He borrowed ten dollars in order to purchase tools with which 
to engage in work at his trade, and his industry, perseverance, economy and 
capable management have been the factors in winning him prosperity. 

Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have long been accounted most esteemed citi- 
zens of their community. Their many excellent qualities have gained for 
them warm friendship and they are now widely and favorably known. They 
have never had any children of their own, but have reared two adopted chil- 
dren. The son, Frank Armstrong, was a son of Robert Armstrong, a brother 
of our subject. At the present time Frank is now a conductor on the Pan- 
handle Railroad. They also adopted Ella Miller, who at the time was six 
years of age. They gave her their own name, carefully educated her in music 
and literature and for several years prior to her marriage she was a prominent 
teacher in the public schools of Franklin county. In 1877 she became the 
wife of George Coe and now has four children, — Bertha L., Elma, Harvey 



248 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and Willard. Mr. Armstrong has held the office of township trustee and 
has always been a stalwart Democrat since casting his first vote for Franklin 
Pierce. Throughout his career he has been honorable, straightforward and 
energetic, a man whom to know is to esteem and respect. His life illustrates 
the power of diligence in the active affairs of life, and now with a competency 
carefully secured for his declining years he is enabled to spend the evening 
of life in (juiet and well earned rest. 

CHARLES A. PEARCE. 

The office of sheriff is the highest executive office within the gift of the 
people of any county. It is an office of responsibility, demanding in its in- 
cumbent not only first-class business ability but integrity in the highest degree. 
Franklin county, Ohio, has had many good sheriffs, but it has had none who 
filled the office more efficiently or more entirely to the satisfaction of the gen- 
eral public than it is being filled at this time by Charles A. Pearce. 

Mr. Pearce is a native of Columbus and was born on Christmas day, 
ri854, a son of Grafton and Alvina (Auter) Pearce. He received his pri- 
mary education in the public schools of the city and at a private school. After 
putting aside his text-books he entered the service of the Columbus Buggy 
Company, with whom he remained for twenty-four years. For many years 
as a Republican he has been identified with local and state politics and has 
done much important work for his party. In November, 1899, he was 
elected the sheriff of the county and he assumed the duties of his office in 
January, 1900. He is a thirty-second-degree Mason and also a member 
of the Odd Fellows order, the Knights of Pythias and the order of Elks. 

Mr. Pearce has made his own way in the world to a position of trust and 
responsibility among his fellow men, and it may be said of him as truly as of 
any other man in the best sense of the term; and those who know best how 
he gained his present place know how well and truly he deserves it ; and leading 
men of Columbus, irrespective of party, rejoice with him in his success. 

RODNEY R. COOKE. 

Rodney R. Cooke, deceased, was born on the old Cooke homestead in 
Clinton township, Franklin county, on the 26th of February, 1832. He was 
a son of Rodney Cooke and Laura (Cowles) Cooke, was a pioneer of the 
county and was reared upon hi& father's farm, obtaining his preliminary edu- 
cation in the district schools and in Otterbein L^niversity, where he pursued 
a partial course before attaining his majoritv. He afterward followed farm- 
ing and school-teaching until his enlistment in the Civil war, on the 22d of 
Feljruary, 1864, for three years or during the war. He was assigned to 
Company G, of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and in March 
following he joined his regiment, which was then doing service in Kentucky. 
He participated in the battle of Snake Creek Gap, on the 8th of Mav: Resaca, 




CHARLES A. PEARCE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 249 

from the 13th to the i6th of May; Dahas, May 25; Kenesaw ^lountain, 
July 9; and the battle of Atlanta, on the 26th of July. He was al'so in sev- 
eral skirmishes, and about the ist of September, 1864, was taken ill and sent 
to the hospital in the rear of Atlanta. He was afterward transferred to 
various ho'spitals until he arrived at Bedloe's island, New York, and later 
was sent to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where he remained until the close 
of the war. He then participated in the grand review at Washington, in May, 
1865. He served with the First Brigade, Second Division, Fifteenth Army 
Corps, under Generals Sherman, McPherson and Logan, while Captain James 
Wilson, of Findlay, Ohio, had command of the company, and Colonel A. X . 
Rice of the regiment. He was honorably discharged June 2y, 1865. but 
returned an invalid from the w'ar. Broken down in health, he was largely 
incapacitated for performing manual labor upon the farm. However, he 
accomplished his work as well as he could, a resolute will enabling him to> 
perform the task. 

On the 24th of May, i860, Mr. Cooke was married to Miss Cloe Will- 
iams, a daughter of William and Lucinda (Phelps) Williams, of Delaware 
county, Ohio. By this marriage was born a daughter, Luella Z., who fills 
a position in the patent office in Washington, D. C. Mrs. Cooke's father 
was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Bedford county, where his early life 
was passed. In 1800 his parents came to Ohio, settling in Fairfield county,, 
near Lancaster, during the early childhood of their son. In 1807 they took 
up their abode in Genoa, Delaware county, Ohio, wdiere a permanent home 
was made. William Williams was a son of Rev. John and Margaret (Taylor)^ 
Williams. The former was a chaplain in the colonial' army during the Revo- 
lutionary war. He was born in Maryland and was of Welsh descent, his 
father having probably been born in the little rock-ribbed country of Wales, 
becoming the founder of his branch of the family in America. A minister 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. Mr. Williams became one of the 
early itinerant preachers in Ohio. He also followed farming and purchased 
fourteen hundred and ninety-six acres of land in Genoa township, Delaware 
county. He had nine children, all of whom have now passed away. Thomas, 
the eldest 'son, was a babe wdien his parents removed from Maryland to Bed- 
ford county, Pennsylvania. They traveled on horseback, carrying the baby,. 
"Tom," in a basket. Out of this he rolled to the ground, when the mother 
exclaimed, "Law^s 'a' massy ! my baby is killed ! " but the little fellow was not 
hurt at all. The other children are: Linda, born January 3, 1785; William, 
August 23, 1787; Martha, September 3, 1791; Elizabeth, October 22, 1793: 
Margaret, March 10, 1795; James, in 1797; Nancy, August 16, 1801 ; and 
]\Iary, August 28, 1803. Rev. Mr. Williams, the father, died April 7. 1814. 
at the age of fifty-seven years, two months and nine days, and his w'ife passed 
away February 13, 1833, at the age of seventy-five years and seventeen days. 

William Williams, the father of Mrs. Cooke, was married, in Ohio, to 
Lucinda, a daughter of Edward and Azubah (Aloore) Phelps, who were 

16 



250 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pioneers of Franklin county, having located in Blendon township in 1806, 
entering land there from the government. They removed westward from 
Windsor, Connecticut, and made a permanent home in Blendon township, 
becoming identified with the best interests of the county and with all lines of 
substantial improvement. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps had eight children, namely: 
Edward, born May 10, 1790; Abraham, August 16, 1791; Azubah, May 19, 
,1794; Lewis, January 10, 1796; Lucinda, January 28, 1797; Cloe, May 30, 
1799; William, September 26, 1802; and Homer M., February 9, 1812. The 
last named was a native of Blendon township. Edward Phelps was a suc- 
cessful farmer and carried on agricultural pursuits throughout his active 
business career, dying August 10, 1840, in his eighty-first year, and his wife 
passed away October 18, 1849, i^i Delaware county, Ohio, at the age of eighty- 
five years. When eighty years of ag"e she w^as immersed, becoming a mem- 
ber of the Disciple church. 

William Phelps, of Tewkesbury, England, came to America in the good 
ship Mary and John in 1630, and was the first settler of Windsor, Connecti- 
cut, 1635. Edward, son of Timothy, son of Cornelius, son of Timothy, son 
of William and Mary (Dover) Phelps, with his wdfe, Azubah (Moore) 
Phelps, and sons-, Abram, Edward and William, and daughters, Lucinda, 
Chloe and Azubah, were the first settlers of Bkndon, Franklin county, Ohio, 
locating there in August, 1806, with Isaac and Ursula Griswold. 

Edward Phelps left Windsor, Connecticut, with his wife and six chil- 
dren, and his wife's father and mother, Simeon and Hannah (Barber) Moore, 
also with Isaac Griswold, his wife and two sons and their families. They 
started for Blendon, Ohio, arriving at Worthington on the 24th of August, 
1806. The journey was made with ox teams and two months passed before 
they reached their destination. In October of the same year Mr. and Mrs. 
Phelps removed to Blendon township, two and a half miles further east, 
their home being near Alum creek. They located in the midst of the forest, 
and for more than four years had no neighbors nearer than Worthington. 
The fourteen persons constituting the party on the westward journey were 
the first white settlers of Blendon township. They were obliged to cut a 
road from Granville to Worthington, a distance of twenty miles, and were 
prominently identified with the pioneer development. 

After his marriage William Williams located on the home farm in Genoa 
township, Delaw^are county, Ohio, where he and his wife remained through- 
out the residue of their days. They had fifteen children, five now living, 
namely : Amos, a resident of Meriden, Kansas ; Alma, the wife of Harry 
Grinnell, a resident of Kankakee, Illinois; Mrs. Cloe Cooke, of Clintonville, 
Ohio; Lucinda L., the widow of William Vincent, of Delaware county, Ohio; 
and Victor A., who resides on the old homestead in that county. Those who 
have passed aw-ay are : Homer, Milton, Miles, Emily, Edward, Harriet, 
Mary, Harlow, Corintha and Virgil. The last named w-as a member of Com- 
pany D, Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted September 24, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 251 

1861, for three years, and saw active service, participating in a number of the 
most hotly contested engagements of the war, in one of which — Champion 
Hills — he received a wound on the forehead from a spent ball. This sub- 
sequently caused his death, which occurred June 19, 1875. ^^ ^^'^^ a mem- 
ber of Galena Lodge, No. 104. I. O. O. F. He participated in the battles at 
Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, luka, Metamora Cross Roads, 
Grand Junction, Grand Gulf, Raymond, Champion Hills, siege of Vicks- 
burg and others. He was a brave and valiant soldier and performed every 
duty with that care and fidelity which stamped him as one of the nation's 
truest and most loyal defenders. As a citizen, son, brother and husband 
he discharged every duty with fidelity similar to that which he displayed 
when following the old flag that he loved so well. 

On the 25th of May, 1865,. he married Emeline Cox, and unto them 
were born three children : lone Cox, who was born January 8, 1868, and was 
married, in 1886, to Ira H. Steele; Bertha Phelps, who was born July 15, 
1871, and became the wife of George W. Page; and Gilbert Hoover, who was 
born March 12, 1873, and died January 11, 1875. Victor Williams, the 
twin brother of Virgil Williams, was born in Genoa, Ohio, August 16, 1839, 
and was married, September 12, 1865, to Priscilla Martin. Their children 
were as follows: Lucinda, who was born October 24, 1866; Edward, born 
June 4, 1 87 1, and died two days later; Clayton Gilbert, born August 24, 
J1872, and married Elizabeth Haines; Effie Fayette, .born May 8, 1875, and 
was married, April 29, 1897, to Charles F. McCarty; Virgil Clifton, who 
was born August 31, 1878; and Clarence Victor, born on the 31st of 
May, 1884. 

Mrs. Williams, the mother of INIrs. Rodney R. Cooke, died November 
25. 1873. Both she and her husband held membership in the ^Methodist 
Episcopal church and they always entertained the ministers at their home. 
Mr. Williams was a soldier in the war of 18 12. 

Simeon Moore, Jr., was born March 20, 1760, and was married to Han- 
nah Cooke, who died October 27, 1796. His second wife bore the maiden 
name of Elizabeth Andrews, and after her death he wedded Mrs. Roxana 
]\Ieacham. He served with the Connecticut troops at the battle of Bunker Hill 
and then returned home, afterward enlisting in Captain Ben Hammond's 
company, receiving an honorable discharge at the close of the war. He then 
entered the privateer's service, in which he remained for a year or two. On 
the 7th. of June, 1807, he became a resident of Blendon township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, where he purchased five hundred acres of land. He served 
as a justice of the peace of the township from 1810 until 181 5. On the 
journey to Ohio he had been accompanied by his wife, her brother Benjamin, 
his son Simeon and daughter Phoebe, and five of his wife's children by her 
first husband. He died June 26. 1825. The children of his' first marriage 
were Polly. Lovina. \\'ealthy. Simeon and Hannah. By the second marriage 
the children were Elhannan W., Thomas J. and Phoebe, and the onlv child of 



252 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the tliird marriage was Benjamin, who was the first white child born in 
Blendon township, his natal clay being June ii, 1807. 

it will thus be seen that the ancestors of Mrs. Cooke have been promi- 
nent factors in the improvement, development and upbuilding of Franklin 
county. She is a member of the United Brethren church, with which she 
has long been connected, and is a consistent Christian woman. She is a mem- 
ber of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, having on its organiza- 
tion joined Colonel Ellsworth Circle, No. 11, of Columbus. For two terms, 
of one year each, she served as its president and has also been its chaplain 
by election, secretary by appointment two years, and department chaplain of 
the L. of the G. A. R. one year. She is a member of the Rebekah Order 
of the Odd Fellows, belonging to Chidsey Lodge, No. 399, held the office of 
noble grand one term, was chaplain three terms and deputy three years. She 
was tlien elected for a fourth year, but declined to serve. 

]\Irs. Cooke is a lady of prominence, fearless, sincere and eanjest in what- 
ever she champions. She is loyal to the defenders of her country, and her 
chief pleasure is to perpetuate in the minds of the young the g'ratitude and 
honor which is so justly deserved by those who followed the starry banner 
upon the battle-fields of the south. Her husband died October 28, 1886, hav- 
ing been confined to his bed eleven years, and his sickness and death resulting 
from his army experience. His was a record of a noble and useful life, 
consistent with the right, and wherever he was known he was held in the 
highest regard. In many respects his career was w^orthy of emulation, and 
among the representative men of Franklin county he well deserves mention. 

WILLL\M EDGARDSON MEYER. 

This is embphatically an age in which the young man is prominent. He 
is a leader in business, in the professions, in religious works and in politics. 
Columbus, Ohio, has a good representation of young men, and not the least 
popular of them is the well-knowai young Republican wdiose name is above. 

William Edgardson Meyer is a son of Charles and Louise (Bowman) 
Meyer, and was born near Steubenville, Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1867, 
and at the age of thirteen w^as brought to Columbus by his parents, who 
took up their residence here in 1880. ]\Ir. Meyer began his eSucation at 
Steubenville and finished it at Columbus. He began his active career in 
the shops of the Columbus Buggy Company, where he learned carriage paint- 
ing in all its branches^ and for several years he has been a contractor for 
house painting and as sucTi has won deserved success. 

From boyhood Mr. Meyer has taken an interest in politics. At the 
age of sixteen he w^as a drummer for the Southside Republican Club, which 
won a banner for being the best drilled Republican club in the state. Before 
he was twenty-one he painted the Thirteenth ward Republican banner. He 
lias been a delegate to state and county conventions of his party, a member of 
the Republican countv executive committee, secretarv of the First Ward 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 253 

Republican Club, the captain of its drum corps, a member of the Buckeye 
Republican Club, and the Young Men's Republican Club. For three years 
he held a clerkship in the office of the recorder of Franklin county, and 
October i, 1899, he was appointed to his present responsible position as the 
superintendent of the court-house. 

Mr. Meyer is an Odd Fellow, a iMason, a Red ^lan and a member of 
the order of the Helping Hand, and in all relations with his fellow citizens 
has won the highest esteem. He was married in Columbus to .Miss Mary 
Duce, a daughter of Franklin Duce, who with his wife came from Germany 
many years ago, and is an old and respected resident of Columbus. j\Irs. 
Meyer' is a member of the ^Methodist Episcopal church. 

GEORGE WATT. 

George \\'att, who is numbered among the native sons of Blendon town- 
ship, was born September 30. 1832, and is of Scotch lineage. His grand- 
father, Hugh Watt, was a native of Scotland, and married Elizabeth Reed, 
who was born in Ireland and came with her parents to the new world when 
a child. The voyage was an unusually long one, so that the supply of pro- 
visions became exhausted and the family, with all on board, 'suffered for the 
want of food. The father of our subject was John Watt, who was born 
in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1804. His father died in that county and the 
mother afterward came with the children to Franklin county. After resid- 
ing in Franklinton for a short period they took up their auode in Blendon 
township, on the farm now owned by Vos Schrock. The grandmother sub- 
sequently removed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to make her home wTh her 
daughter. John Watt was reared under the parental roof, and in early man- 
hood wedded Lorena Billington, who was born in Delaware county, Ohio, 
about 181 1, and was a daughter of John Billington, who came to Franklin 
county at an early day, settling upon a farm adjoining the Watt homestead. 
Later he removed to La Porte, Indiana, where both he and his wife died. An 
ancestor of John Billington came with his family to the new world on the 
?*Iayflower in 1620. ]\Irs. Watt passed away about 1841, and the father 
afterward wedded Miss Hannah Cooper, a daughter of ^\'illiam Cooper, 
who came to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1809. By the first marriage there 
were two children, — George and Charles. After his first marriage John Watt 
took up his abode upon the home farm, where he resided for five years, wdien 
he purchased the farm that was afterward occupied by our subject, there 
continuing to reside until September, 1849, when his life's labors were ended 
in death. 

George Watt attended the common schools of the neighborhood in his 
youth and also worked upon the farm, assisting in the labors of field and 
meadow. He was only seventeen years of age at the time of his father's 
death, and as he was the eldest son the management of the farm devolved 
upon him. Later he and his brother operated the farm in partnership until 
the marriage of George Watt, in 1855, when the property was divided, our 
subject becoming the owner of the north half of the place. To this he added 



2 54 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

from time to time until he owned one hundred and seventy acres of rich 
land under a high state of cultivation. Throughout his business career he 
carried on agricultural pursuits and stock-raising, and was very successful 
in his work, becoming one of the substantial men of the county. 

It was on December 5, 1855, that Mr. Watt was united in marriage 
to j\liss Clarissa Dill, a native of Mitiflin township, Franklin county, and a 
daughter of David and Mary (Turney) Dill. Her father was born in Nova 
Scotia in 1809, and some years afterward took up his abode in Mifflin town- 
ship, where he engaged in farming until his death, in 1850. The marriage 
of Mr. and Mrs. VVatt w-as blessed with four children, all of whom are yet 
living, namely: Mary L. and Carrie, both at home; Alice D., the wife of 
Arthur C. Adams, a farmer of Blendon township, by whom she has two 
daughters, Willma and Marian; and John E., who is kill on the homestead 
farm. ]\Ir. Watt belonged to the Presbyterian church, and in politics he 
was a Republican. While he never neglected his duties of citizenship and 
supported men and measures for the general good, his time and attention 
were largely given to farming, which he made the means of livelihood for 
himself and family. His tabors resulted in bringing to him a good income, 
and he was numbered among the well-to-do residents of Blendon township 
at the time of his death, which occurred on the 4th of April, 1901. 

JOHN HAYWOOD. 

The work of the teacher is one which demands ability, integrity and the 
love of humanity, and to have grown old as a teacher, always busy, always 
successful, is an honor more to be prized than riches. The subject of this 
sketch is the oldest teacher now living of Otterbein University, long a promi- 
nent educational institution and one of the landmarks in the history of»- 
Franklin county, Ohio. , 

John Haywood, LL. D., was born at Stockton, New York, March 16, 
1825. James Haywood, his father, was born at Jaffrey, New Hampshire, 
October 7, 1790, and there learned the blacksmith's trade. About 181 5 he 
removed to Chautauqua county. New York, where he was among the early 
settlers. He worked for a time as a blacksmith, but eventually became a 
merchant, opening the first small store in a log building at Stockton. He 
closed out ihat business about 1839, and removing to Brockton, New York, 
resumed blacksmithing, at which he was employed until late in life, when 
he engaged in the grocery trade. He died August 22, 1872. He was a 
self-made man, who acquired a good education. Always active and enter- 
prising, he was fairly successful in life. Politically he was a Whig, and 
later he was a Republican, but he was not a practical politician and took little 
l)art in political work. Benjamin Haywood, tlie grandfather of Dr. John 
Haywood, was a native of New England, and risked his life for the cause 
of the colonies in the Revolutionary war. The original American ancestor 
of the family was John Haywood, who came from England in the seven- 
teenth century. James Haywood married Tryphena Byam, June 19, 1814. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 255 

Mrs. Haywood, who was born at Chelmsford, Massachusetts, February 20, 
170-^ and died 'November 8, 1876, bore her husband ten children, named as 
follows in the order of their nativity: Sarah, April 2, 181 5, died February 
4. 1847; Martha, March 14. 1817, died June 29, 1896; Mary, June 3, 1819, 
died January 2, 1900; James B., January i, 1822, died March 11, 1876; 
William. ^lay 4, 1823, died October 12. 1886; John; George B., February 
3, 1828, died February 5, 1895; Byam, who died in infancy; Joseph, Feb- 
ruary II, 1831, died January 3, 1842; and Melinda J., December 5, 1833, 
died February 7, 1868. 

Dr. Haywood attended the public schools near his home m western New 
York, learned the blacksmith's trade of his father and assisted the latter 
until he was about twenty-one years old. He then entered Oberlin College, 
at Oberlin. Ohio, and was graduated in the class of 1850. After his grad- 
uation he taught a private academic school for two terms. In March, 185 1, 
he came to Westerville, Franklin county. Ohio, to teach an institution which 
later became known as Otterbein College, which was then a small school 
under the auspices of the United Brethren church, employing only two 
teachers. The school prospered, and about a year after Dr. Haywood took 
up his work there a faculty w^as organized and he was called to the profes- 
sorship of mathematics and sciences, and he served in that capacity, \yith 
distinguished success, until 1862, when he resigned to become the principal 
of the academv at Kingston, Ross county, Ohio. In 1867 he returned to 
Otterbein College and w^as a prominent member of its faculty until 1896, 
when his hearing became impaired and he found it advisable to retire. 

Miss Svlvia Crrpenter, a teacher also of Otterbein University, born 
August 17. '1828, at Liberty, Ohio, became the wife of Dr. Haywood, and 
died October 24, 1886. They had six children, three oT whom died in child- 
hood. Joseph died at the age of twenty-three years and John wdien nine years 
of age. ' Eliza Jane married L. O. Miller, who is a business agent of the 
United Brethren publishing house at Dayton, Ohio. ^ Dr. Haywood's pres- 
ent wife was Eliza Carpenter, a sister of his first wife. 

GEORGE P. SCHWARTZ. 

One of the leading agriculturists of Truro township, George P. Schwartz, 
owns and operates a valuable farm of one hundred and twenty-six acres, 
whose neat and thrifty appearance well indicates his careful supervision. Sub- 
sequent improvements enhance the value of well-tilled fields, and all the acces- 
sories and conveniences of a model farm are there found. 

The family to which our subject belongs was founded in Franklin county 
by his paternal grandfather, Schwartz, who located here about 1818, becom- 
ing one of the first settlers o'f Hamiltrm township, where he purchased a 
tract of land, built a log cabin, and with the help of his older sons com- 
menced to clear and improve his property. 

Peter Schwartz, our subject's father, is a native of Germanv, and was 
about eleven vears of as:e when he came to the United States with his par- 



2 56 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ents and settled in this county. Throughout his active business life he has 
engaged in farming and stock-raising in Hamilton township, where he is 
numbered among the prominent and mfiuential citizens. He has served as 
a director of his school district, and is a trustee of the cemetery association, 
having filled the latter position for a number of years. Politically he is a 
stanch Democrat, but at township and county elections votes for man and 
not party. Religiously he is a liberal supporter and active member of the 
German Lutheran church. In Hamilton township, Mr. Schwartz married 
Miss Elizabeth Keoble, and to them were born thirteen children, namely: 
Jacob, Michael, Mary, Malinda, Samuel, Joseph, George P., Lydia, Lewis, 
Emma, Frank, Calvin and Flora, eleven of whom are still living, Calvin and 
I'^rank having passed away. 

George P. Schwartz, our subject, was born in Madison township, Frank- 
lin county, February 9, 1865, and was reared to agricultural pursuits upon 
the home farm. For the past eight years he has occupied his present farm 
in Truro township, and in its operation has met with excellent success. He 
w^as married March 21, 1888, to Miss Annie Bevilheimer, a native of Colum- 
bus. Her father, Rebben Bevilheimer, was born in Pennsylvania, and at 
an early day came with his parents to Franklin county, Ohio, becoming one 
of its oldest settlers. He now makes his home at No. 1444 Bryden Road, 
Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz are the parents of four children, three 
sons and one daughter, as follows: Frank R., born October 13, 1889; Clyde 
E., June 17, 1892; George R., March 8, 1894; and Catherine, June 25, 1899. 

Mr. Schwartz holds membership in the Lutheran church and is a liberal 
supporter of the same. He has ever taken an active and commendable interest 
in public affairs, and never withholds his aid from any enterprise which he 
believes will prove of public benefit. He was elected a school director of 
district No. i, where he now lives, and held that office for two terms, and 
also efficiently served as road supervisor of Madison township for two 
terms. At national elections he supports Democratic principles, but votes 
for whom he considers the best man for county and township offices regard- 
•less of party lines. 

JOHN T. WRIGHT. 

John T. Wright is the owner of a valuable farm of one hundred and 
forty-seven and a half acres in Madison township, Franklin county, and the 
modern methods which he follows in caring for his property and cultivating 
his fields are well worthy of emulation and cannot fail to bring success unless 
circumvented by circumstances over which man has no control. Mr. Wright 
h a native of the township in which he yet resides, his birth having occurred 
on the 14th of November, 1837. His father, John Wright, was born in 
Madison township, Franklin county, about 1805, the family being among 
the honored pioneer settlers who aided in laying broad and deep the foun- 
dation for the present prosperity and progress of this portion of the state. 
He married Nancy Whims, who was a native of Virginia, and during her 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 257 

early girlhood came to Ohio with her parents. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wright 
were born four sons and five daughters : Eliza, John T., Jane, David, Dan- 
iel, Jonathan, Emily, Laura, and Martha. Of this number, Eliza and Jona-' 
than are now deceased. By a former marriage the father had one daughter, 
Sarah. 

In taking up the personal history of John T. Wright we present to our 
readers the life record of one who has spent his entire days in Franklin 
county and who is well known to her citizens. His early education was 
acquired in the schools of Madison tow^nship, and he remained upon his 
father's farm throughout the period of his minority, working in field and 
meadow and assisting in all the labors which go to make up the lot of the 
agriculturist. At the age of twenty-two years, on the 4th of January, 1859, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda Painter, a daughter of Joseph 
and Sarah (Fisher) Painter. Mr. and Mrs. Weight began their domestic 
life upon a farm of one hundred and twenty-eight acres^ which was a part 
of his father's old homestead. Part of it was covered with a native growth 
of timber when he took possession, but before the sturdy strokes of his axe 
the monarchs of the forest fell, and as he cleared and cultivated the land it 
yielded to him^ a golden tribute. All of the improvements upon the place 
stand as monuments to his enterprise and thrift. As the years have passed 
he has added to his original possessions a tract of one hundred and thirty- 
nine acres, and his large farm is now a very desirable property. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wright have been born four children, two sons 
and two daughters, but only one is now living, Joseph, who occupies a farm 
of one hundred and nineteen acres owned by his father. He married Rebecca 
Ann Motts, a daughter of Benival Motts, who is a farmer of Truro town- 
ship. They also have one child, Joseph Russell. The son now carries on 
the farm, while Mr. Wright, of this review, has practically retired from active 
business life and is enjoying a well-earned rest. He has contributed lib- 
erally toward the support of churches and to all w^orthy movements for the 
benefit of his fellow men. In politics he is a Democrat on questions which 
affect the weal or woe of the nation, but is an independent voter in town- 
ship and county elections. He owes his success to his energy and industry, 
and his life record proves that prosperity is not a matter of genius or results 
from a fortunate combination of circumstances, but may be acquired through 
individual effort when directed along lines of honorable endeavor. 

WEBSTER P. HUNTINGTON. 

In the promotion and conservation of advancement in all the normal 
lines of human progress and civilization there is no factor wdiich has exer- 
cised a more potent influence than the press, which is both the director and 
mirror of public opinion. Columbus has been signally favored 'in the char- 
acter of its newspapers, which have been vital, enthusiastic and progressive, 
ever aiming to advance the interests of this favored section of the Union, 
to aid in laving fast and sure the foundations of an enlightened common- 



258 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

wealth, to further the ends of justice and to ui)ho](l the Ixinner of Ohio. In 
a compilation of this nature, then, it is clearly incumbent that due recogni- 
tion be accorded the newspaper press of the state. 

Prominent among the representatives of the journalistic interests of 
Ohio stands Webster Perit Huntington, who resides in the capital city, where 
his birth occurred on the 20th of February, 1865. He is a son of Pelatiah 
Webster and Jane Nashee (Deshler) Huntington. In the common schools 
of Columbus the subject of this review acquired his preliminary education, 
and at an early age went to Keene, New Hampshire, where he continued 
his studies. After pursuing the study of law for two years he bacame the 
editor of the Cheshire Republican, a Democratic newspaper, and later he 
established the Keene Evening Tribune, now the Sentinel, the first daily 
newspaper in southwestern New Hampshire. In 1891 he returned to Colum- 
bus to become an associate editor of the Columbus Evening Dispatch. One 
year later he was made the editor-in-chief of the Columbus Post; and upon 
the consolidation of the Post with the Press Mr. Huntington was made an 
associate editor of the Press-Post. Subsequently he became the managing 
editor, which position he resigned in March, 1899. He organized, and ^ is 
now the president of, the Ohio Newspaper Syndicate. He has a wide 
acquaintance among newspaper men of his native state, as well as in New 
England, and is recognized as one of the leading representatives of journalism 
in Ohio. He has also been active in politics, although never a candidate for 
office, and was both the temporary and permanent chairman of the Demo- 
cratic state convention of 1900, 

On the nth of May, 1886. in Keene, New Hampshire, Mr. Huntington 
Vv^as united in marriage to Miss Anna Harlow, and they have three children, 

JOSEPH OLDS. 

Joseph Olds, a lawyer, was born in Circleville, Pickaway county. Ohio, 
April 15, 1832, son of Edson Baldwin and Anna Maria (Carolus) Olds. 
His father. Dr. Edson B. Olds, studied at Transylvania College in Ken- 
tucky, and was graduated at Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia. He 
was a prominent and leading Democrat in Ohio, the speaker of the Ohio 
senate in 1846-7, and a member of congress for three terms from March, 
1849, to March, 1855, when he was defeated by the Know-nothing move- 
ment. While in congress he was distinguished and influential, and was for 
two terms the chairman of the committee on postoffices and post-roads. 
The counties of Pickaway, Fairfield, Licking, Franklin, Madison and Fay- 
ette were represented by him in congress, his district having been changed 
while he was a member. Dr. Olds was an able debater and eloquent speaker. 
He was a nian of unusual strength of character and of strong convictiions, 
which he at all times fearlessly maintained. He was born June 3. 1802, 
and died January 25, 1869. Anna Maria Olds was born in Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania, and was a granddaughter of Peter Shaffer, who served first 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 259 

as ensign and afterward as captain in the Pennsylvania troops during the 
Revokuionary war. She was noted for her kindness, charity and piety. 
She was born March 7, 1805, married Dr. Olds at Circleville June 18, 1824. 
and died December 22, 1859. 

Joseph Olds was educated by private instruction at home untd h-e 
entered the freshman class at Yale College, in September, 1849. He was 
graduated at Yale w4th high honors in 1853. He then studied law for a 
year at Circleville with his uncle, Chauncey N. Olds, who had been a member 
of the senate of Ohio, and was afterward attorney-general of the state, and 
died in 1890. Chauncey N. Olds was a highly educated man, a cultured and 
courteous gentleman, a polished and persuasive orator, one of the foremost 
lawyers in Ohio for many years, and a prominent member of the Presby- 
terian church. He was graduated at the Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio, 
and studied and practiced law at Circleville, with his older brother, Joseph 
Olds, who was a distinguished and leading lawyer in Ohio from an early day 
in the history of the state, until his death in 1846. Joseph Olds, the younger, 
in September, 1854, entered the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, ^lassa- 
chusetts, where he was graduated, and received the degree of Bachelor of 
Laws in 1856. He was admitted to the bar by the district court at Chilli- 
cothe, Ohio, the same year. In 1857 he was elected prosecuting attorney of 
Pickaway county, and served two terms. He afterward practiced law wath 
Jonathan Renick, of Circleville. until the death of ]\Ir. Renick in 1863, and 
then alone until ]\Iay, 1868. He had a large practice in Pickaway and ad- 
jacent counties. In April, 1868, he was elected, in Pickaway, Franklin and 
Madison counties, a judge of the fifth judicial district of Ohio, and served as 
such from May, 1868, to May, 1873. During his term of office he held all 
the courts of common pleas in Pickaway and Madison counties, held court in 
Columbus about five months in each year, and attended all the sessious of the 
district court in the nine counties of the district. He resided at Circleville 
until May, 1878, and then changed his residence to Columbus and re-entered 
the practice of law, in partnership with Richard A. Harrison. Pie has ever 
since resided in Columbus, and practiced law with Judge Harrison, as a mem- 
ber of the successive firms of Harrison & Olds, Harrison, Olds & Marsh, and 
Harrison, Olds & Henderson. Their practice in important litigation, in- 
volving large amounts of money or property, in the federal and state courts, 
has been of the most extensive character. Judge Olds is devoted to his pro- 
fession. He has always been a stanch and pronounced Democrat, but has 
not, since he left the bench, desired public office of any kind, and has repeat- 
edly declined to accept office. 

Judge Olds was married at Circleville. on December 18. 1866. to Miss 
]\Iary Anderson, of Pickaway county. She was born at Glen Mary, near 
Chiliicothe. Ohio, on November 5. 1846. She is the daughter of William 
;Marshall and Eliza (Mc Arthur) Anderson. Her father, William Marshall 
Anderson, was a son of Colonel Richard C. Anderson and a brother of Gen- 
eral Robert Anderson, of Fort Sumter fame, of Colonel Charles Anderson, 



26o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

a former governor of Ohio, and of Larz Anderson, deceased, of Cincinnati. 
Colonel Richard C. Anderson served throughout the Revolutionary war, first 
as captain, then as major and finally as lieutenant-colonel in the Virginia 
continental troops. After the war he was selected by his brother officers as 
the first principal surveyor of the Virginia military lands. William Marshall 
Anderson was born June 24, 1807, at his father's home. "Soldier's Retreat," 
near Louisville, Kentucky, and died at Circleville, Ohio, on January 7, 1881. 
He studied at Transylvania University and was admitted to the bar, but 
practiced law only for a few years. He moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1835 
and resided there until 1854, when he changed his residence to Pickaway 
county. He was a man of remarkable erudition and great scientific attain- 
ments and of most agreeable address and manners. While on a visit to 
Mexico in 1865, he was commissioned by Maximilian to examine and report 
upon the agricultural and mineral resources of northern Mexico, and was 
engaged in that service when Maximilian fell. 

The mother of Mrs. Olds was born at Fruit Hill, near Chillicothe, on 
November 14, 1815, and' died in Pickaway county, on September 2, 1855. 
She was a daughter of General Duncan McArthur, who served with much 
distinction through the war of 1812, first as the colonel of the First Ohio 
Volunteers and afterward as the colonel of the Twenty-fifth Unitfed States 
Infantry, and in March, 181 3, was commissioned a brigadier general in the 
regular army. He was serving under General Hull at the time of the sur- 
render of that officer, but happened to be detached on that day to bring in a 
supply train. As senior brigadier general in 18 14, he succeeded General 
Harrison in the command of the Northwestern army. He was afterward the 
speaker of the house of representatives, a member of congress and governor 
of Ohio. 

Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Anderson became converts of the 
Roman Catholic church and for the remainder of their lives were pious, de- 
vout and zealous members thereof. Two brothers of Mrs. Olds, Thomas 
McArthur Anderson and Harry R. Anderson, served in the Civil war, and 
are now officers in the regular army. Thomas M. Anderson is now colonel 
of the Fourteenth Infantry, and Harry R. Anderson is a first lieutenant in 
the Fourth Artillery. 

Judge Olds had two brothers, Mark L. Olds, who was older, and Edson 
Denny Olds, who was younger than he. Alark L. Olds left Miami University 
when eighteen years of age, to engage in the Mexican war. He served in that 
war, first as a lieutenant in the Fifteenth Infantry of the regular armv. which 
was commanded by Colonel George W. Morgan, and disbanded after the war. 
After the Mexican war he was admitted to the bar and was the register of 
the United States land office at Minneapolis. He subsequently became an 
Episcopal clergyman and died in 1869. while the pastor of the old "Navy 
Yard" church in the city of Washington. Edson Denny Olds was graduated 
at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and acted for several years as a 
physician for the Winnebago tribe of Indians in ^Minnesota. He then went 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 261 

to Mexico, and in the spring of 1858 received a commission at Alonterey as a 
surgeon in the liberal army, with the rank of colonel. He served witii this 
army in its march and almost constant battle for a year from Monterey to 
Morelia, and from there to the city of Mexico, under the command of General 
Degollado. In the attack upon the city of Mexico in the spring of 1869 he 
was struck by a cannon ball and killed, in the twenty-fourth year of his age. 
Judge and Mrs. Olds have six children, — four daughters and two sons. 

COURTLAND ROSS. 

One of the prominent business men of the city of Columbus, Ohio, is the 
subject of the present review. Courtland Ross was born in Lebanon, War- 
ren county, Ohio, February 23, 1829, and was a son of Thomas R. and Har- 
riet (Van Horn) Ross, well known and respected residents of the same place. 
Mr. Ross was the youngest member of a family of nine children, these being : 
Catherine, who was born April 21, 1812, and died September 17, 1813; Rich- 
ard Morris, who was born July 17, 1813, and died June 23, 1887; William. 
v., who was born September 20, 1815, and died August 18, 1816; John Ran- 
dolph, who was born ]\Iay i, 1817, and died January 27, 1879; Catherine 
Sophia, who was born January i, 1819, and died September 15, 1822: Sarah 
C, who was born May 24, 1820, and is now residing in Columbus; Clarissa, 
who was born May 7, 1823, married Isaac M. Collett, a farmer of Greene 
county, Ohio, and died October 26, 1895; Alethia Ann, who was born April 
5, 1825, and died March 11, 1898, our subject being the last of the family. 

Mr. Ross was reared and educated in his native town, early displaying 
those self-reliant attributes which later in life gained him universal praise and 
the thanks of his superiors. He entered the army, near the beginning of the 
Civil war, joining the Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served three 
years. His experiences can be but touched upon in the limits accorded the 
present sketch, but mention must be made of several occasions when his firm- 
ness and devotion to duty saved his command most necessary stores and a 
vast amount of money was secured for the government. History tells of the 
retreat of General Milroy from Martinsburg^ Virginia, the safety of which 
was, in a great measure, due to the efficiency of Courtland Ross, who was 
then one of the transportation agents under General Fitch. Mr. Ross had 
charge of the great iron safe containing all the papers and a large amount of 
government funds, but when the town was set on fire at their backs Mr. Ross 
took the responsibility of placing the money belonging to his government, 
amounting to sixty thousand dollars, upon his person, secreting it, through 
every kind of peril, for three days, when he had the proud satisfaction of 
turning it over to the proper authorities intact. He also saved the trans- 
portation train, although bridpes were being burned and the enemy sur- 
rounded him on every side. The amount saved the government in money, 
stores, clothing and ammunition, in great part owing to the bravery of Mr. 
Ross, was computed to be over a million dollars. Upon another occasion, 



262 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

when in desperate straits, his superior, officer ordered him to throw his wagons 
over Steel Top mountain, but he refused and brought his train safely into 
camp on the following morning. Upon still another occasion he was cut ofif 
by the enemy from his command for a period of three days, but managed to 
protect his stores until he could get into the lines again. This was a large 
train, the best ever turned over to the post quartermaster, its forty wagons 
and ninety horses all being safe. Mr. koss held the position of transporta- 
tion master for General Fitch for two years, and clippings from the news- 
papers of the times tell of the high esteem in which he was held in the service. 

After his return from the army Mr. Ross engaged in contracting for the 
Little Maumee railroad, continuing with that corporation for six years, his 
residence being in Lebanon; but in 1870 he removed to Columbus and took 
charge of the Columbus Transfer Company, which position he held for twelve 
years, being one of the stockholders of the company. Selling his interest 
there, he engaged in the dairy business for five years, making a specialty of the 
manufacture of butter, and now has the contract for the furnishing of milk 
to the Institution for the Feeble Minded in this city. Mr. Ross has always 
been an active and progressive man, interested in many private and public 
lines. He managed an omnibus line at one time in Lebanon, Ohio, and was 
the contractor for the Lebanon & Freeport pike road. 

The first marriage of Mr. Ross took place in 1865, to Miss Jane Ander- 
son, resulting in the birth of one son, Fenton, now in the auditor's office of 
the Hocking Valley railroad, of which he was at one time the paymaster. The 
second marriage of Mr. Ross, took place in 1885, to Miss Magdalene Smith, 
a native of Cardington, Morrow county, Ohio. Mr. Ross is a Drominent Re- 
publican and is often called to consult in the deliberations of the party. He 
is one of the men who have built up a great part of the business of this city 
and he is well known and most highly regarded. 

THE ORDER OF UNITEiD COMMERCLVL TRAVELERS OF 

AMERICA.. 

The Order of LTnited Commercial Travelers of America was incor- 
porated under the law^s of the state of Ohio on January 16, 1888. by John C. 
Fenimore. Levi C. Pease. S. H. Strayer. W. E. Carpenter, John Dickey, C. 
S. Ammel, F. A. Sells and Charles B. Flagg, well known commercial trav- 
elersi and residents of Columbus. This order is the only one of its kind, being 
a secret, fraternal, beneficial order, exclusively for commercial travelers, 
with the following as its objects and purposes : 

1st, To unite fraternally all commercial travelers of good moral character. 

2d, To give all moral and material aid in its power to its members and 
those dependent upon them. Also, to assist the widows and (orphans of 
deceased members. 

3d, To establish an "indemnity fund" to indemnify its members for total 
disability, or death resulting from accidental means. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 263 

4th, To secure from all transportation companies and hotels just and 
equitable favors for commercial travelers as a class. 

5th, To elevate the moral and social standing of its members. 
The tenets of the order are unity, charity and temperance. Its colors 
are blue, white and gold. The social and fraternal features are what each 
individual council makes them. 

The insurance features are as follows: 

Death by accident $6,300. 

Loss of both eyes 5,000. 

Loss of both hands ■ 5,000. 

Loss of both feet 5,ooo. 

Loss of one hand and one foot 2,500. 

Loss of one hand 1,250. 

Loss of one foot 1,000. 

Loss of one eye 650. 

Weekly indemnity (not exceeding 52 wrecks) .... 25. 
The order has paid from its indemnity fund over four hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars, and from its widows' and orphans' fund, which is a fund 
set a?ide for the benefit of the widows and orphans of deceased members, they 
have paid out over twenty-five thousand dollars. 

The order had, July i, 1901, a membership of over sixteen thousand; 
one hundred and eighty-five subordinate councils in the different states ; sev- 
enteen grand councils, and the supreme council, composed of representatives 
from the several grand councils, with headquarters at Columbus, Ohio. 

WILLIAM B. WOODBURY. 

None of the younger men of Columbus have attained equal prominence 
with William B. Woodbury in political circles, as he now occupies the posi- 
tion of secretary of the Republican executive committee, — an honor which 
came to him unsolicited but which is justly merited, for few men, even of 
greater years, have cjualifications which would so well fit them for the respon- 
sible and onerous duties', connected with the office. Although he has but 
just entered upon manhood Air. Woodbury has a very wide acquaintance in 
Columbus and throughout Franklin county. 

In the schools of the capital city Mr. Woodbury acquired his early edu- 
cation, supplemented by a course in the central high school, of which he is a 
graduate, and by study in the Ohio State University. From the time ho 
entered upon his busines's career after leaving college until his appointment 
to his present position, he has been connected with newspaper work, a repre- 
sentative of the Citizen, and one whose efforts have contributed in no small 
measure to the success of that journal. His newsipaper work has thrown 
him in contact with a large number of people whose friendship he has uncon- 
sciously won by the genial disposition and thorough good nature which have 
at all times characterized him. In association with his newspaper work and 



264 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

as the result of his loyal American citizenship he became deeply interested 
in the political questions of the time and took his position in the ranks of the 
Republican party. To one of his eneregtic nature it would be impossible to 
be idle in any relation or position in which he might be placed; and therefore 
he became an earnest worker for his party, doing effective service for Gov- 
ernor Nash, who is one of his neighbors. When the time came to choose a 
secretary for the Republican executive committee, friends of Mr. Woodbury, 
unknown to him, spoke of his fitness^ and gave to him their support. It was 
th-e consensus of opinion, although he is so young, that there was no one 
available who knew so many of the ward workers throughout the city and 
countv, or was better qualified for the position. It come to him unsought, 
but on the ist of August, when headquarters were opened, he took up his 
duties in a manner that showed he was equal to the situation. He dis- 
played excellent generalship in managing the campaign and succeeded in 
carrying Franklin county by over thirty-seven hundred votes, — the greatest 
majority ever given in the history of that county, electing a Republican con- 
gressman in a Democratic district. Mr. Woodbury is! now connected with 
the Everett-Moore Syndicate; of Cleveland in the telephone branch of that 
great organization. 

FREDERICK KRUMM. 

The late Frederick Krumm was born August 14, 1840, and died July 
30, 1899, at his residence, 11 17 East Broad street, Columbus, Ohio, after 
an illness of three days. He left to his family the valuable legacy of a good 
name won as a soldier, a business man, a public official and a citizen. He was 
born in Columbus and was' there carefully educated in all useful branches 
under the direction of his father. The grandfather of our subject, J. Martin 
Krumm, was born September 24, 1784, and died at Columbus on the 4th of 
February, 1864. He was chief magistrate of Bronnweiler, Wurtemberg, 
Germany, and was a capable schoolmaster there until he came to America, 
and after locating at Columbus was a pubHc-spirited citizen, taking part in 
all efforts to advance the city materially and socially. 

Martin Krumm, the father of our subject, was born April 5, 181 2, aud 
died August 4. 1869, in Columbus. He came to America in 1832, and at 
Columbus established a mafiufactory of steel and brass machinery, and iron 
fences, which became known as one of the largest and most important fac- 
tories of the city. He became prominent in musical circles and w^as the 
organizer, in 1848, of the Maennerchor, which was for years the leading 
musical society of the city, artistically and socially, and its golden anniversary 
was celebrated in October, 1898. He married Fredericka Fichtner, who was 
born in Gotten weiler, Wurtemberg, June 27, 1820, a daughter of Johann 
and his wife, Maria Kurtz. Mrs. Krumm, whose father lived and died in 
Germany, is now living in Columbus, in her eightieth year, well and active. 
Like her husband, she was musical, and they were for several years members 




CAPT. FREDERICK KRUMM. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 265 

of the choir of the St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran church, at the 
corner of High and Mound streets, Columbus. The subject of this sketch 
was their eldest child, the others being: Martin, who succeeded his father 
in the manufacture of machinery and iron fences ; Alexander \V. and Albert, 
well known lawyers of Columbus ; Daniel, who is associated with Martin in 
his manufacturing enterprise, and is also a maker of violins; Flora, who mar- 
ried Dr. A. M. Blaile, of Columbus, professor of physiology in the Ohio 
State University; and Louise A., of Columbus. 

Frederick Krumm was graduated in the Columbus high school and was 
employed in his father's office until, in 1861, he enlisted in the Thirty-sev- 
enth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under General C. C. Walcott, 
which on the second call for troopsi by President Lincoln went to the front 
and served gallantly for two years, during most of which time Mr. Krumm 
was lieutenant and captain of Company D. He bears the scar of a slight 
wound on the arm as a reminder of the days when he bore arms in defense 
of the Union. After leaving the army he engaged in dry-goods merchandise 
in Columbus. In 1866 he married Miss Cornelia Zettler, of Columbus, and 
some ten years later removed to Shawnee, Ohio, where he was a mine operator 
and general merchant until 1880, suffering the vicissitudes of business in 
those years, added to which was the total destruction of a plant owned by him 
by fire. Thus crippled financially, he returned to Columbus and for seven 
years was superintendent of public school buildings and was for three terms a 
member of the school board. Eventually he became a member of the firm 
of Dauben, Krumm & Riebel, architects, and had personal charge of the 
original construction of the Great Southern hotel. During the closing years 
of his life he was in the queensware trade. 

He was always active, energetic and ambitious, faithful in all the affairs 
of life, and courteous, liberal and charitable to an uncommon degree. He 
was a leader in social circles and like all his family prominent in musical 
organizations, both vocal and instrumental. Possessing a baritone voice of 
remarkable strength and purity, which was often referred to by critics as the 
equal of any in America, he held high rank as a singer, was a leader in sev- 
eral choral organizations and often appeared in concert for social and charit- 
able institutions, toward the success of which he was always a willing con- 
tributor in that way. He was a member of several of the earlier orchestras 
organized at Columbus, was for forty years a member of the Maennerchor, 
was a charter member of the Orpheus Club, was a member of the Arion 
Musical Society, was a leading spirit in the Krumm-Lippert quartette and 
was for many years a member of the quartette of the First Congregational 
church. 

Always a close student of all public and economic questions, he was 
unusually well informed concerning every political problem, and having once 
made up his mind on any question of public iDolicy he was outspoken and 
unchangeable in his opinion concerning it. This strict aldherence to what 
he thought ^-as right concerning the money riuestion led him into the Dem- 



266 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ocratic ranks, and he was assistant postmaster under President Cleveland, 
and was prominent in political campaigns as a leader of Democratic glee 
clubs and was a charter member of the Gold and Silver League of Colum- 
bus. He was a member of the board of trustees of the Ohio State Savings 
and Loan Associations from its organization until his death. 

Mrs. Krumm is a daughter of the late John Zettler, who was a promi- 
nent merchant of Columbus for many years. He was born in Monsheim, 
Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, in December, 1817, came to Columbus with 
his parents in 1837, and died there September 17, 1892, aged nearly seventy- 
five years. During the war he was a contractor of many kinds of supplies 
for the Federal army. His parents were Jacob and Cornelia (Spindler) 
Zettler, and his father was a prominent wine merchant and mill owner of 
his native land, but met with reverses about 1835-36 and sought to rebuild 
his fortune in America. Mrs. Krumm's mother was Mary A. Kientz, born 
May 31, 1816, at Shertzheim, Baden, Germany, and died August 13, 1893, 
in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Krumm had children as follows : Cor- 
nelia, at home; Frederick C, who is the general agent of the /Etna Life 
Lisurance Company at Columbus; John Zettler, teller of the Hayden-Clinton 
Bank of Columbus; Lenora, Stella L and Mary D., all members of their 
mother's household; and Robert, who died in infancy. 

GEORGE K. NASH. 

Among the most prominent and influential citizens of Columbus is num- 
bered George Kilbon Nash. The census enumeration gives the population 
of a town or city as so many hundreds or thousands, or perchance millions, 
but the majority of the residents who form this aggregate are little known. 
Few indeed are they who command public attention and who are leaders of 
public thought and movement; but with this class is numbered George K. 
Nash. Rising above the heads of the mass are many men of sterling worth 
and value, who by sheer perseverance and pluck have conquered fortune, and 
by their own unaided efforts have risen from the ranks of commonplace to 
eminence and positions of respect and trust; but the brilliant qualities of 
mind and brain which mark the great la\yyer are to a certain extent God- 
given. It is to his own perseverance .and .indomitable energy that Mr. Nash 
owes his success in life, as well as to his keen and brilliant mind. He is of 
a sanguine temperament, large-hearted and a genial and a polished gentleman. 
As a lawyer he is noted for his integrity; he prides himself upon never urging 
a client into a suit for the sake of fees, and he will not prosecute a case unless 
he has every reason to believe he will win it ; but he claims the right to defend 
any cause in any court. ' _ 

Mr. Nash is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his birth having oc- 
curred in Medina county, on the 4th of August, 1842. He is a representative 
of old New England families, his parents having been natives of Massa- 
chusetts, whence they emigrated westward at an early period in the develop- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 267 

ment of Ohio and cast in their lot with its pioneer settlers. To the public schools 
Mr. Nash is indebted for the early educational privileges which he received. 
At the age of twenty years he became a student ni Oberlin College, where he 
pursued a regular course ujp to the sophomore year. His life prior to that 
time had been quietly passed in the work of the farm and in the duties of the 
schoolroom, but now a period of excitement reigned in the land, for certain 
states of the southi attempted to overthrow the Union, and loyal men from the 
workshops, from the stores, from the offices and the fields gathered in defense 
of the old flag and the cause it represented. As a private Mr. Nash "donned 
the blue" with the One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment of Ohio National 
Guards and joined the army. His term of service ended about the close of 
the war and he returned to the quiet pursuits of civil life. 

A professional career attracted him, and with a desire to engage in the 
practice of law he took up the study of the fundamental principles of juris- 
prudence in the office and under the direction of Judge R. B. Warden. In 
Columbus, in 1867, he successfully passed the examination necessary for ad- 
mission to the bar and immediately thereafter entered upon practice in the 
courts of the district. He practiced for three years and was then called to 
public office, being elected prosecuting attorney of Franklin county, in the year 
1870, at which time he overcame the usual Democratic majority of about 
three thousand, — a fact which indicated his personal popularity and the con- 
fidence reposed in his legal ability. His able service was indicated by re- 
election in 1872, and he retired from the office, as he had entered it, wath the 
good will, confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. For a number of 
years thereafter he gave his attention to the private practice of law, enjoying 
a distinctly representative clientage. He was retained as counsel either for 
the defense or prosecution in almost every important case tried in the courts 
of his district. His is a natural discrimination as to legal ethics, and he is 
so thoroughly well read in the minutic-e of the law that he is able to base his 
arguments upon thorough knowledge of and familiarity with precedents, and 
to present a case upon its merits, never failing to recognize the main point at 
issue, and never neglecting to give a thorough preparation. His pleas have 
been characterized by a terse and decisive logic and a lucid presentation rather 
than by flights of oratory, and his power is the greater before court or jury 
from the fact that it is recognized that his aim is ever to secure justice and 
not to enshroud the cause in a sentimental garb or illusion which will thwart 
the principles of right and equity involved. 

The offices he has held have ever been in the line of his profession, either 
as a lawmaker or as one who is in charge of ihe execution of the laws. In 
1876 he was the Republican nominee for congress, and in 1877 for attorney 
general; but the entire ticket met defeat. Two years later, however, he was 
again nominated to the latter office by the Republican state convention on the 
first ballot and by popular vote he was chosen for the office in October of 
that year. So faithfully and acceptably did he discharge the important duties 
of his position that he was re-elected, receiving a very large majority over 



268 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

his opponent, Frank C. Dohsrty. one of the strongest men on the Democratic 
ticket. A contemporary said of him: "Fearless in the discharge of his 
duties, fully sustaining the dignity of the law and of the state, he was in- 
fluenced by neither fear nor favor. He is one of those men who feel that 
when a position is entrusted to them; when a high honor is placed in their 
hand's ; when the destinies of the state are committed to their care, that there 
is but one line to follow, and that is the line of strict and conscientious duty." 

In 1883 Mr. Nash was appointed a member of the supreme-court com- 
mission of Ohio, and since his retirement from that office he has engaged in 
the private practice of law, with ever increasing success. Many are the im- 
portant litigated cases which have been entrusted to his care. He was counsel 
on the case w'hich arose concerning the railway war between Vanderbilt, of 
the New York Central, and Jewett, the president of the Erie line. The liti- 
gation arose concerning the Bee line, whose consolidation by Vanderbilt with 
the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton road was fought by Judge Nash, who 
was successful in preventing this. He was also one of the counsel in the 
notable Franklin tally-sheet forgery cases. 

Mr. Nash has always been a stalwart Republican. A careful consider- 
ation of the important questions wdiich affect the weal or woe of the nation has 
led him to give an unfaltering support to the principles promulgated by the 
grand old party. His influence and labors have contributed to its growth 
and success. In 1880 he was the chairman of the Republican state execu- 
tive committee, and to his splendid managerial ability the success of the party 
in that year securing over thirty-four thousand majority votes for James 
A. Garfield is due. In the state convention of 1895 he received two hundred 
and seventy-nine out of eight hundred and seventeen votes in the nomination 
for governor, and the fact that these votes came from sixty of the eighty- 
eight counties of the state indicates his wide popularity. 

While undoubtedly he is not without that honorable ambition which is 
so powerful and useful as an incentive to activity in public affairs, he regards 
the pursuits of private life as being in themselves abundantly w'orthy of his 
best efforts. He is a noble character, — one that subordinates personal am- 
bition to public good and seeks rather the benefit of others than the aggrandize- 
ment of self. His is a conspicuously successful career. Endow^ed by nature 
with high intellectual qualities, to which are added the discipline and em- 
bellishments of culture, his is a most attractive personality. Well versed in 
the learning of his profession, and with a deep knowledge of human nature 
and of the springs of human conduct, with great shrewdness and sagacity 
and extraordinary tact, he is, in the courts, an advocate of great power and 
influence. Both judges and juries always hear him with attention andi deep 
interest. 

ELIJAH MARION. 

Marion is a family name connected with the patriotic history of our 
country, and when it is stated that an early settler in any locality came from 
jMassachusetts it is at once understood that he was a man of progress' and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 269 

enterprise, who came to subdue, to civilize and to enlighten, and whose influ- 
ence was always an active force for good. Such a citizen was Elijah Marion, 
of Marion township, Franklin county, Ohio, who was born in Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts, April 10, 1814, and died in Marion township on the nth of 
December,' 1899, aged eighty-five years. His father, also named Elijah, was 
a native of Boston, where he w^as reared and married Lydia Stone, and in 
18 16 he came to Franklin county, Ohio, when his son Elijah was about two 
and a half years old, bringing with him hia wife and family. They came 
in a covered wagon, with two yoke of oxen and a team of horses in front. 
Locating in Marion township, just south of Columbus, he erected a log 
cabin and began to clear and improve a farm, on which he passed a long and 
useful life. He had two sons and two daughters, — Calvin, Lucy, Lydia 
and Elijah. 

Elijah ]\Lirion, who was the youngest of his father's' family, nad no 
recollections antedating the settlement of the family in Marion township, 
where he attended school in a log schoolhouse and helped to clear the land 
and put it under the plow. He was married on the i8th O'f May, 1842, and 
began housekeeping on the home place. He was successful in life, promi- 
nent as a Whig and later as' a Republican, and lived and died safe in the good 
opinion of his fellow townsmen, who knew him as a helpful and influential 
citizen. Mrs. Adaline (Livingston) Marion, his widow% was born August 
4. 1820, within the present limits of Marion township, a daughter of Judge 
Eidward Livingston, a native of the state of New York. He came unmar- 
ried to Franklin county in 1804. at the age of twenty-one years, and settled 
at Columbus', where he became a prominent man, attaining success at the 
bar and occupying the bench at the court of common pleas. On the 17th of 
March. 1807, he married Martha Nelson, of Marion township, wdio was 
born in Pennsylvania and came to Franklin county at the age of fifteen years. 
Mr. Livingston lived to be sixty years old, and his wife lived to the age of 
seventy. They had eight children, all of whom grew to manhood and woman- 
hood and three are now living. Mrs. Marion was the sixth child and fourth 
daughter in order of birth and was reared in Marion township, having a vivid 
recollection of the primitive sichools of pioneer days. 

Elijah and Adaline (Livingston) Marion became the parents of nine 
children. Caroline W. was the first born of the family. Clinton L. was 
born August 11, 1845, ^^'^s reared on the farm on wdiich he now lives and 
has followed agricultural pursuits as a life occupation. He is a Republican 
in iwlitics and a man of influence in his township. Edward L. married Alice 
IMcElhinny and lives in Marion township. Lucy is the wife of Levi Pease, of 
Thompsonville. Connecticut, but now a resident of Columbus. Ohio. Laura 
is deceased. Martha is the widow of Frank J. Reinhard and lives at Fifth 
and Mound streets. Columbus. Mr. Reinhard was countv auditor for a num- 
ber of years. Adaline is still a member of her mother's household. Louis 
C. married Emma Meeker, and their residence is on the spot where his grand- 
father. Elijah Marion, built his primitive log cabin. Clara Alice is the wife 



270 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of Rev. Simon P. Long, a minister of the Lutheran church and a resident of 
Columbus. Mrs. Marion has fourteen grandchildren, thirteen of whom were 
born in Franklin county, Ohio. The other, Edward L. Pease, was born at 
Hartford, Connecticut, and is a successful lawyer of Columbus. Her grand- 
father, James Livingston, was! a general in the patriot army in the Revolu- 
tionary war, and her grandfather, David Nelson, served in the cause of the 
colonies as a private, and thus it appears that she is descended from Revolu- 
tionary stock in both the paternal and maternal lines. 



WILLL\M C. GOLDSMITH. 

William C. Goldsmith, who is identified with the farming interests of 
Blendon township, which is the place of his nativity, was born on the 6th of 
September, 1863, his parents being John and Sarah J. (Clapham) Goldsmith. 
They had but two children, the elder being Clara, now the wife of John F. Hol- 
comb, a farmer of Blendon township. The father was born in Franklin town- 
ship, Franklin county, October 6, 1837, and was only seven years of age when 
his parents died. He then found a home with a Mr. Miller, in Jackson town- 
ship, with whom he remained until his nineteenth year, when he went to Central 
College and found employment with Professor Washburn, then principal of 
the institution. There he remained for about two years, attending college 
during the scholastic year. On the expiration of that period he entered the 
employ of Joseph Clapham, and on the 26th of January, i860, was united in 
marriage to one of his employer's daughters. He next purchased a farm of 
one hundred and seven acres! in Blendon township, on the east side of the Big 
Walnut. There he resided up to the time of his enlistment in the Civil war. 
He joined the one-hundred-day men, becoming a member of Company C, 
One Hundred and Thirty-third' Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in 1864. During 
his service he contracted a severe illness, which terminated his life on the i8th 
of July of that year, his death occurring on the hospital boat Matilda, near 
Bermuda Hundred, on the James river. He was' reared a Democrat, but the 
political issues of the country centering about the war caused him to ally 
himself with the Republican party, which strongly advocated the Union. 

His wife was born July 25, 1834, upon the farm where our subject now 
resides, and there her death occurred October 29, 1894. She was a daughter 
of Joseph and Sarah (Hudson) Clapham. Her father was born in Walton, 
Yorksihire, England, on Christmas day of 1793 and in 1818, soon after his 
marriage, he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, sailing from Hull, Eng- 
land, and landing at Philadelphia after a voyage of eight weeks. He at once 
went to Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in teaming and 
farming through a period of five years. He then came to Ohio, settling in 
Blendon township, Franklin county, in October, 1823. upon a farm then owned 
by John Snow, of Worthington. but now known as the Schrock farm. Seven 
years afterward he purchased a tract of one hundred acres on Big W'alnut 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 271 

creek one mile north of the present site of Central College. It is the place 
upon 'which our subject now resides, and there the grandparents made their 
home until called to their final rest, the former dying September 4, 1874, while 
the latter passed away January 22, 1873, at the age of seventy-live years and 
twenty-three days. The grandfather had almost completed his eighty-hrst 
year They were held in high regard for their upright lives, which were 
in harmony with their professions as members of the Presbyterian church. 
Although Mr. Clapham did not take an active part in politics, he was 
a man firm m his beliefs and before the war was an anti-slavery Whig, while 
later he became a member of the Republican party. During several terms 
he served his fellow townsmen asi township trustee and as justice of the peace, 
discharging his duties in a firm and efficient manner. In his family were 
nine children, but only one is now living, Joseph, who resides in Delaware 
county, in his eighty-fifth year. The daughter, Mrs. Goldsmith, was for 
many years a member of the Presbyterian church at Central College, and up 
to the time of her death took a prominent part in its work, being especially 
active in her efiforts to promote missionary interests. She held membership 
in the James- Price Woman's Relief Corps, of Westerville, and was a loving 
and devoted mother, a considerate neighbor and was ever ready to lend a 
helping hand to those in need of substantial aid. Her sympathy was broad, 
her charity deep, and she always had a kind word for those with whom she 
came in contact. Although her funeral was held on an inclement day, it 
was one of the largest attended of any ever held in this portion of the county 
for many years, her very extensive circle of acquaintances gathering to pay 
their last tribute of respect and love to one whom they had long known 
and honored. . 

William C. Goldsmith, whose name introduces thisi record, spent his 
boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer lads. He pursued his ele- 
mentary education in the common schools and later entered Central College 
Academy. After his father's death the mother returned to her girlhood 
home, so that our subject was reared on the farm of his grandfather Clapham. 
He died when our subject was eleven years of age. The work of the farm 
early devolved upon his young shoulders, and at the age of sixteen he had 
the entire management of the place. After the death of his mother the land 
was inherited by himself and his sister, and in March, 1898, j\Ir. Goldsmith 
purchased his sister's share in the farm and is now sole owner. He continues 
its cultivation along progressive lines, and everything about the place is neat 
and thrifty in appearance, indicating his careful supervision. 

W. C. Goldsmith was married to Miss Nellie R. Purcell, of Columbus, 
Ohio, December 24, 1900. In politics he is a stanch Republican, unswerving 
in his advocacv of the principles of the party, and he is now serving as trustee 
of the township. He holds membership in Rainbow Lodge, No. 327, I. O. 
O. F., of Westerville, and was also a member of Blendon Grange, No. 708, 
of the Patrons of Husbandrv. Mr. Goldsmith is- known as a worthy repre- 



2/2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

sentative of an early family of the county, and the qualities which have made 
him a successful business man have been supplemented by those character- 
istics which command respect in every land and clime. 

J. P. LIND. 

Among those who have spent their entire lives in the city of Columbus 
is J. P. Lind, who has risen to a leading position in industrial circles, being 
the chief manager of the Columbus Table Company. He was born in the 
city which is still his home in August, i860, and is a son of Christian and 
Margaret Lind, who were among the early settlers of Columbus. In the 
city schools he acquired his education and on putting aside his text-books he 
entered the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company, clerking in different depart- 
ments for that corporation for sixteen years. Long continued service is an 
unmistakable indication of fidelity to duty, and it is therefore a self-evident 
fact that Mr. Lind was most faithful in his work and enjoyed the unqualified 
confidence of his employers. As the years passed he was advanced from one 
position to another with added responsibility and increased pay, and in 1897 
he was offered and accepted the position of general manager of the Columbus 
Table Company, which manufactures tables of all sizes, kinds and materials, 
confining the output exclusively to this department of the furniture trade. 
The products of the factory are shipped to the various states of the Union. 
The machinery employed is of the latest design ; steam power is used in the 
operation of the factory ; and employment is furnished to fifty men, the busi- 
ness being under the immediate supervision of Mr. Lind. 

In 1880 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Lind and Miss Margaret 
Burney, of Columbus. He is a member of the Benevolent & Protective Order 
of Elks, and with the affairs of the city he is identified as a member of the 
school board, having served for the past sixteen years in that department of 
the municipal government, representing the sixth ward. He is a public- 
spirited and progressive citizen, giving his aid and co-operation to all meas- 
ures and movements calculated to prove of public benefit. 

PETER SWICKARD. 

Peter Swickard, a highly esteemed resident of Plain township, was born 
on the loth of November. 1838. in the township which is yet his home, his 
parents being John and Elizabeth (Baughman) Swickard. The father, a 
native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, was born August 25, 1806, and 
was a son of Daniel Swickard, who became one of the first settlers of Jeffer- 
son township, Franklin county. Tradition savs that he- was a native of Ger- 
many. On coming to Ohio, about 1822, he located on Black Lick, in Jeffer- 
son township, where he remained for a number of years and then removed 
with his family to Plain township, where he purchased a farm, upon which 
he made his home until his death. In Pennsylvania he was a prominent 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 273 

distillervman and agriculturist. When his Hfe's labors were ended in ac- 
cordance with a request which he had made, his remauis were interred at the 
old family homestead, but in later years 'his children had his body removed 
to the cemetery in New Albany. He was an extremely conscientious man. oi 
hiffh principles and sterling wort^ esteemed by all who knew him. 

John Swickard, the father of our subject, spent his youth as an inmate 
of the parental home and acquired such education as was afforded by the 
common schools of that time. In later years, through broad reading and 
observation and by the aid of a retentive memory, be became a well intormed 
man \fter his marriage he purchased a portion of the old homestead and 
beo-an farming. As the years passed he added to his landed possessions until 
he\-as the owner of between five and six hundred acres of land, constituting 
a valuable and very desirable property. An ardent member of the United 
Brethren church for more than fifty years, he took an active interest in every- 
thino- pertaining to the promotion of Christianity He was the founder ot 
Mt Pleasant church, and during his life time was one of its most liberal sup- 
porters At the time of the division in the church he was one of the active 
leaders of the radical side, and when the opposition became stronger and the 
church property was sold. Mr. Swickard refused to sell the house of worship 
during his life time. After his death the church was abandoned and a new 
edifice was erected in New Albany, which was a more central location. I^or 
many vears Mr. Swickard was a local preacher in the church and labored 
untiringly and earnestly to promote the cause of the Master among his fellow 
men In early life he was a Republican, but in his closing years he was a 
. stalwart advocate of the Prohibition party. His death occurred September 
10 1898 and thereby the community lost one of its valued citizens, tor he 
was a man of strong purpose and of unquestioned fidelity to all that is- good, 
true and just. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Baughman. 
was born in Plain township, Franklin county, September 6, 1804, and tradi- 
tion says that she was the first white child whose birth occurred in that 
locality. Her parents were Adam and Precilla (Huffman) Baughman, both 
of whom were of German lineage and were the first white settlers in Plain 
township, having emigrated from Pennsylvania to Franklin county d^n"^ the 
davs when Indians were still numerous in this part of the state Both the 
grandparents were laid to rest on the Baughman farm. Mrs. Swickard passed 
away January 2. 1882. By her marriage she had seven children, of whom six 
are vet living, namelv : Eliza, widow of Levi Dagne, of New Albany ; Fred- 
erick. Levi and Noah, all of Plain township; Peter, of this review; and John 
W'., who is living on the old homestead. 

Peter Swickard passed his youth in the usual routine of farm work and 
plav. In the common 'schools he was educated, and on the 20th of Novem- 
ber. i860, he was united in marriage to :\Iiss Emma E. Smith, a native of 
Plain township, Iborn on the farm where she now resides. Her parents, 
Abraham P. and Millie (Kanouse) Smith, came to Franklin countv. Ohio, 
from New Jersev, in 1828. After their marriage ^Ir. and Mrs. Swickard 



274 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

located upon a farm of one hundred and eighty acres in Plain township, which 
was then the property of his father, and there they resided for five years, his 
attention being given to the cuhivation and development of the fields. On 
the expiration of that period he removed to his present home, having pur- 
chased one hundred and five acres from his father-in-law. Upon this place 
he has since resided, and about 1895 he added to his landed possessions by 
purchasing a farm of ninety-six acres adjoining his home place on the west. 
He is a very progressive and energetic agriculturist, and everything about 
his farm is neat and thrifty in appearance. He has good buildings, the latest 
improved machinery, high grades of stock and well developed fields, and his 
property is valuable and attractive in appearance. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Swickard has been blessed with three 
children: Laura E., now the wife of Henry Mahr, a farmer of Plain town- 
ship;' Charles O., who resides upon the land which his father last purchased; 
and Wella S., who is living on the farm with his brother Charles^ the two 
sons operating the tract of land. Mr. Swickard exercises his right of fran- 
chise in support of Republican principles and is a recognized leader of his 
party in this locality. He served for six years as township assessor and for 
the same period has filled the of^ce of township trustee, while for a quarter 
of a century he has been a member of the school board and through three- 
fourths of that time has been its chairman. Although the township is largely 
Democratic he has always been elected by flattering majorities, a fact which 
indicates his personal popularity as well as the confidence and trust reposed in 
him. He does not belong to any church, but contributes liberally to the sup- 
port of religion. For many years he was a member of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows, but is not now connected with the organization. His entire 
life has been passed in Franklin county, so that his history is familiar to 
friends and neighbors. It is one worthy of respect and of emulation, and 
in this volume Mr. Swickard well deserves creditable and honorable mention. 

AIOSES T. DICKEY. 

For over half a century the subject of this review was prominently 
identified with the industrial and agricultural interests of Franklin county, 
and was one of Blendon township's most highly esteemed citizens. He was 
born in Washington county. New York, on the i/th of July, 1823, a son of 
Joseph and Lovina (Taggart) Dickey, also natives of that county, while the 
paternal grandfather was a native of the north of Ireland and the founder 
of his branch of the family in the new world. In 1838 Joseph Dickey, his 
wife, and four children, James, Moses, Joseph and Albert, came to Franklin 
county, Ohio, by way of the Erie canal and the lake to Cleveland and thence 
by canal to near their destination. As a location he selected a little hamlet 
called Portersburg, in honor of a family that had previously located there, 
whose acquaintance had been made on the way to Ohio. It was near Amal- 
thea, afterward widely known as Central College, from the institution founded 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 275 

there by Timothy Lee. There Joseph Dickey opened a shop and worked at 
his trade of blacksmithing until his death, which occurred in 1845. Because 
of his intelHgence and interest in the questions of the day his shop was often 
the meeting place of the leading citizens of the township, who discussed with 
ardor the great questions of politics and religion then agitating the public 
mind. In these discussions Mr. Dickey always took an active part. He was 
a good mechanic, and his skill and industry enabled him to make a good 
living for his family. His wife survived him and died in 1854. After 
coming to this county the family circle was increased by the birth of another 
son, Courtland. The eldest son, James, married Jeanette Parks, who died 
within a year. He subsequently married her sister, Sylvia, and settled in 
Xenia, becoming connected with the Miami Powder Company. His death 
occurred in 1888. Joseph Dickey was a school teacher in early life, teaching 
in Franklin and Pickaway counties, Ohio, and also for one year in the state 
of Iowa, while visiting friends, but he was principally engaged in the stock 
business with our subject. He never married and now resides on his brother's 
old homestead. Albert succeeded Moses in the blacksmith business, which he 
discontinued after securing a comfortable competence, and is now engaged in 
farming in Blendon township. Courtland also became connected with the 
Miami Powder Company, of Xenia, through the influence of his elder brother, 
and was general agent and secretary of the company for several years before 
his death. He died suddenly in 1890, at the age of fifty-six. 

Moses T. Dickey was fifteen years of age when the family took up their 
residence in the wilds of Franklin county. His education was obtained in 
the public schools, and when of proper age he began learning the blacksmith's 
trade in his father's shop, afterward establishing himself in business at the 
same place. On the 2d of November, 1847, ^^ married Miss Alma, a daugh- 
ter of Menzas and Lucy (Phelps) Gillespie, a pioneer family of this county. 
By this union were born six children, five of whom are living, namely : Clar- 
ence W., a civil engineer in Washington, D. C. ; Alice, the wife of John A. 
McCoy, of Emporia, Kansas; Alma G., a resident of this county; Charles, 
deceased; Clayton L., who is engaged in school work; and Marcus C, who is 
engaged in journalistic work, being now connected with the Columbus Citizen. 

For about ten years after his marriage ]\Ir. Dickey continued to work 
at his trade, and then, selling the business to his brother Albert, he pur- 
chased a farm in the same community and devoted the remainder of his life 
to agricultural pursuits. He and his brother Joseph became well known as 
dealers in stock, operating in partnership very successfully and accumulating 
considerable property. 

Mr. Dickey was a stanch Republican and an earnest champion of the 
principles of his party, exerting quite an influence in local political affairs. 
For a number of years he served as trustee of Blendon township. He was 
a man of exceptionally good mind, was a great reader and very observant 
of passing events, keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the 
day. He thought and read a great deal along religious lines in his later 



276 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

years, and while not a member of any church he always held the tenets of 
Christianity in high regard. Always interested in elevating the standard 
of living, he contributed liberally to any cause for the betterment of those 
around him. Of strong patriotic convictions, he gave liberally of his means 
toward' carrying on the Civil war and was an ardent admirer of President 
Lincoln. His wife, to whom he was greatly attached, was in many respects 
a very superior woman. Her death occurred February 7, 1893, at the age 
of sixty-six. Having been for a number of years in feeble health, this great 
blow no doubt hastened his death, which occurred March 12. 1898, in his 
seventy-fifth year. 

SBION PETER EWING. 

During recent years the part taken by skillful workmen in public affairs 
is an important one and organized labor is a factor to be reckoned with by 
those who seek favors of the people. The men who devote themselves to 
strengthening organized labor are as patriotic as the men who struggle for 
human advancement in any other way and their motives are no longer mis- 
understood or cjuestioned by fair-minded people. The name above will be 
recognized by citizens of Columbus, Ohio, as that of one who has given the 
best years of his life to the cause of organized labor and men high in busi- 
ness and official circles are ready to testify to his singleness of purpose and 
the efficiency of his work. 

Simon Peter Ewing was born in Licking county, Ohio, in 1858. came 
to Columbus in 1880 and engaged in building as a carpenter. He is a charter 
member of Carpenters' Union, No. 61, which was organized in 1884 with 
ten members and now has more than seven hundred members in the city of 
Columbus alone, and has filled all offices in the local union. He has been 
called to different offices in the Trades and Labor Assembly of Columbus 
and has been its president three terms, and he is now and has been for the 
last ten years treasurer of the Ohio Federation of Labor. He has been rep- 
resentative at three national conventions of Carpenters and Joiners of America 
and has represented the Trades and Labor Assembly in convention at every 
session since its organization. In September, 1900, he was appointed by 
Governor Nash superintendent of the free employment bureau at Columbus, 
partially through the influence of Commissioner of Labor Rotchford. He is 
a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has filled all offices 
in Robert Curtis Lodge, No. 762, is a member of Mentor Lodge, No. 642, 
Knights of Pythias, and has passed all chairs in Court Champion. No. 1492, 
Independent Order of Foresters, and is past high ranger of that order, an 
office to which he was chosen by election and in which he served two years. 

Mr. Ewing married Miss Sadie Lydy, daughter of Horace E. Lydy, a 
prominent and influential citizen of Fairfield county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ewing have five children, named as follows in the order of their birth : 
Harry Eastman, Alice Lydy. Spencer, Ivan Lewis and Rachel Elizabeth. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 277 

In politics Mr. Ewing is a Republican, active in his labor for his party 
and its principles and fully in accord with the policy of its leaders and the 
present administration of national affairs. In many ways and at all times he 
has demonstrated his right to be called a progressive and public-spirited citi- 
zen, for there has been in his time, no measure promising good to his fellow 
citizens to which he has not given moral and material aid. His w^ork and 
achievements in behalf of organized labor have been so' noteworthy as to 
attract the, attention of leading citizens, irrespective of political affiliation, 
and to win the commendation of all who have became cognizant of them. 

THOMAS E. EDWARDS. 

Thomas E. Edwards, a representative of the train service on the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad, w^as born September 2^, 1849, "^ Birmingham, England, 
and is now serving in the capacity of railway conductor. His father, Thomas 
E. Edwards, was born in Wales, in 1810, and with his family came to this 
country in 1849, during the early infancy of his son and namesake. The 
family located in Dayton, Ohio, where the father died in 1852, but the mother 
still survives and is a resident of Pennsylvania. William John Edwards, 
the brother of our subject, is a baggage master on the Pennsylvania road, 
running betw'een Pittsburg and Wheeling. He is now married and makes his 
home in Sheridan, Pennsylvania. One sister, Ada, now Mrs. Robert Henry, 
resides on Neil street, Columbus, and has four daughters: Cornelia. Anna, 
Madge and Edith, all of w-hom are wuth their parents. Sarah, widow of 
George Taylor, resides in Zanesville, Ohio, and has three daughters and one 
son : Belle, Mary, Muda and George. After the death of Thomas Edwards, 
Sr., the family removed to Zanesville, Ohio, and in 1869 became residents 
of St. Paul. Minnesota. The mother was again married, uniting with James 
Mail, and they had one daughter, Anna, and two sons, H. W. and W. J., who 
are still in Pennsylvania. 

He whose name begins this record learned the trade of iron molding in 
Zanesville and remained there for six months after the removal of the family 
to the west. He then w-ent to Newark, Ohio, where he remained for a year and 
next proceeded to Dennison, hoping to secure work at his trade in that place, 
but as there w^ere no foundries there, and as his financial circumstances made 
it necessary for him to secure immediate employment, he accepted a position 
on a gravel train, being engaged in that work for eight months. About the 
end of that period he met with am accident, severing the main artery in the left 
leg, and thus was incapacitated for work for many months. 

When again able to engage in active business he resumed w'ork on th.e 
gravel train and after six months secured work as a brakeman on a freight 
train on the east end division, running from Columbus to Pittsburg. On 
account of the very dangerous nature of the work on that division, on his 
own application, he w^as transferred to the west division. He recalls a very 
mvsterious collision which occurred when he was on the former line. The 



278 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

engine ran into an obstruction at night at the entrance to a tunnel. After 
investigation they found a sawmill on the track. During a heavy rain, the 
mill, standing on the embankment which had been washed out by the water, 
had slipped down until it rested on the track. This was in the year 1874. 
Mr. Edwards was never seriously injured except once when braking. On 
that occasion he was thrown from the top of the car by catching his foot on 
an iron. He struck the platform and rolled off on the track. He was then 
picked up by a drover who had witnessed the accident and was carried into 
a caboose with three of his ribs broken, and neither the conductor nor any 
of the crew learned of his injury until after reaching the next stop. When 
off duty, by reason of the accident, he was notified by the officers of the road 
to appear for examination for promotion. He did so, passed the examina- 
tion, and since that time he has been on the end of the line where he still 
runs. In June, 1878, he was promoted conductor and still fills that position. 
He has indeed been a very faithful employe of the road and has been given 
preferred runs because of his ability and carefulness in discharging his duties. 
He has never caused the company to lose a single dollar by reason of ineffi- 
cient service or neglect. He is now on a special train running between Colum- 
bus and' Dennison, Ohio. Fifteen years agO' he was offered a position as pas- 
senger conductor, but declined it, the company acceding to his wishes, and he 
is still on preferred freight runs. 

Mr. Edwards has been living in Columbus for twenty-three years and 
the fine residence which he now occupies, at No. 754 North St. Clair avenue, 
was erected by him. In 1877 he was married to Miss Martha Hammel, of 
Tuscarawas county, and unto them have been born two sons and three daugh- 
ters. Her parents were both natives of Ohio and are now deceased. Will- 
iam John, the eldest child, born in 1878, is now a fireman on the Pennsylvania 
road. He was married to Miss Lashura Wheeling and resides in the capital 
city. Ada and Jennie are twins, seventeen years of age, and are now students 
in the high school. Bessie died at the age of three years and eleven months. 
Thomas Edwin was born February 9, 1888. Mr. Edwards is a member of 
the Episcopal church and for fifteen years was a member of the Order of 
Railway Conductors, of Columbus. 

FREDERICK WEBER. 

Frederick Weber, deceased, was one of the leading German-born citizens 
of Franklin county, and in his business career he displayed the characteristic 
thrift and enterprise of his race. Beginning life in the new world with no 
capital except that acquired bv his own industry, he became one of the most 
prosperous business men of Clinton township. 

Mr. Weber was born in Bavaria March 17, 1806, and passed his boy- 
hood and youth in his native land. In 1830, when a young man, he emi- 
grated from Rhenish Bavaria to America, and after spending one year in York 
county, Pennsvlvania, came to Ohio, making his home in Stark countv for 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 279 

three years. On the 30th of May, 1833, he was united in marriage tO' Miss 
CaroHne Tascher, and the following year they came to Franklin county, 
locating on a farm in Clinton township. A year or two later he erected the 
first distillery in Franklin county, which at first had a capacity of but from 
one to two barrels per day. At that time there were only a few houses east 
of the Scioto river, and one or two north of the present Union' depot at 
Columbus. In connection with farming Mr. Weber successfully operated 
his distillery, and to meet the growing demands of his trade he increased its 
capacity to eight barrels per day, carrying on business uninterruptedly up to 
within a few years of his death, and meeting with marked success in the 
undertaking. His first purchase consisted of forty acres of heavily wooded 
land, upon which he erected a log cabin, and there the family^ began life in 
true 'pioneer style. As years advanced and he prospered in his business he 
added to his landed possessions from time to time until he had three hundred 
and twenty-four acres at the time of his death. Without money, prestige 
or friends, a stranger in a strange land, the language of whose people he 
could not speak or comprehend, he began life in America, but having learned 
in youth the most important lesson of how to attend to his own affairs, by 
his industry, perseverance and frugality, he succeeded in accumulating a 
handsome competence for his declining years, and was able to leave his family 
in comfortable circumstances. He was a member of the German Independent 
Protestant church, and lived a consistent Christian life, it being an assuring 
comfort to him in his last days that he never had occasion to regret any act 
performed by him. Mr. Weber exercised his right of franchise in support 
of the men and measures of the Democracy. Surrounded by his wife and 
children, he passed away May 10, 1885, leaving many friends as well as his 
immediate family to mourn his loss. 

Mr. Weber's first wife died in 185 1, and of the ten children born to them 
those living are : Frederick, a resident of Clinton township ; Louisa, wife of 
Dr. L. Sciiaub, of Columbus; George, mentioned below; Henry, professor 
of chemistry in the Ohio State University ; and Herman, a resident of Clinton 
township. The deceased were Mrs. Caroline Tascher, Wilhelmina. Mrs. 
Amelia Graeff, Charles, and Lena, wife of William Westervellt, of Hardin 
county, Ohio. In 1862 IVIr. Weber married Mrs. Ida Emily Homilus, now 
deceased. 

George Weber, son of Frederick, was born on the home farm in Clinton 
township March 30, 1843, ^^''d after completing his education in the district 
schools of the neighborhood assisted his father in the distillery until after 
the inauguration of the Civil war. In 1862 he enlisted for three years, in 
Company C, One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and in 
the spring of 1863 went south with his regiment, joining the Army of the 
Cumberland, under command of General Buell. From Kentucky they went 
to eastern Tennessee, taking- part in the battle of Fort Donelson, and the 
engagements at Franklin, Tennessee, and Shelbyville. They were in the out- 
skirts of the fight at Chattanooga, and for two days were in battle at Chick- 



28o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. \ 

amauga. On the second day Mr. Weber was wounded in the neck by a rifle 
ball, which confined him in the hospital, first at Stevenson and later at Cum- 
berland. On his recovery he rejoined his regiment near Atlanta, and later 
indk part in the heavy fighting in and around that stronghold. His regiment 
went with Sherman's army on the march to the sea, and took part in the 
battle of Jonesboro, after which they were stationed near Savannah for a 
time. They were in the Carolina campaign, taking part in the battle at Ben- 
tonville, North Carolina, which was the last engagement of the war. They 
next marched to Washington. D. C, and participated in the grand review at 
that place. The war having ended, they went to Albany, New York, and 
fjom there to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were honorably discharged in 
August, 1865. On his return home Mr. Weber resumed work in the dis- 
tillery, where he was employed until his father disposed of the business. 

In 1865 he married Miss Amelia Herbig, and after that event located on 
a farm in Clinton township, on which he has since made his home. He owns 
eighty acres of valuable land, which is highly improved and in an excellent 
state of cultivation, and is now successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. 

Mr. and Mrs. Weber have a family of three children, namely: Bertha, 
Ida and Laura. The parents are both members of the Lutheran church, with 
which Mr. Weber has been connected since the age of seventeen years. He 
is a charter member of Elias J. Beers Post, in which he has filled all of the 
offices from commander down. He was land appraiser of his township in 
1900, and for thirteen successive years has efficiently served as township 
trustee. He is one of the representative and prominent men of his com- 
munity — one who commands the respect and confidence of all with whom he 
comes in contact, either in business or social life. 

ORLANDO W. ALDRICH. 

Orlando \Y . Aldrich, a distinguished lawyer and one of the most promi- 
nent and influential citizens of Columbus, was born in Erie county, New 
York, March 30, 1840, and is a son of Sidney and Lydia A. (York) Aldrich. 
His father was born near Framlingham, Suffolk county, England, in 181 7, 
and came to this country in 1832. Two years later he located in Erie 
county. New York, and lived in that state until 1864, when he moved to 
Jackson county. Michigan, making his home there until his death, which 
occurred in 1891. From 1833 until his death he was an active member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, and was a class-leader from 1840. He was 
also licensed as a local preacher, and for many years prior to his death was 
chosen to officiate at more weddings and funerals than any other minister in 
his part of the state, as he was honored and trusted by all who knew him. 
In business affairs he was active, zealous, hospitable and sslf-sacrificing. His 
estimable wife preceded him to the better world, dying in Michigan, in 1882. 
She was a native of Clarence. New York, and was descended on the paternal 
side from Asahel Franklin, of Bennington, Vermont, who was a nephew of 




0. W. ALDRICH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 281 

Benjamin P^ranklin, and who fought under Stark at the battle at that place. 
Her grandmother, Amy Franklin York, was eleven years old at the date of 
that battle and saw it from her father's house. She married Stephen York, 
and the family had removed to Canada and resided less than half a mile from 
the battle-field of Lundy's Lane, which battle she isaw from her own house. 
Her husband was the man who gave the information to General Brown which 
resulted in the capture of a British spy. This becoming known to the 
Canadian authorities, the family had to fly from their home and their farm 
was confiscated. Their son Stephen, the father of Mrs. Aldrich, had been 
drafted into the Canadian militia, but ran away, came to the states, joined 
Captain Spencer's company of New York militia and was at the battle of 
Fort Erie. 

Mr. Aldrich served for two years in the Fourteenth Xew York Volunteer 
Infantry from May 17, 1861, to May 23. 1863, being with the regiment in the 
campaign in the peninsula, also at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellors- 
ville. He was graduated at the Illinois Wesleyan University in 1869, received 
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1875, the degree of Doctor of Laws 
from Albert University, of Belleville, Ontario, in 1877, and the degree of 
Doctor of Civil Law in the former institution in 1881. He was admitted to 
the bar of Illinois in 1870, when Vice-President Stephenson and Judge Wel- 
don of the United States court of claims were on the committee of examiners. 
He was the professor of philosophy at the Illinois Wesleyan University in 
1877 and 1878, and professor in the law department of that college from 
1876 to 1 88 1, and in the Ohio State University from 1892 to 1897. For 
three years he was the editor of the Weekly Jurist, of Bloomington. Illinois, 
and edited the first American edition of Anson on Contracts, an English work 
of high authority. He also prepared the supplemental volume of Ohio Stat- 
utes from 1880 to 1885, and wrote an article on elections in volume VI, first 
edition of the American Encyclopedia of Law, consisting of two hundred 
pages of double-column matter. 

As a lawyer he stands deservedly high in his profession, and in business 
and social circles also occupies an enviable position. He was the first presi- 
dent of the Worthington, Clintonville & Columbus Street Railway Company, 
holding that office from 1891 to 1898, and the office of vice-president since 
that time. He is also the president of the Ohio State Interurban Railway 
Association ,and is now the secretary of the Columbus, Delaware & ^Marion 
Electric Railway. At the Ohio Centennial in 1888 he was honorary com- 
missioner for Franklin county. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Aldrich is a Republican. For two years 
he was the vice-president of the Ohio State Society of the Sons of the Amer- 
ican Revolution, and was the president of that society for one year. He has 
also been the president of the Ohio Society of the War of 1812 since its organ- 
ization in 1895, ^"cl is now the vice-president general of the national organ- 
ization of that order. He has served as the commander of Beers Post. G. A. 
R. ; was the judge advocate of the department of the Ohio; a member of the 



282 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

council of administration of Ohio, and a delegate to the national encamp- 
ment in Cincinnati. He is also a member of the Union Veteran Legion 
Encampment, No. 78. For four years he was the master of the New England 
Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., of Worthington, and he is a life member of Mount 
Vernon Commandery, K. T., and a member of Aladdin Temple, Nobles of 
the Mystic Shrine. 

Owning a fine fruit farm of twenty-three acres near the city, Mr. Aldrich 
takes an active interest in. horticulture, and has been the president of the 
Columbus Horticultural Society. He was the vice-president of the Ohio State 
Horticultural Society for four years. He also takes a great interesc in art, 
and has the largest collection of oil and water colors by European and Amer- 
ican artists in this section of the state, and also has a splendid collection of 
rare old books, taking a deep interest in archeological researches. He has 
one volume of Roman law j^ublished in 1482, only a few years after the first 
printing was done by movable type. He holds and merits a place among the 
representative legal practitioners and citizens of Columbus, and the story 
of his life, while not particularly dramatic, is notwdthstanding such a one 
as offers a typical example of that energetic American spirit which has enabled 
many an individual to rise from obscurity to a position of influence and 
renown solely through native talent, indomitable perseverance and singleness 
of purpose. Mr. Aldrich is a pleasant, genial and polished gentleman, of 
high social qualities and very popular, having a most extensive circle of 
friends and acquaintances who esteem him highly for his genuine w^orth. 

Mr. Aldrich married Miss Roselin G. Jewell, at Hudson, Illinois, in 1863. 
She died in 1877, leaving two children: Edgar S., who graduated at the 
Ohio State University in 1898 as an electrical engineer, and is now the man- 
ager of the electric-light plant at Snohomish, Washington ; and Mrs. Harry 
E. Clum. of Columbus. In 1878 Mr. Aldrich married Mrs. Sarah A. Taylor, 
of Vandalia, Illinois, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio. They have 
one son, W. Richard, now a student in the law department of the Ohio State 
University. 

ANDREW MORRISON. 

Andrew Morrison was born in county Down. Ireland, twelve miles south- 
east of Belfast, on the loth of January. 1836, and represents one of the old 
families of that locality. His father, John Morrison, was born in the same 
county, about January 5, 1801, and was a son of Andrew and Isabelle (Swin- 
dell) Morrison, being the youngest of their three children. The others were 
Samuel and Isabelle, now deceased. The grandfather of our subject was born 
in county Down and was of the fifth generation to reside upon what was 
known as the Morrison farm there, the ancestors originally removing from 
Scotland to the Emerald isle. 

John Morrison was reared on the ancestral farm and after his marriage 
to Agnes Murdock took charge of the home place, his mother having died 



CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 283 

prior to that time, and the father made his home with the son and his wife 
After his father died John Morrison became owner of the home place and 
was left by his father in good financial circumstances, but through ^oino- 
security for others he met with reverses and lost his fortune. In the spring 
ot 1849 he emigrated on the sailing vessel, Mary Pleasant, which weighed 
anchor in the harbor of Liverpool. After a voyage of twenty-eight da^s he 
hnded at ^ew \;ork city and thence made his way westward to Knox county 
Ohio, where resided his uncle, William Morrison, who was the possessor of 
considerable property, and had importuned the father of our subject to come 
to the new world, holding out the inducement that he would leave his proo- 
erty to^him at the time of his -death, as he had no children of his own This 
uncle had crossed the Atlantic with three or four of his brothers-in-law by 
name of Wilson, early in the nineteenth century, and they settled in 'the 
northern part of the state of New York. Later all served as soldiers in the 
war of 1812 and after the cessation of hostilities Mr. Morrison and his 
brothers-in-law went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, thence bv boat to Marietta, 
Ohio There one ot the Wilson brothers traded a land grant for a farm but 

small sfeds'"""^'"" ^^'''' ^'°"'"'^'' ^^''°''"^' ^^'^ ^°'''^' ^"^ ^^"°-^ '°^"'^^>'- ^^ 
In the fall following his emigration to America John Morrison's family 
emigrated on the sailing vessel, Josephine, which left Belfast for Xew York 
and reached the American metropolis after a thirty-davs vova^e There 
they were met by the husband and father, and by train theV proceeded to Buf- 
fa o and thence to Sandusky by steamer. From that place to Mansfield they 

coutv TheT.tr' '"^ '"'^ '^'"'' ^'''''' '^' ''^''^''y ^" ^ ^-^§-"" to Knox 
count). The father of our subject lived in that county until the spring of 

u-;;i:;i? '''' 1 v' "^t^S'^""^ 'P^"^ ^''"'^'^ '^'^^^ '-^"d becoming dissatisfied 
uith the condition of affairs between himself and his uncle he left Knox county 
and came to Frankhn county, locating on Alum creek in what was then 
Montgomery township, but is now Marion township. In this way he beo-an 

n'Tliffli "V ''"T T^ "^ '^'' ^'" °^ ^^-^3 he leased sixty-five acVes of land 
m Mifflm township for seven years. This was all covered with the native 
growth ot torest trees and according to the terms of the lease Mr. Morrison 
was to c ear and tence the land. With characteristic enercn^ he began the 
DnHnr.l ^' '"' ^^^-^y^the trees sold the wood to the railroad companies. 
During the seven years ot his lease-holding and through the succeeding year 

hnl ' 1'/°"' f'!\''^ ""'''' ''''''' ^^""^^^^^ ^'''' ^' l^"^l surrounding their 
home and furnished large amounts of wood to the railroads. This was the 
toundation of the family's prosperity in the county. In the fall of 1861 the 
father purchased two hundred acres of land and' Andrew Morrison whose 
name u.troduces this review, became the owner of one hundred acres ' ad S 
ing_. his p ace being now the ^^'il]iam Morrison farm. The family took up 
heir abode upon that property and there the father made his home until his 
death, which occurred m June. 1895. At the time of the location upon e 
old homestead the land was a tract of wild timber and he and his Zs co 



284 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

tinned the work of felling the trees and snpplying cord-wooii to the railroad, 
the company running a switch road to their place. At the time of the removal 
of the family the father and his son Andrew also purchased a sawmill, which 
was operated by the son Samuel, and later our subject conducted the enter- 
prise alone for seven years. 

Andrew Morrison, whose name begins this record, was the only son of 
his parents, and his sister Isabelle has now passed away. He was reared 
under the parental roof, and in Ireland acquired a good common-school edu- 
cation prior to the emigration to the new world. On his arrival here he had 
the opportunity of resuming his studies under a competent instructor who 
was teaching school in the Morrison neighborhood, thus accommodating his 
neighbors, who, in return, chopped wood for him. Our subject's proficiency 
in mathematics excited the wonder of the children throughout the neighbor- 
hood and they would come for miles around to see him "figure," as they 
termed it. At twenty-three years of age he entered upon his independent 
business career, working during the greater part of the succeeding two years 
at wood-chopping. In 1861 he purchased one hundred acres of land in Jef- 
ferson township. This was the time when the father removed to his new 
'home and he lived under the shelter of the parental roof until the time of 
his enlistment in the service of his country, in August. 1862. He joined 
Company I, of the Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned 
to the First Brigade of the First Division of the Army of the Cumberland. 
In September of the same year he was captured at the battle of Richmond, 
M'ith five or six thousand of his comrades, but on the second day following 
they were paroled and returned to Camp Chase. Later Mr. Morrison was 
taken ill and after two months spent in the post hospital he was discharged on 
account of disability, in April, 1863, and returned home. He then resumed 
the business of wood-chopping and of manufacturing lumlier. 

In 1865 Mr. Morrison was married to Miss Cynthia Zane, a native of 
IMuskingum count}'. Ohio, and a daughter of Corbin Zane, a representative of 
the Zane family who laid out the citv of Zanesville. His people were among 
the distinguished pioneers of the Buckeye state, and a romantic story attaches 
to the life-history of Elizabeth Zane. who through her bravery in facing 
Indian bullets in order to save the fort at Marietta, by carrying a keg of powder 
to the men who were engaged in defending the fort. The mother of ]\Irs. 
IMorrison was in her maidenhood Miss Sarah Miller and she was a descendant 
of Governor Arthur St. Clair, the first governor of Ohio. The grandfather, 
Milo Miller, was descended from one of the Pilgrims who came to America 
in the Mayflower and also from some of the Revolutionarv heroes. The 
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Morrison has been blessed with five children, of 
whom three are now living, namely: Frank M., a farmer of Jefferson town- 
ship; Sarah K., the wife of Frederick Hoffman, who is a mem]-)er of the bar 
and secretary of the Rock Plaster Company, of Columbus; and Homer E., 
who is operating the farm. 

After hi? marriage Andrew ]\Iorri<on located at Taylor's Station, owning 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 285 

there one hundred and seventeen acres of land constituting a part of his pres- 
ent farm. He was at that time conducting a sawmill, but in 1868 he purchased 
one hundred and twenty-six acres of land south of Taylor, and removing 
to that place he made it his home for two or three years, after which he traded 
it for one hundred and ninety-six acres of his present farm, which now com- 
prises a tract of three hundred and thirteen acres. Since that time it has 
been the place of his abode and is one of the most desirable farming prop- 
erties in this section of the state. He also owned one hundrel and eightv- 
five acres of land north of Reynoldsburg, in Jefferson township, and forty- 
five acres near Bullits Park, just outside of the city limits of Columbus. His 
business interests have been capably managed, his well directed efforts bring- 
ing to him a high degree of success. He has never had time nor inclination 
to seek public office, but exercises his right of franchise in support of the men 
and measures of the Democratic party. In early life he was a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, but in more recent years has not held mem- 
bership connection with any denomination. His wife, however, is a Meth- 
odist. Socially he is connected with the Reynoldsburg Lodge, F. & A. M., 
his life exemplifying the benevolent principles of the fraternity. His career 
has been an active, busy and useful one, and his worth as a man and citizen 



RICHARD SINCLAIR. 

Richard Sinclair, a retired merchant residing in Columbus, was born in 
the city of Rochester, New York, November 28, 1828, a son of George and 
Mary (Hositt) Sinclair. The fatlier was born in Scotland, but in early life 
emigrated to the United States, where he was married, after which he located 
in Rochester, New York, and engaged in the butchering business. In 1839 he 
came with his family to Columbus, where he opened a meat market and con- 
tinued actively in that line until within a short time prior to his death, which 
occurred when he was in his seventy-fifth year. His wife, who survived him 
for some time, died in 1875. She was born in Edinburg, Scotland, and in 
her girlhood came to America with her parents, who located in Rochester, 
New York. 

Richard Sinclair, who is the only survivor in a family of five children, 
accompanied his parents on their emigration to Columbus, in 1840. and in the 
public schools of the citv he continued his education for a time. In his 
twelfth year he entered his father's market, where he remained until he had 
attained his majority, when he opened a meat market on his own account on 
Higfh street, between the American and United State? hotels. There he car- 
ried on business until 1850, when he sold out. Having saved some money, 
he purchased eighteen acres of land on what is now ^^'est Broad street, the 
consideration being four thousand dollars. Of this he paid two thousand 
down, while the balance was to be met in payments of five hundred dollars. 
Hardly more than a year had passed \Ahen he was offered forty thousand dol- 



286 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lars for the property, and, refusing this, he hiter sold it for sixty thousand. 
He has erected between twenty-five and thirty dwelHng houses and a number 
of store buildings in this city. A large business block on West Broad street, 
which has a forty-four-foot front and is ninety-nine feet in depth and three 
stories high, and is now occupied by a stock of hardware, w^s erected by him 
and was for some years the best business block west of the Scioto. Promi- 
nently connected with real-estate and building interests, he has done much to 
improve the city along substantial lines of progress and development. 

On the 7th of November, 1856, Mr. Sinclair w^as united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret Romosier, of Columbus, a daughter of John Romosier. She 
died in 1882, leaving eight children: Charles, who is now a ticket agent for 
the Hocking Valley Railroad ; George W., who died in 1888 ; Lucy, who died m 
1898; Elizabeth, the wife of Law^rence H. Cott; Eloi.^e; Mrs. Matilda Howe; 
Richard; and Ethel. Mr. Sinclair erected his fine brick residence at No. 
913 West Broad street in 1891, and it is known as one of the attractive homes 
of the city. Although he started out in life with very limited capital he has 
by energy^ economy and good management accumulated a handsome com- 
petence for old age.' He always voted the Democratic ticket, first supporting 
James Buchanan for the presidency and since that time has never wavered 
in his allegiance to the party. 



LEONHARD HIRSCH. 

In this age of colossal enterprise and marked intellectual energy, the 
prominent and successful men are those whose abilities, persistence and cour- 
age lead them into large undertakings and assume the responsibilities and 
labors of leaders in their respective vocations. Success is methodical and 
resultant ; and however much we may indulge in fantastic theorizing as to its 
elements and causation in any isolated ini-tance, yet in the light of sober investi- 
gation we wdll find it to be but a result of the determined application of cue's 
abilities and powers along the rigidly defined line of labor. America owes 
much of her progress and advancement to a position foremost among the 
nations of the w^orld to her newspapers, and in no line has the incidental 
broadening out of the sphere of usefulness been more marked than in this 
same line of journalism. Columbus has enlisted in its newspaper field some 
of the strongest intellects of the state, — men of strong mental grasp, cosmo- 
politan ideas and notable business sagacity. 

Prominent among the men who have given the city prestige in this 
direction must be placed Leonhard Hirsch, the subject of this review. His 
identification with the art preservative of all arts dates from an early period 
in his career. He w-as born October 13. 1834. in the towni of Berncastel, 
which lies on the banks of the Moselle river, in Rhenish Prussia. At the 
accustomed age he entered the public schools of the fatherland, there pur- 
suing his studies until he entered upon his business career as an apprentice 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 287 

to the carpenter's trade. He followed that pursuit through the period of his 
minority, and soon atter attaninig man's estate he began business on his own 
account as a prmter and lithographer in Frank fort-on-the-Main, but was 
obliged to abandon all and flee to England when that famous old city was 
occupied by the Prussians in 1866. For five years he remained on the "merrie 
isle,' where he was employed at his trade and finally became the manager of 
the Hermann, a German weekly paper published in London. 

Attracted by the opportunities of the new world, where the field of 
advancement lay open to all and where liberty of thought and action is one 
of the cherished possessions of the people, he resolved to seek a home beyond 
the w-ater, and in 1870 crossed the Atlantic to New York. In the metropolis 
he soon secured an excellent position in the line of his trade, having for a 
time served as the manager ot the Oestliche Post, a daily paper published in 
the German language, in 1872 he became a resident of St. Louis, where he 
also acted as the manager of a paper until 1876, the year of his arrival in 
Columbus, wdiere he was «iiplo}-ed for a number of months in the office of 
the Westbote. Wishing, however, to engage in business for himself, he estab- 
lished a Republican Sunday paper published in his native tongue. He called 
it the Ohio Sontagsgast and by his unflagging industry, perseverance, keen 
sacracitv and capable management he mad^e it a profitable business venture. 
Although the majority of German residents are advocates of Democratic prin- 
ciples he made his paper a Republican organ, fearlessly advocating the prin- 
ciples of the party in which he has ever believed since becoming a student 
of American politics. At the same time his journal became a bright, newsy 
organ, devoted to the welfare of the city and state, as well as to the expression 
of the editor's political views. In 1891 Mr. Hirsch broadened the scope of 
his enterprise by establishing a daily paper, called the Daily Express, which is 
the only German Republican journal in central Ohio. From the beginning 
it has constantly grown in favor and therefore in patronage, and now has 
an excellent circulation among the German-American people, in whose homes 
it carries influence by its frank expressions concerning the questions and 
interests of the day which affect all mankind. 

In 1886 Mr. Hirsch was appointed by Governor Foraker to the position 
of supervisor of public printing, and in that office he rendered most effective 
service. He filled the position for five terms, being re-appointed by Gov- 
ernor Foraker and later by Governor McKinley. 

In 1871 Mr. Hirsch was united in marriage to Miss Lotta Meyer, and 
they now have five sons and a daughter. The sons follow in the father's 
political footsteps, being earnest advocates of the Republican party. The 
success which has come to Mr. Hirsch has been by no means the result of 
fortunate circumstances. It has come to him through energy, labor and per- 
severance, directed bv an evenly balanced mind and by honorable business 
principles. He has made the most of his opportunities and at the same time 
the rules of his life have been such as to win the unqualified confidence of his 
fellow men, gaining their esteem and regard. 



288 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

BENJAMIN G. WHEELER. 

Benjamin G. Wheeler, the experienced and popular conductor on the 
Pennsylvania Railroad, was born April 6, 1849, i'''^ Hopedale, Harrison county, 
Ohio, his parents being Chrrstopher and Rebecca Wheeler. The father was 
born in Harrison county, Ohio, April 11, 1816, and was the eldest of a large 
family of children, the others being: Reason, born July 10, 1818; Benjamin, 
November 20, 1819; Morgan, May 27, 1821; Malinda, January 2, 1823; 
Mocinda. December 2, 1824; Hinzay, December 28, 1826; Hezekiah W., 
June 30, 1828; Nancy, April 30, 1830; Anion, December 23, 1831 ; John \\\, 
July 5, 1833; and Rachel, June 4, 1835. All are now deceased with the 
exception of Rachel, who is now married and living in the west. The father 
of our subject resided upon a farm in early life, but about 1850 removed to 
the village of Hopedale, where he followed the carpenter's trade. On the 
paternal side he comes of an old American family, the father having been a 
native of Maryland. For many years Christopher Wheeler was connected 
with the building interests of Hopedale, and his life's labors were ended in 
death in that town on the 4th of March, 1887. His wife, isurviving him for 
about nine years, passed away in the same town, March 8, 1896. Their 
children were: Mary Jane, born May 14, 1839; William Franklin, October 
16, 1840; John Wilson, December 17, 1842; Eliza Ellen, December 16, 1844; 
Reuben Arnold, April 29, 1847; Benjamin G., April 6, 1849; Sarah Ellen, 
October 13, 1851 ; Keziah Margaret, September 2, 1853; Samuel Christopher, 
September 30, 1855; and Eliza Ellen, January 31, 1858. Four of the num- 
ber have now passed away. Keziah Margaret died on the 28th of Septem- 
ber, 1853; Sarah Ellen, on the 9th of March, 1854; Reuben Arnold, July 
13, 1857; and Samuel Christopher, May 20, 1881. The last named was a 
brakeman on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and by coupling cars in the yards 
in Columbus was fatally injured. John W. Wheeler enlisted in 1861 in the 
Forty-third Ohio Infantry, and remained for three years at the front. After 
the war he spent twenty years as an engineer on the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- 
road and then purchased a farn-i. wh"ch lie has since operated. William 
Wheeler is living in Dennison, Ohio, and for the past twenty years he has 
been employed in the Panhandle shops at Dennison, as a blacksmith. 

Benjamin G. Wheeler was only about a year old when his parents became 
residents of Hopedale, where he pursued his education in the public schools. 
From early life, however, he has been dependent upon his own labors, having 
worked as a farm hand for hiis board and ten cents per day when a small boy. 
He also assisted his father at the carpenter's trade before attaining manhood, 
aiding in shingling, siding and other such work. His brother William w^as 
a conductor on the Panhandle Railroad in 1864, and our subject also entered 
the service about that time, soending three month? on a freight train as 
brakeman. In the discharge of his duties he found it necessary to step over 
the soldiers who were being taken to the front on freight cars on his run to 
Newark and Steuben ville. In October, 1868, he accepted a permanent posi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 289 

tion with the Panhandle Company, running from Dennison to Cohimbus, 
Ohio, as a brakeman. He held that position for six months and then accepted 
a similar position on a passenger train, serving in that way until December, 
1 87 1. Between the years 1872 and 1876 he was the baggage master on a 
train and from 1876 until 1881 he was freight conductor. In the latter year 
he was assistant yard master, also having a passenger run, and in December, 
1 88 1, he was given a regular passenger run and has continued in the service 
of the company in that capacity up to the present time. Over his record 
there falls no shadow of wrong, for he has ever been faithful and true to his 
duty, careful and earnest in its discharge. He has been constantly on the 
Pittsburg division, running between Columbus and Pittsburg, and his trust- 
worthiness is a matter of record, well worthy of commendation. 

On the 15th of May, 1872, Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss 
Emma Brydie, of Columbus, in which city they have since made their home, 
now residing at No. 1223 Hunter avenue. The lady was a daughter of Hugh 
and Mary A. Brydie. Her father died in 1861, at the age of forty-five years, 
and her mother passed away in 1895, at the age of sixty-seven. One of her 
brothers, James, died when only fifteen years of age, from disease while serv- 
ing his country in the Civil war. Two of her brothens, William and Millard 
F., are now residents of New Mexico. Her sister, Ida May, is the wife of 
Earnest A. Pierce, of Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Jennie Deuell and Mrs. 
Mattie L. Levi, of this family, are residents of Columbus, and Ella is living 
in Cincinnati. Her father was a native of Tennessee and her mother of 
Illinois. Mrs. Wheeler is a member of the Third Avenue Episcopal church. 
In 1 871 Mr. Wheeler became a member of Excelsior Lodge, No. 145, I. O. 
O. F., of Columbus. In his life he exemplifies the benevolent spirit of the 
fraternity. Both he and his wife are well known for their genial manner 
and sterling qualities and the hospitality of many of the homes of Colum- 
bus is extended to them. 

AMLLIAM R. LAZENBY. 

America has made wonderful strides in scientific research during the 
century just completed, and among those who have been leaders of investiga- 
tion is William Rane Lazenby, whose discoveries along horticultural line? 
have been not only a source of gratification and pleasure to the scientific 
world, but also of practical value to the fruit-raisers and agriculturists of 
the land. Lie has attained a national reputation in connection with educa- 
tional work and scientific discovery and to-day occupies an eminent position 
among the men of high scientific attainments. His local connection is with 
the Ohio State University, occupyinsf the chair of horticulture and forestrv, 
but throughout the country he is widely known, being a representative of the 
leading societies for the advancement of scientific attainment and research 
along his chosen lines. 

Professor Lazenbv was born December q. 18^2. in Bellona, New York, 



290 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and acquired his preliminary education in the country schools of his native 
township. His more advanced studies were pursued in the Pen Yan Academy 
and in his college course in Cornell University, being graduated in the last 
named institution with the class of 1874. Immediately after his graduation 
he was appointed instructor of botany and horticulture in his alma mater, 
which position he held for two years, when he was made assistant professor 
of horticulture, serving in that capacity until he resigned in 1881. 

It was in that year that Professor Lazenby was elected professor of 
botany and horticulture in the Ohio State University, at Columbus, wath which 
institution he has since been connected, now holding the professorship of 
horticulture and forestry. While a member of the faculty of Cornell he w^as 
the botanist to the New York State Horticultural Society, the horticultural 
editor of the Husbandman and lecturer for the New York State Grange. 
He drafted the bill for, and aided in establishing, the New York State Experi- 
mental Station, which is located at Geneva. After his removal to Ohio he 
drafted a bill and secured the establishment of the Ohio E^xperimental Sta- 
tion, of which he was a director for six years. He was for five years the 
secretary and for two years the president of the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science; has been for the past eight years the president 
of the Columbus Horticultural Society, — one of the oldest associations of its 
kind in America ; is an active member of the American Pomological Society 
and vice-president of the National Forestry of Congress, and in addition is 
an active or honorary member of many state and local societies. He has 
written much upon horticultural and agricultural subjects and for twenty 
years has 1)een a lecturer before farmers' institutes. 

In 1896 Professor Lazenby was united in marriage to Miss Harriet 
Edelia Akin, of Colunbus, and with their daughter, an only child, they reside 
in their home near the Ohio State University. The Professor has superior 
ability as an educator, being able to impart clearly and readily to others the 
knowledge he had acquired. He has deep love for the subjects in w-hich he 
gives instruction, and his fondness for scientific research has led 'him into 
new fields where he has gained many valuable truths of benefit to his fel- 
low men. 

JOHN H. MILLS. 

In raihvay circles John H. Mills has long been widely and fa\"orably 
known. He was born April 19, 1867, in New^ IMoscow, Ohio, a son of 
Henry PI. Mills, whose birth occurred in 1833. Both his father and his 
mother died on' the same (ky. — August 17, 1894. — at Cooperdale, Ohio, 
their disease being tynhoid fever. Ten days later their daughter Bertha 
also passed away. The father was connected with commercial pursuits, 
conducting a general mercantile store in Cooperdale. 

John H. Mills spent the first sixteen years of his life under the parental 
roof, and then went to Columbus, Ohio, to learn the carriage-maker's trade. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 291 

'J'his was his first independent venture and thereby tested his power, giving 
indication of the elemental strength of his character. He worked at carriage- 
making- until December 12, 1890, when he entered the service of the Pan 
Handle Railroad Company. On the nth of May, 1892, he became an em- 
ploye of the Toledo, Walhonding Valley & Ohio Railroad, having charge 
of the express and baggage. In' December. 1896, he came to Columbus and 
again entered the service of the Pan Handle Road, with which he has since 
continued. 

On the 26th of January, 1895, Mr. Mills was united in marriage to 
Miss Maggie Finley, the w^edding being celebrated in Mansfisld, Ohio. Her 
parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, and from that state removed to 
West V^irginia. where Mrs. Mills w^as born. Her father was a member of 
the One Hundred and Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil 
war and served with the First Army Corps in many of the most important 
engagements which occurred in that portion of the country. He died at 
Loudonville, Ohio, where his wife is still residing. In their family were 
tiiree sons : Wilson and Joseph, who are residents of Loudonville, wdiile 
James makes his home in Toledo, Ohio, Mr. Mills is the treasurer of the 
Order of Railway Trainmen, of Columbus, and is regarded as one of the most 
prominent and influential members of the organization. His political sup- 
port is given to the men and measures of the Republican party, and in relig- 
ious faith both he and his wife are Presbyterians, belonging to the Broad 
Street church. The record of Mr. Mills is that of a man who has by his 
owm efforts worked his way upw-ard to a position of affluence. His life has 
been one of industry and perseverance, and he has at all times commanded 
the respect of bis fellow men. 

DANIEL H. SOWERS. 

Ambition is the keynote of progress. \\'hen ambition is satisfied satiety 
follows, action ceases and effort becomes futile. It is the man to whom 
satiety is ever in the future that advances in the business Avorld, continually 
working his way upw^ard until he attains a position of eminence and promi- 
nence. Such has been the life record of Daniel H. Sowers, now a well known 
and highly esteemed resident of Columbus, exercising much influence in 
public affairs, especially along- the lines of commercial and industrial activity 
which contribute to the city's prosperity. 

Mr. Sowers is a native of Champaign county. Ohio, born in the vear 
1867. His grandfather, Henry Sowers, was a descendant of Christopher 
Sowers, w^ho located in Germantown, Maryland, in 1689, and' was the first 
publisher of a German newspaper in the colonies. About the year 1810 
Henry Sowers removed w-ith his parents from Maryland, his native state, 
to Perry county, Pennsylvania, where in 1827 he was married. He became 
the father of tw^o sons and three daughters, all of whom are now residents 
of Perry county with the exception of S. K. Sowers, the father of our sub- 



292 CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ject, who came to Ohio in the year 1857. locating in Champaign county. 
There, in 1861, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Eunice Blose, and five 
children graced their marriage, of whom three are now living near Urbana, 
while the brothers, John and Daniel, are residents of Columbus. The for- 
mer is the secretary and treasurer of the wholesale lumljer company of Smith 
& Sowers. 

Daniel H. Sowers, whose name introduces this record, pursued his early 
education in the schools of his native county and was a member of the grad- 
uating class of the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1889. In the fall of that 
5^ear he adopted the profession of law and entered upon a course of legal 
study in the office of Powell, Owens, Rickets & Black. In 1891 he was 
admitted to practice at the Columbus bar and since 1892 has been a member 
of the law firm of Huggins & Sowers. In addition to his regular law prac- 
tice, which engages most of his time and attention, however, he is interested 
in several business enterprises, and his wise counsel and sound judgment are 
important factors in their successful conduct. At a meeting of tlie Columbus 
Board of Trade, held in January for the purpose of selecting officers for the 
current year, Mr. Sowers was elected the first vice-president of that body and 
is now occupying the position. His knowledge of jurisprudence is compre- 
hensive and exact. As a practitioner of law he ranks very high in contrast 
with those of equal age and experience, and those who are acquainted with 
his strong mentality, his powers of close application and his laudable ambi- 
tion predict for him a very successful career as a representative of the legal 
fraternity. 

In Columbus, in 1898, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Sowers and 
Miss Elizabeth Deshler, a daughter of William G. Deshler. an old resident 
and prominent citizen of Columbus, where for some years he engaged in the 
banking business, but is now living retired. One of the best residences in 
Columbus, situated on East Broad street, is their home. It possesses all 
the external features of beauty and style which modern architectural skill 
could devise and provide, and in its interior adornments and furnishings it 
suggests refined and cultured taste. It is an ideal home where comfort, good 
cheer and hospitality reign supreme. 



LEWIS L. RANKIX. 

In the last half of the present century the lawyer has l^een a pre-eminent 
factor in all aft'airs of private concern and national importance. The man 
versed in the laws of the countrv, as distinguished from business men or 
politicians, has been a recognized power. He has been dei:»ended upon to 
conserve the best and permanent interests of the whole people, and without 
him and the approval of his practical judgment the effect of the statesman 
and the industry of the business man and mechanic would have proved futile. 
The reason is obvious. The profesisional lawyer is never the creature of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 293 

circumstance. The profession is open to talent, and eminence or success 
cannot be obtained except by indomitable energy, perseverance and strong 
mentality. 

It has been along these lines that Lewis Lincoln Rankin has gained 
prominence in his chosen calling. He was born August 4, i860, in Mifflin- 
ville, Mifflin township, Franklin county, Ohio, and there upon the home farm, 
wdiere his ancestors have lived for many generations, he resided w'ith his 
parents until eleven years of age. He is a son of Swan L and Sarah M. 
Rankin. The mother was a daughter of Alexander B. and Mary Ann Denune, 
who were early settlers of Mifflin township. Her father was born May 18, 
1807, her mother May 10, 1814, and they were married on the ist of Decem- 
ber, 1 83 1. Of their eight children who reached adult age all are yet living 
in Franklin county, namely : Mrs. Susan E. Temple, Mrs. Sarah M. Rankin, 
Mrs. Margaret A. Decker, Cyrus P., Mrs. Pauline Kiner, Elias A., John B, 
and Mrs. Huldah W. Horn. 

Li 1 87 1 Lewis Lincoln Rankin came to Columbus with his parents, w^ho 
sought the school advantages of the city for their three children, — Frank F., 
Belle and Lewis L. The first named afterward obtained work in the office of 
the Ohio State Journal and was rapidly advanced until he became its city 
editor. He was also admitted to practice law, but died at a comparatively 
early age, in 1881, leaving a large circle of friends. Mr. Rankin, of this 
review, continued his studies in the city schools and in 1879 was graduated 
with honors in the Central high school, after which he began teaching in 
Hamilton township. In 1880 he was ekcted president of the Franklin County 
Teachers' Association, which numbered about three hundred members at that 
time. In 1882 he became the superintendent of the public schools of Canal 
Winchester, Ohio, and in 1885 removed to Columbus, where he entered upon 
the practice of law, in which he has met wath excellent success. His practice 
has always been lucrative and a high degree of prosperity has attended his 
efforts. He is an earnest and indefatigable worker and in him the utmost 
confidence can be placed with safety. In 1895 he organized the Buckeye 
State Building & Loan Company, and in 1898 he erected a bank building for 
the company's use. In 1900 he built the largest warehouse and storage build- 
ing in this city for use by the Union Transfer and Storage Company. He 
is a director in several other corporations, among them the Livingston Seed 
Company, the Ohio State Journal Company and the Busy Bee Candv Kitchen 
Company. 

In the year 1882 Mr. Rankin w'as united in marriage to Miss Hattie 
Rathmell, of Hamilton township, a very estimable young lady and a daughter 
of John and Susan Rathmell, most highly respected people. Their marriage 
has been blessed with three children : Stanley Frank, Bertha Susan and Allen 
Rathmell. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Rankin came to Colum- 
bus, where he held the position of court reporter on the Ohio State Journal 
until he began to practice law in 1886. The following year he was elected 
to represent his ward in the city council, and. although the voungest member 



294 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of that body at the time, he wais made the chairman of the most responsible 
committee. He decHned a re-election, preferring to devote all of his time to 
his chosen profession, and in this he ha(s been very successful, his energy, tact 
and enthusiasm in his work bringing to him a large and lucrative practice. 

EMBURY A. HITCHCOCK. 

Embury A. Hitchcock, professor of experimental engineering in the 
Ohio State University, at Columbus, whose connection with this institution 
covers a period of eight years, was born in Henrietta, New York, in June, 
1866. The ancestry of the family may be traced back through many genera- 
tions to Luke Hitchcock, who came from England about the middle of the 
seventeenth century and settled in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He was for- 
tunate in making the friendship of the Indians, who, in evidence of their 
attachment for him, gave him a deed to the land upon which the town of 
Farmington, Connecticut, has been built. His son, John Hitchcock, the next 
in the line of direct descent, was made a constable of Springfield, Massa- 
chusetts. in 1672, and four years later he was badly wounded in a fight at 
Turner's Falls, in view of which Major Pynchon solicited the governor to 
give Ensign Hitchcock a lieutenant's commission for gallant conduct. Luke 
Hitchcock, his son, also resided in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was a man 
of some prominence, being a member of a committee that was appointed for 
the purpose of making purchases of the Indians of what is now Sheffield 
township and also several townships in the county of Berkshire. Captain 
Aaron Hitchcock, a son of Luke Hitchcock, the second, settled in Sufiield 
county, Connecticut, and was a town clerk for thirteen years. Lie held a 
captain's commission and in 1755 commanded a company engaged in the 
service in the French and Indian war. The next in line was Apollos Hitch- 
cock, who was a surveyor and the first settler of Chicktowaga, New York. 
Lie remained in Suffield county, Connecticut, until 1791, when he went to 
Charleston, South Carolina, and thence to Europe, where he lived three years, 
traveling in France and England. On his return to the new world he took 
up his abode in Hartford, Connecticut, and subsequently removed to Sche- 
nectady, New York, after which he went to Buffalo, that state, which at that 
time contained only twenty houses. 

Aaron Hitchcock, the eldest son of Apollos and the great-grandfather 
of our subject, was, like his father, a surveyor, and for the state surveyed 
much of the land between Batavia and Buffalo, New York, along the state 
transit line between those two points. Later, in connection with his brothers, 
he was in the employ of the United States government and surveyed much 
of the land lying between New Orleans and the mouth of tlie ^Mississippi 
river. His son. Samuel Hitchcock, the grandfather of Professor Hitch- 
cock, was born in Bufi^alo. New York, and at nineteen years of age went to 
Canada, locating at Sarnia, in the province of Ontario. There he was 
extensively engaged in the fishing business. His first fishing explorations 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 295 

were in the Georgian bay in the upper parts of Lake Huron, and his was the 
first schooner known in those waters. He explored and named many of the 
islands in Lake Huron and was largely instrumental in obtaining the present 
fishery laws of the province of Ontario. His son, Julius Charles Hitchcock, 
the father of Professor Hitchcock, is a graduate of Syracuse University, of 
the class of 1861. Since that time he has devoted his life to the work of 
the ministry, filling various church appointments in central and western New 
York. He was in the army in the spring of 1865, was present at the sur- 
render of General Lee and the fall of Richmond. He married Finette R. 
Potter, of Gates, New York, a descendant of William Potter, who emigrated 
from London, England, sailing on the ship Abigail, in 1635, and took up his 
abode in New Haven, Connecticut. His descendants have furnished to the 
country their full share of clergymen, doctors and lawyers. Notable among 
the latter was Hon. John Fox Potter, a representative from Wisconsin in 
the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh congressional' sessions. In 
the list of lineal descendants of the branch of the family to which Mrs. Hitch- 
cock belonged was the wife of Henry W. Longfellow. Lyman Potter, the 
father of Mrs. Hitchcock, was born at Plymouth, Connecticut. His grand- 
father served in the French war, and one of his sons, Lyman R. Potter, entered 
the Union army and was killed at the battle of Antietam. 

Professor Hitchcock, whose name introduces this review and who now 
occupies a prominent position in educational circles, pursued a preparatory 
course of study in Oakwood and Cazenovia Seminaries, New York, and in 
1885 1^^ entered Syracuse University. The following year he matriculated 
in Cornell University, and upon completing the regular four-years course was 
graduated, in 1890, with the degree of JMechanical Engineer. He had mas- 
tered the great scientific principles underlying mechanical construction and 
operation, and thus well equipped for a responsible position in that line he 
entered the employ of the Corliss Steam Engine Company, of Providence, 
Rhode Island. In the beginning of the year 1893 he came to the Ohio State 
University and acted as assistant to S. W. Robinson, professor of mechanical 
engineering. In 1894 and 1895, ^^^ the absence of JProfessor Robinson, he 
was the acting head of the department, and in 1896 he was made assistant 
professor of experimental engineering, which position he occupied until April, 
1901, when he was made professor of experimental engineering. The laws 
of the natural world are well known to- him, and the great scientific prin- 
ciples with which he is familiar are closely and accurately applied by him to 
the work which falls to his lot in his present position. 

In Syracuse, New York, in 1896, was celebrated the marriage of Embury 
Asbury Hitchcock and Miss Hattie Isabel Mortimore. She was born in New 
York city in 1871, and her parents were of E'nglish birth. Her father, John 
A. Mortimore. is a native of Dartmouth. England, and his father was a ^ea 
captain. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Harriet K. Phillips, is a 
native of Cheltenham. England, and with her parents came to America, in 
1850, when she was verv voung. Her father was a farmer. In the sum- 



296 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

mer of 1900 Professor Hiitchcock and his wife traveled through England, 
Scotland, France and Switzerland, and visited the birthplace of her mother 
and grandmother, also the parish church in which her grandmother and 
great-grandmother were married, while in a Wesley chapel church yard they 
saw the marked graves of several of her ancestors. 

Since becoming connected w'ith the Ohio State University Professor 
Hitchcock has often been called into consultation on engineering work and 
to conduct important investigations and tests. He is a member of the fol- 
lowing scientific or engineering societies : The American Society of Mechan- 
ical Engineers; the American Association for the Advancement of Science; 
the Society for the Promulgation of Engineering Education; the Engineers' 
Club, of Columbus; the Ohio Institute of Mining Engineers; and the Society 
of Stationary Engineers, of Columbus. Professor Hitchcock is a profound 
thinker, an exact reasoner, and his love of scientific investigation has given 
him marked prominence in his profession for one so young. 

MARY MINER WHARTON. 

'Rarely is it given to any one, in these days of change, to occupy the 
same home for a period of seventy-eight years, but such has been the priv- 
ilege of the subject of the present sketch, Mrs. Mary Miner Wharton, a 
resident of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio. Mrs. Wharton w^as 
born near London, Madison county, Ohio, January 18, 1821. Her father, 
Isaac Miner, was a son of Isaac Miner, a prominent man of English descent, 
who was a well known trader with the West Indies. 

The father of Mrs. Wharton was born in New London, Connecticut, 
December 18, 1778, and went to Franklin, Delaware county, New York, 
where he engaged in the lumber and mercantile business, also engaging in 
the study and practice of law, remaining with his father until 1806, when he 
removed to Franklin county, Ohio, remaining there but a short time, and 
removing thence to Madison county, and here he bought a large tract of land. 
At one time Mr. Miner owned six thousand acres, upon which he raised 
great numbers of cattle, sheep and horses, for sixteen years engaging in this 
business. He was one of the first settlers in that county and was the largest 
landholder. In 1816 Mr. Miner w^as made a member of the state legislature, 
his politics being that of the party then named old-line Whig. In this county 
he was very prominent, taking an active part in all public matters. In 1822 
he removed to Franklin county and settled on the Scioto river, building here 
the house in which Mrs. WHiarton now lives. At one time his farm consisted 
of seven hundred and fifty acres, and here he engaged most extensively in 
the raising of stock. He was one of the first to ship cattle to Philadelphia'and 
New York, becoming one of the largest dealers in the county. He was much 
interested in horses, and the first race track in the state was located on his 
farm. At one time he owned eighty head of horses, including some of great 
value. At the time of his death Mr. Miner was one of the most prominent 




MRS. MARY M. WHARTON. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 297 

public men of his locality, an almost indispensable citizen, progressive, earnest 
and capable. He was a member of the canal board, in which his advice was 
highly regarded, its deliberations being suspended during his illness. He 
was an example to his family and his death left a blank never filled. His 
death occurred December 27, 1831, when the county lost one of its most dis- 
interested and faithful citizens. 

The mother of our subject was Hannah (Stowel) Miner, a native of 
Chemung valley, in the state of New York. She was a daughter of Elijah 
and Hannah (Bigsby) Stowel, of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Miner had 
eight children : Grifihth R. ; Maria ; John L. ; Henrv, deceased ; William, who 
became sheriff of Franklin county, and Richard, both deceased ; Mrs. Wharton, 
the only one of the family still living; and Emma, born in 1808, who became 
the wife of Moses H. Kirby, a prominent man in state politics, who twice 
filled the office of secretary of state and whose death was much regretted. 

Mrs. Wharton was only two years of age when her family moved into 
the house where she now lives. With the exception of three years spent in 
Nashville, Tennessee, this has been her continuous residence, with the excep- 
tion of her school days, which were spent at Steubenville, Ohio, and at a 
Quaker school at Kimberton, Chester county, Pennsylvania. In 'her youth 
Mrs. Wharton was celebrated for her beauty, being widely known as the 
belle of Franklin county. The venerable lady still retains many traces of this 
attractiveness, being vivacious and well preserved. 

The marriage of Mrs. Wharton took place in 1839, to Henry \\liarton, 
a native of Hull, England, and a family of four children were born to them: 
iWilham, Frederick, Miner and Albert. 

Mrs. Wharton is the proprietor of the Wharton addition to the city of 
Columbus, Ohio, and one of the owners of Green Lawn. Her residence has. 
been so long in this locality that she has become thoroughly informed upon 
every development in the county. She has watched with interest the growth 
of the city of Columbus, and feels confident that its future is great. Nat- 
urally intelligent, educated and refined, Mrs. Wharton is one of the best rep- 
resentatives of the real ladies to the manor born in the state of Ohio. 

WILLIAM H. THOMPSON. 

\\'illiam Harry Thompson was born on the 4th of July. 1862 in Union 
county, Pennsylvania, a son of Charles M. and Hattie Thompson, both of 
whom are residents of Columbus. The other members of their family are 
i\Irs. Frank Burnham, who is now living in Bradford. Ohio; Elmer E an 
engineer; Jesse E., a yard brakeman; and R. M.. who is also 'in the railroad 
service. The three brothers are residents of Columbus. 

In his parents' home William H. Thompson spent the days of his child- 
hood and youth, and after arriving at years of maturity he was joined in 
wedlock, on the 2d of April. i88n;. to' Miss IMartha Brown the weddino- 
being celebrated in Bradford, Ohio. Her father, John L.' Brown now 



298 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

resides in Piqua, Ohio, but her mother died before the marriage of her 
daughter. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have been born seven children: 
.Arthur, born December 30, 1885; Florence, who was born January 20, 
1888, and died on the 21st of October, of that year; Myrtle M., who was 
born August 16, i88q, and died November 18, 1890; William C, born 
August 29, 1 891; Lova Ruth, born April 21, 1896; Harry Dewey, born 
May II, 1898; and Paul, born July 5, 1901. 

Mr. Thompson began his railroad service at Bradford, Ohio, in April, 
1879, by working in the coal bin for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. 
In 1 88 1 he became fireman for the same company, running on the Indianapo- 
lis division, and continued to serve in that capacity until November, 1889, 
when he was made a yard engineer, and in September of the following year 
was promoted to road engineer. His service in the latter position now 
covers eleven years, during which period he has won the commendation of 
the company by his faithfulness and reliability. He is a member of York 
I^odge, No. 563, F. & A. M., of Columbus, and in his political affiliations 
he is a Democrat. He and his family hold membership in the Miethodist 
Episcopal church and are people of genuine worth. 

WILBUR HENRY SIEBERT. 

Wilbur Henry Siebert was born in Columbus, Ohio, August 30, 1866, 
and is the third son of Louis and Sarah A. Siebert and a member of one of 
the old and substantial families of the capital city. The Sieberts emigrated 
from the neighborhood of Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, in 1832, com- 
ing to this country to escape the consequences of the political reaction caused 
by the failure of the revolutionary movement in 1830. Henry Lawrence Sie- 
bert, the founder of the family in Ohio, was a German liberal. He had 
shown his devotion to his country by fighting in the wars against Napoleon 
Bonaparte, but did not wish to sacrifice his sons, of whom there were six, 
in the cause of despotism. He therefore came to America in 1832, and 
settled in Columbus, July 15, 1834. 

On his mother's side Mr. Siebert is descended from Dutch, French and 
English stock. His maternal grandfather was Henry Van De Water, who 
was of the fourth generation of the New York family of that name; and his 
maternal grandmother, Sarah Van De Water, was of English descent, her 
maiden name being Brand. This branch of the Van De Waters removed 
from New York city to Columbus in 1834, by way of the Erie and Ohio 
canals, before the days of railroads. 

Mr. Siebert received his early education in the schools of Columbus, 
being graduated in the Central high school in 1883, on which occasion he 
was one of several to receive a commencement part. Then he entered the 
Ohio State University, in which he was graduated with the degree of B. A. 
in 1888, occupying a place on the commencement program as a representa- 
tive of his course by election of thefaculty. He was prevented from gradu- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 299 

ating with his class, that of 1887, by a severe iUness in his junior year. In 
the faU of 1889 Mr. Siebert entered Harvard University and received the 
bachelor's degree with honorable mention in June, 1889, and the degree of 
M. A. in June, 1890. While in Harvard he took part with E. B. Delabarre, 
now Professor Delabarre of Brown University, and others in the organiza- 
tion Oif the Graduate Club, the pioneer of university graduate clubs in this 
country, and was made its first president. The academic year 1 890-1 Mr. 
Siebert spent in the study of history and philosophy in the Universities of 
Freiburg in Baden and Berlin, attending lectures under Professors Von 
Hoist, Riehl, and Munsterberg, in Freiburg, and Professors Von Treitsche, 
Marcks, Schaeffer-Boichorst and others in Berlin. In the fall O'f 1891 Mr. 
Siebert accepted the position of assistant in history and political science in 
the Ohio State University, and was made assistant professor of history 
two years later. 

On the i6th of August, 1893, he married Annie Ware Sabine, the 
daughter of Hon. and Mrs. Hylas Sabine, a gifted woman, who received her 
master's degree from the Ohio State University, and later received a degree 
in science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under General 
Francis Walker. 

The years 1895 and 1896 Mr. Siebert spent in advanced study in Har- 
vard, and in the preparation of his work on the anti-slavery movement men- 
tioned below. He now holds the chair of European history in the State 
University. He is the author of the "Underground Railroad from Slavery 
to Freedom," and a "Handbook of Ohio Government," now in press, besides 
cirticles and reviews in various magazines. Mr. Siebert is a fellow of the 
American Geographical Society and a member of other learned bodies. 

Recently Professor Siebert has been actively interested in the founding 
cf a social settlement, the First Neighborhood Guild of Columbus, located 
at No, 466 W^est Goodale street, where it occupies the commodious Godman 
Guild house, built for the organization through the generosity of Mr. and 
]\Irs. Henry C. Godman. Mr. Siebert has been president of the Guild during 
the past three years. 

CHARLES V. CENTNER. 

The personal characteristics of Charles V. Centner are such as to win 
for him the warm friendship of many with whom he came in contact, and 
he had a wide acquaintance among the business men of Columbus as well 
as in other walks of life. He was born June 30, 1850, in Pittsburg, Penn- 
sylvania, and was of German lineage. His parents, Christopher and Mar- 
garet Centner, were both born in Germany, in the year 1818, and were mar- 
ried in that country. Believing that they might improve their financial 
condition in the new world, they crossed the Atlantic to America, and after 
residing for some time in Pennsylvania took up their abode in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, in 1855. The father was a cabinet-maker by trade, following that 



300 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pursuit in order to provide for his family. He had two daughters, Mrs. 
CaroHiie Wallace and Mrs. John Oberhuber, both of whom are now resi- 
dents of Cincinnati. 

Their only son was Charles V. Centner, who was reared in Cincinnati, 
having accompanied his parents on their removal to that place when only five 
years of age. At the usual time he entered the public schools and there 
mastered the common English branches of learning. After putting aside 
his text-books he learned the trade of carpet-making, and secured a position 
in the employ of the leading wholesale and retail carpet dealer in Cincinnati, 
where by close application and fidelity he worked his way upward, finally 
securing a very responsible and lucrative position with the well-known house 
of George B. Otte & Company, of Cincinnati. In 1882 he came to Colum- 
buisi and was offered and accepted a position in the service of the Osborn 
Company, remaining in that employ until 1897, when he was placed in 
charge of the buyers' department of the Beggs Company, of this cily. His 
familiarity with the trade, his comprehensive understanding of the public 
tastes and his indefatigable industry well qualified him for the responsible 
position, and he acceptably served in that capacity until his demise. 

In 1884 Mr. Centner was united in marriage to Miss Emma Stroedter, 
of Columbus, a daughter of Godfrey and Elizabeth Stroedter, both of whom 
were natives of Germany, the former born in 1834, the latter in 1838. They 
were married in Columbus, and their children were : Mrs. Centner ; Ernest, 
who is engaged in the drug business on South High street, in Columbus; 
Fred, who is a clerk in the employ of Brice Brothers, of Columbus; and 
Lena, now the wafe of Albert Neothlich, a resident of this city. The father 
of this family was a carriage-maker by trade and followed that pursuit 
throughout his active business career. He died in 1884, and his wnfe passed 
away in 1870. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Centner were born four children: Emma, 
who is now a student in the Young Ladies' Academy of St. Aloysius, in 
Perry county, Ohio; Charles G., born February 11, 1888; David N., born 
November i, 1890; and William F., born April 27, 1893. 

In the winter of 1900- 1 Mr. Centner left home for the benefit of his 
health, but did not find the help which he expected, and on the 19th of Jan- 
uary of the latter year he passed away. He was a business man of splendid 
ability and greatly honored by the public as well as esteemed by his friends 
and neighbors. Mrs. Centner still resides at No. 410 East Rich street, in 
the home which she has occupied for ten years. The family are members 
of the Holy Cross Catholic church of this city. 

HENRY CLAY SLYH. 

A man's reputation is the property of the world. The laws of nature 
have forbidden isolation. Every human being submits to the controlling 
influence of others, or. as a master, wields a power for good or evil on the 
masses of mankind. There can 1)e no impropriety in justly scanning the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 301 

acts of any man as they affect his pubHc, social and business relations. If 
he be honest and successful in his chosen field of endeavor investigation will 
brighten his fame and point the path along which others may follow. 

One whose record will bear the closest scrutiny and stand the test of 
public criticism is Henry Clay Slyh, whose identification with the interests 
of Franklin county dates from pioneer times. Through almost four-score 
vears he has been a witness of the development, growth and progress made 
in this section of the state, and as a public-spirited citizen he has given his 
aid and co-operation to many measures for the public good. He was born 
upon his father's farm in Prairie township, December 13, 1823, a son of 
Henry Slyh, who was born in Virginia March 13, 1800. He served in the 
war of 1812, as did also his brothers, Jacob, John and Isaac Neff. By 
occupation he was a farmer, and through many years followed that pursuit 
in Prairie township, Franklin county. He was three times married, his 
first union being with Sarah Nefif, by whom he had the following named chil- 
dren : James, who went to California in 1850, and died in that state in 1865 ; 
Margaret, who became the wife of Thomas Wilcox; and Mary, who wedded 
John Postle. The daughters both died in Franklin county prior to the Civil 
war. For his second wife Henry Slyh chose Clara Higgins. who died two 
years later, leaving no children. His third wife was the mother of our sub- 
ject. She bore the maiden name of Susanna Hopper, and their wedding 
was celebrated in January, 1823. She was a resident of Prairie township, 
Franklin county, and by her marriage she became the mother of three chil- 
dren: Henry Clay, of this review; Amanda Jane; and Jacob Neff. The 
former was born in 1825, and in 1848 gave her hand in marriage to Asa 
Fell. They made their home upon a farm near Muscatine, Iowa, where 
Mrs. Fell died in 1900. leaving a large family. Her husband was numbered 
among the men who crossed the plains tO' California in 1849, attracted by 
the discovery of gold, and he became very wealthy. Jacob Neff Slyh, who 
was born in 1828, became a farmer and married Miss Hanna Yeiser. He 
died in 1852, and his wife passed away in 1855. leaving a daughter, Mary 
Ellen, who died in 1895. 

Henry Clay Slyh was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with 
the work of the fields as he followed the plow and harrow and later assisted 
in harvesting the crops. He remained upon the old homestead until 1840, 
at which time he was twenty-seven }-ears of age. He then started out upon 
an independent business career, and' in 1850 he chose as a companion and 
helpmate on life's journey ]\Iiss Margaret McFarland, but their married life 
was of short duration, her death occurring in 1852. On the 26th of October, 
1853, Mr. Slyh was joined in wedlock to Miss Sarah J. Foley, a daughter 
of Moses Foley, who was a native of Maryland and came to Franklin county 
in an early day. He was the proprietor of the old and now historical Four 
Mile House, located where Camp Chase now stands. He conducted the hotel 
for a quarter of a century, and there all of his children were born. He was 
a prominent and influential citizen, taking an active part in public affairs. 



302 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

He aided in the grading of the National road from Columbus to Virginia 
between the years 1836 and 1840. Mr. Slyh also assisted in that work. 
Mrs. P'oley, the mother of Mrs. Slyh, was a native of Ireland, and when a 
maiden of ten summers was brought by her parents to America. In 1820 
she gave her hand in marriage to Moses Foley, the w-eclding being celebrated 
m Franklinton, now Columbus. Their children were: James, who was 
born in 1822, and died in 1849; Caroline, who w^as born in 1837, and is now 
the wife of Colmer Smith, a resident of Iowa; Levi, who was born in 1840, 
and died in i860; Mary, who was born February 6, 1843, and is now Mrs. 
Peter Crawford, and resides in Iowa; and Mrs. Slyh. The father, whose birth 
occurred in 1780, was called to his final rest in 1853, and his wife, who was 
born in 1784, passed away in 1863. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Slyh have been born seven children : James Franklin, 
born October 28, 1854, married Miss Lillian Kline, and they have two chil- 
dren; Charles Jacob, born June 8, 1857, wedded Miss Caroline McLott, by 
whom he has five children; Martha Ann, born March i, i860, is the wife 
of Thomas Corbin, and they have fourteen children; Virginia, born Novem- 
ber 10, 1864. is the wife of John E. Moore, by w^hom she has six children; 
Lydia, born March 31,, 1870, is the wife of John Kuhn, and has one child; 
William Allen, born July 7, 1873, wedded Miss Ottie Stucky, and they have 
no children; Henry Clay, born October 5, 1876, and the youngest of the fam- 
ily, married Miss Lotta Jamine, by whom he has one son. 

Prior to the inauguration of the Civil war Henry Clay Slyh, whose 
name introduces this record, w^as engaged in merchandising in Rome, Ohio, 
for three years, but in 1862 he sold his store and offered his services to the 
government, joining the "boys in blue" of Company C, of the famous Ninety- 
fifth Ohio Infantry, in which Colonel James Kilbourne won distinction. In 
the first engagement in which he participated, that of Richmond, Kentucky, 
on the 30th of September, 1862, Mr. Slyh was slightly wounded and was 
taken prisoner. Later he was paroled and was at Camp Chase for five 
months before being exchanged. With his regiment he participated in nu- 
merous engagements until after the siege of Vicksburg, when he was com- 
pelled to go to the hospital, being sent to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was 
granted a three-months furlough on account of serious illness and returned to 
his home. On the expiration O'f that period he was ordered to report at 
Albany, New York, and was in the hospital at that point until after the 
close of the war, when, in November, 1865, he was mustered out of service. 
He left the military to enter the civil service of his country, and long d'is- 
charged public duties for the benefit of his fellow townsmen. For several 
years before the war he had been the constable of Prairie township, and 
upon his return he was again elected tO' that office, serving in that capacity 
altogether for twenty-one years. He was a justice of the peace three years 
just prior to his removal from Prairie to Franklin township, in 1882, and 
after that time he was elected a justice of the peace in Franklin township, 
capably serving until he took up his abode in Columbus, in 1886, For ten 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 303 

years he has occupied his present home, and is now enjoying a well-earned 
rest, having put aside all business and political cares. In his public posi- 
tions he was as true and loyal to his duties as when he followed the stars 
and stripes through the Contederacy, and over the record of his career there 
falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. 

CAPTAIN EDWARD P. VAXCE. 

Captain Edward P. Vance is meeting with very gratifying success, in busi- 
ness in Columbus, where he is conductmg a drug store. He is also the 
owner of considerable property, and possesses a resolute spirit which enables 
him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. 
Perhaps he is most widely known in connection with military affairs, for he 
has long been prominent in the state militia and as a veteran of tlie Civil 
war. He was born on the 5th of April, 1849, in Blendon township Frank- 
Im county, and is a son of Joseph C. Vance.. No event of special importance 
occurred to vary the routine of life for him in boyhood. Much of his time 
was passed in the acquirement of an education in the common schools, but 
on the 5th of May, 1864, when fifteen years of age, he responded to the 
country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company C, One Hun- 
dred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for one hundred days' serv- 
ice. The regiment was assigned to the First Division of the Taith Army 
Corps, and was at Bermuda Hundred and in the military movement around 
Richmond and in western Virginia. In September or October of the same 
year the company 'was mustered out. Although so voung. he was a sturdy 
boy and never shirked his duty, being always found "faithful to the flag and 
the cause it represented. 

In the fall of 1865 Captain Vance entered the Western IMilitary Insti- 
tute, at Dayton, Ohio, but his parents, fearing that he would adopt army 
life as a profession, withdrew him from that institution after his third term 
and he returned home. Subsequently he and his brother George, who is now 
deceased, purchased a drug store in Westerville, Ohio, and successfullv con- 
ducted the establishment until August, 1899, enjoying a large trade. In 
1892, however, Mr. Vance came to Columbus and erected his present busi- 
ness block at the southwest corner of Wilson avenue and Oak street. Here 
he established a drug store, conducting both mercantile interests until 1899. 
when he disposed of his business in Westerville. He has a well appointed 
store, complete in all its departments. He carries a large stock of goods 
and his moderate prices and honorable business dealing have secured to him 
a patronage which is constantly increasing. 

The Captain has never ceased to have an interest in military affairs, 
and m 1877 he joined Company C, of the Fourteenth Regiment' of Ohio 
National Guard. He was commissioned first lieutenant of the company on 
Its organization and some months later was made its captain, serving in that 
capacity for five years, during which time he was one of the most important 



304 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

factors in military matters in this part of the state and was largely instru- 
mental in securing the nomination of Colonel George D. Freeman, who 
proved one of the most popular regimental commanders in the service. At 
the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, in connection with Colonel Fre£- 
man and others, he organized a regiment for the service and was commis- 
sioned by Governor Nash as adjutant general of the state, but the troops 
were never called out. He now holds membership in James Price Post, 
G. A. R., of Westerville, and socially he is connected with VVesterville Lodge, 
K. P., of which he served as treasurer at one time. He also belongs to 
Blendon Lodge, No. 339, A. F. & A. M., to Westerville Chapter and to 
Columbus Council. 

On the 7th of July, 1885, Captain Vance was united in marriage to 
Miss Lillian Newcomb, of Westerville, and a daughter of James Newcomb, 
one of the prominent residents of the county. Mrs. Vance is well known 
in Columbus, being actively associated with its business interests, having the 
best millinery establishment in the city, located at No. 123 South High 
street. Both the Captain and his wife are widely and favorably known and 
have a large circle of friends. The same resolute spirit which prompted his 
enlistment in the army at the early age of fifteen years has been manifest 
throughout his entire career and has been an important element in his success. 

JOHN F. PERRY. 

Long continuance in the employment of a corporation is unmistakable 
evidence of ability and fidelity in the discharge of duty. Firms or com- 
panies employing large forces of men do not retain in their service those 
v/ho are not capable and reliable, and no words of praise which the biog- 
rapher might write would be as strong in commendation of Mr. Perry 'as 
the statement of the fact that for thirty years he was connected with the 
Street Railway Company of CO'lumbus. He is numbered among the native 
sons of Franklin county, his birth having occurred upon a farm near Dublin, 
on the 24th of October, 1836, and he died at his home at No. 42 East Ful- 
ton street, in the capital city, January 23, 1901. His father, William Perry, 
was born September 4, 18 10, and passed away on the 4th of January, 1863, 
while Mrs. Susan Perry, the mother of our subject, was born September 11, 
181 1, and died on the loth of December, 1900. 

John Fletcher Perry spent his boyhood days at his parental home, and in 
early manhood was apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade, which he thor- 
oughly mastered in every detail. At the time of the Civil war, however, he 
put aside all business and personal considerations in order to aid in the sup- 
pression of the rebellion. He was one of the first to respond to President 
Lincoln's call for volunteers in 1861, and joined the "Hard-Marching Regi- 
ment," the Seventeenth Ohio, which was sent to Virginia, doing service there 
until after the expiration of his term, when, in October, '1861, the troops were 
mustered out. In Plain City, Ohio, he resumed work at his trade, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 305 

thirty years ago he came to Columbus, where he at once entered the employ 
of the Street Railway Company, with, which he was connected at the time of 
his death. He was the oldest employe in point of continuous service with 
the corporation, thirty years having come and gone during his association 
with the company. 

While in Plain City, in October, 1862, Mr. Perry was united in mar- 
riage to Miss jMartha J. Hager, a daughter of James E. Hager, who was 
born at Newmarket, New Hampshire, and when a boy accompanied his par- 
ents to Vermont. When a young man he came to Ohio with his parents, 
the family l-ocating on a farm near Dublin, in Franklin coiunty. He mar- 
ried Miss Cornelia Ferguson, a native oif New York, the wedding being 
celebrated at Dublin on the 14th of October, 1840. Mr, Hager died July 
20, 1854, but was long survived by his wife, who passed away on the ist of 
April, 1885. Their children were: Martha J., born July 5, 1845; Sarah 
D., born August 16, 1846; John, who was born October 7, 1848, and is now 
residing in Plain City; Laura, who was born February 17, 1850, and is now 
deceased; Armenas, who was born July 20, 1852, and is now married and 
resides on a farm near Paulding, Ohio ; and William, who was boTn August 
II, 1854. and is now deceased. By the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Perry 
there were born seven children, three of whom are yet living. Irvin M., 
the eldest, was born in 1865, and was married November 4, 1885, to Miss 
Clara Carroll, by whom he has four sons, — Irvin, Howard, Russell and 
Walter. John Raymond was born August 3, 187S, and Ethel N.. on the 
9th of March, 1883. The daughter and the son Raymond are still living 
mih. their mother. 

Mr. Perry was an active and influential member of Wells Post, G. A. R 
of Columbus, and through a long period held membership in the Town Street 
Methodist church. He took an active interest in its w^ork, and withheld his 
support from no movement or measure calculated to prove of general good 
along material, intellectual and moral lines. In 1897 he suffered from an 
attack of asthma, combined with stomach trouble, and for several weeks was 
confined to his bed. He never afterward fully recovered his health, and on 
the 1 6th of November, 1900, he was again taken ill, the disease terminating 
his life on the 23d of January, 1901. His worth as a man and citizen was 
widely acknowledged by all who knew him. He was a man of pleasing 
personality, genial, sympathetic and helpful, and his friends were many and 
steadfast. Mrs. Perry, with her children, still reside a*t the family home- 
stead' on East Fulton street. 

BERNARD PUMPELLY. 

On the 8th of February, 1901, there passed from this life an honored 
and esteemed resident of Codumbus, Bernard Pumpelly, who through many 
years had made his home in the capital city and was well known to many of 
its residents as a man of sterling- worth. His birth occurred in Oxford 



3o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

county, ]\Iaiiie, dbout 1822, and he came with his parents to Ohio in 1839, set- 
tUng at Anieha, Clermont county. When the question of slavery involved 
the country in hostilities, owing to the attempt of the south to sever all alle- 
giance with the national government, he offered his services to the latter. 
His patriotic spirit was aroused and he joined the Eleventh Ohio Cavalry, 
being for three and a half years numbered among the "boys in blue" who 
aided in sustaining the honor of the old ffag. He saw active service on 
western battle-fields, and was always found at his post of duty, faithfully 
performing the tasks that devolved upon him as a defender of the Union. 
When the war was over he returned to his home with a most creditable 
military record. In 1874 he came to Columbus, where he engaged in the 
shoemaking business, following that pursuit for a number of years, with 
excellent success. He was widely known in industrial and commercial cir- 
cles, and as a man of unquestioned reliability and worth he commanded the 
respect of all with whom he came in contact. 

On the 22d of October, 1857,^ Mr. Pumpelly was united in marriage to 
iMiss Mary Whitaker, and they became the parents of five children, four 
daughters living, who, with the mother, yet survive the husband and father. 
The daughters are Mrs. L. C. Mithoff, Birdie, Nellie and Daisy, who are 
still with the mother. The family hold membership in the First Univer- 
salist church of Columbus, and enjoy the high regard of many friends. 

GIDEON R. MILLER. 

During the period of early development in Franklin county Gideon R. 
Miller, now deceased, was brought by his parents to Ohio. He was born on 
the banks of the Potomac, in Hardy county, Virginia, March 25, 1825, and 
was the third in a family of six children whose parents were John and 
Tabitha Miller. The father was a native of Virginia, and in the year 1825 
came with his wife and children to the Buckeye state. In addition to Gid- 
eon tiie other members of the family were Jacob, Henry, John. Ann and Mar- 
garet. 

Reared under the parental roof, Gideon Miller acquired his educa- 
tion in the public schools of the neighborhood, and in early life learned the 
machinist's trade, becoming an expert workman. For many years he was 
employed in the fo'undry of John L. Gill, of Columbus, and his long service 
in that establishment indicated his excellent workmanship, his close appli- 
cation and his fidelity to duty. He also worked a few years for Andrew 
Emmick. Whatever success he achieved in life was the result of his own 
well-directed efforts. He worked his way upward by determined purpose, 
unfaltering energy, and as a result O'f his labors he acquired a comfortable 
competence. 

In the year 1850 Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Harriet H. 
Pope, of Colunibus. She was born in Washington county, Ohio, August 
23. '^^ZZ' ^iid her parents were both natives of Virginia, but died in Colum- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 307 

bus during the early girlhood of their daughter. Her father loyally served 
his country in the war of 1812. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born 
nine children. Robert F., born February i, 1851, died April 21, 1875. 
Gideon H., born March i, 1853, died April 18, 1875. Cora, born October 
15, 1856, was married October 14, 1875, to Tobias Engle, and their chil- 
dren are Clayton, Thomas, Raymond, Hattie and William. Addie, born 
August 16, 1858, was married August 11, 1880, to Frederick Rau, and 
died May 30, 1895, leaving two sons, Edward, wdio was born in 1888. and 
Harry, born in 1891, who now reside with their grandmother, Mrs. Gideon 
Miller, at No. 385 Fulton street. John, born May 6, 1862, died October 
6, 1889. Mary, born October 27, 1864, died November 10, 1873. Mar- 
garet J., born December 19, 1867, was married May 5, 1885, to Carl Bouser, 
and their children are Carson, born in 1888, Gideon, in 1892, and James, 
in 1894. Gideon, born April 24, 1870, died February i, 1875. Daisy, the 
youngest of the family, was born July i, 1876. 

In the year 1855 Mr. Miller erected at No. 385 Fulton street the resi- 
dence which is still occupied by his widow. He was a man of sterling char- 
acter, of unquestioned probity and of marked fidelity to duty. He w'as very 
firm in support of his honest convictions, and his life was in harmony with 
his belief in the Methodist church, in which he held membership. He also 
belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his sterling qualities 
made his an untarnished name, while his record, both public and private, 
will bear close scrutiny. 

DAVID MULL. 

Throughout his entire life David Mull was a resident of Columbus, 
where he was widely and favorably known. His birth occurred March 9, 
1844, in the family residence at the southwest corner of Broad and Gift 
streets. He acquired his early education in the schools of Franklinton, now 
Columbus, and when in his 'teens began firing on a railroad engine. He 
was thus employed when, in 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thir- 
teenth Regiment of Ohio Volunteers for service in defense of the Union. 
He w'as wounded at Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, having been shot through 
the right wrist, and the member was so badly injured that it necessitated the 
amputation of the hand. He was therefore discharged and returned to his 
home in the north. 

On the 2 1 St of October, 1873, Mr. Mull w^as united in marriage to 
J^Iiss Harriet Poole, a daughter of George W. Poole, whoi. as well as his 
wife, was a native of Pennsylvania. Her parents came to Ohio in 1848. 
but did not locate in Columbus until thirty years later. Their children were 
as follows: Arthur and Emanuel, both of whom are farmers living in Ore- 
gon; Jeremiah, who entered the Union army during the Civil w^ar and died 
m a southern prison; Thornton, who served in a regiment of Ohio cavalry 
during the war of the Rebellion, and is now deceased; Barney, who is living 



3o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

upon a farm in Brown county, Ohio; Middleton, who was the owner of 
the Poole block in Columbus, and died in 1882, while his wife, Mrs. Nancy 
Poole, passed away November 24, 1897, leaving two children, Frank and 
Mrs. Carry Andricks, both of whom are living in Columbus; Lucinda, the 
wife of Francis Hartman, who resides upon a farm in Wood county, Ohio; 
Veloriaj the widow of Thomas Doyle, who died at their home in Columbus 
April 20, 1896; Celina, now the wife of Andrew Houp, a resident of Toledo, 
Ohio; Cynthia, the wife of R. Schillings, of Cleveland: and Irene, the wife 
of Ezria Searles, also of Cleveland. 

The marriage of Mr, and Mrs. Mull was blessed with but one child, 
Laura J., who on the 28th of April, 1895, became the bride of Charles Kellar, 
who was born in Zanesville, Ohio, April i, 1873, and is a son of Lewis H. 
and Ellen Kellar, both of whom are natives of Franklin county, the former 
born March 11, 1845. They now reside in Columbus, and their children 
are: Mrs. Laura McDowell, Charles M., Mrs. Irene Bram, Emma, Eva 
(who died in 1883) and Daisy. Charles Kellar and his wife reside with 
her mother* Mrs. Mull, in the latter's beautiful residence at No. 780 West 
Broad street. They have an interesting little daughter, Helen, who was 
born March 26, 1898, and is the life and light of the household, Mr. Mull 
died after a lingering illness, in the year 1896. He was in the service of 
the school board asi truant officer for several years, and was a citizen having 
deep regard for the best interests of the community. His sound judgment 
enabled him to determine wath accuracy the value of a movement or measure 
proposed in connection with the capital^ and he gave to all interests which 
he believed would prove of benefit his hearty co-operation. These qualities, 
combined with a genial nature and sterling worth, made him a valued resi- 
dent of the community and' occasioned his death to be deeply regretted by 
many friends as well as by his immediate family. 

DAVID EVANS. 

The little rock-ribbed country of Wales has furnished her full quota 
of American citizens. Included in this number is David Evans, who was born 
in Wales in 1837, and was brought to America when only a year old by his 
parents, Arthur and Mary Evans. Three of their children, — Arthur, George 
and Mary, — also were of the party that crossed the Atlantic in 1838; and 
another sister, Elizabeth, was added to the family after their arrival in 
Columbus. 

In the schools of this place David Evans acquired his education. He 
w^as reared to manhood here and throughout his entire life has been a resi- 
dent of Franklin county. When the country became involved in Civil war 
his sympathies w^ere with the Union cause and his patriotic spirit prompted 
his enlistment, so that he became a member of the Ninety-fifth Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, under command of James Kilbourne. He remained at the 
front until after the cessation of hostilities, took part in many of the san- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 309 

o-uinary battles which led to the preservation of the Union, and was once 
slightly w'ounded. 

In 1870 was celebrated the marriage of David Evans and Miss Emily 
Brooks, a native of Columbus and a daughter of David Brooks. Her father- 
died in 1848. He was using varnish, which caught fire and thereby he was 
so badlv burned that his death resulted soon afterward. David Bracks came 
to Ohio from Princeton, Massachusetts, in 18 19, and located in Columbus. 
He owned and conducted the Hotel Eagle, on High street, during the early 
days of the city and was widely known, being a popular host. He married 
Miss Keziah Hamlin,- who died in 1878. They were the parents of ten children. 
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Evans have been born three children: Mary L., who 
is now a successful teacher in the public schools of Columbus; Herbert, an 
electrician living in Texas; and Eugene, who is now a student in the high 
school of Columbus. 

For the past two years Mr. Evans has been connected with the city health 
department and is a capable and efficient officer. He holds membership in 
McCoy Post. No'. 41, G. A. R., of Columbus, and thus maintains pleasant 
relations with his old army comrades. Having resided in this city through 
two-thirds of a century, he has a very wide acquaintance, and the fact that 
many who have known him throughout this period are numbered among his 
warmest friends is an indication that his career has ever been an honorable 
and commendable one. 

JOHN L. GORDON, M. D. 

The coucomitants of professional success are not many. Strong men- 
tality, keen discrimination, industry and close application — these are the ele- 
ments which insure advancement and win'prosperity, and without them the 
professional man cannot hope to rise above mediocrity. That Dr. Gordon 
is regarded as one of the leading physicians of Columbus is evidenced by his 
possession of these essential qualifications. 

The Doctor was born upon a farm in Delaware county, Ohio, September 
14, 1862, a son of John L. and Martha (Gooding) Gordon. His paternal 
grandfather, John Gordon, was a native of Virginia and was of Scotch lineage, 
his ancestors having come from the land of hills and heather and cast in their 
lot with the early settlers of the Old Dominion. Dr. John L. Gordon, the 
father of our isubject, was born in Richmond, Virginia, in the year 182 1, and 
came to Ohio with his parents in 1826. He practiced medicine for a number 
of years in Auglaize county, and in 1875 took up his abode at his present home 
in Sharon township, Franklin county, where he is now living in quiet retire- 
ment, having laid aside the more arduous duties of the medical profession. 
He wedded Martha Gooding, a native of Delaw^are county, Ohio, and a daugh- 
ret of George and Phcebe (Williams) Gooding, a stanch New England family, 
whose ancestors came from England, bringing with them the coat of arms 



310 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of that distinguished family, and which is still held and prized as one of the 
archives of the family. 

Their only son and child, Dr. J. L. Gordon, was reared upon the home 
farm in Delaware county until his thirteenth year, when he accompanied his 
parents on their removal to Sharon township, Franklin county. He then 
entered the schools of Worthington, pursuing- the high school course, after 
which he became a student in the Ohio btate University, at Columbus, in 1880. 
He there pursued a four-years course, completing his literary education in 
that institution. He then entered upon a business career, accepting a clerk- 
ship in the Merchants and Manufacturers Bank, of Columbus, where he ap- 
plied himself diligently for a number of years. However, he never succeeded 
in acquiring a love for business equal to that already acquired for science. 
Although throughout his limited business career he had been entirely suc- 
cessful, he decided to give it up and devote his whole time to scientific re- 
search, which he had never abandoned during the years which he had spent in 
business, and in 1891 he began the study of medicine in Starling Medical 
College, in which institution he graduated in 1894. During- his medical 
course he was a private student of the dean of the faculty. Dr. Starling Loving, 
through wdiose kindness he acquired a vast amount of practical experience in 
his profession. After his' graduation Dr. Gordon opened an office and began 
the practice of medicine, in which success has come to him in recognition of his 
thorough preliminary training, his skill and ability. He has always been a 
close and discriminating student, and in 1900 he pursued a post-graduate 
course in Philadelphia, afterward taking a special course in New York cit3\ 

In 1896 occurred the marriage of Dr. Gordon and Miss Miriam A. 
Slyh, a daughter of Daniel M. and Rosaltha (Griswold) Slyh, representa- 
tives of an old and hig-hly respected family of Perry township, Franklin 
county. Dr. and Mrs. Gordon have one daughter, Eckka Almieda. The 
Doctor is a member of the Columbus Academy of Medicine (of which he is 
secretary), the Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Asso- 
ciation ; is a member of the staff of Grant Hospital, of Columbus ; and occu- 
pies the chair of physical diag-nosis in Starling Medical College. 

Whatever tends to promote the interests of his profession and place before 
man the key to the mystery of that complex problem which we call life at once 
attracts the interest and co-operation of Dr. Gordon, and his wide reading 
and research have made him particularly skilled in the line of his chosen 
life work. 

WILLIAM RIGHTER. 

William Righter, who is now living retired at his home in Columbus, 
his residence being at No. S5 North Grubb street, was born September 22, 
1830, in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. His father, Joseph Righter, was 
a native of the same county and in 1837 came to Ohio, locating in wdiat 
was then Franklinton but is now a part of Columbus. He erected a resi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3 1 1 

dence on Sandusky street and died at his home there in 1849, while his wife, 
Mrs. EHzabeth Righter, passed away two years previously. In addition to 
William their children were James, Joseph, Robert, Sarah and Lewis. Of 
this family Robert Righter took a contract for the construction of the Colum- 
bus & Xenia Railroad, and was thus identified with the transportation inter- 
ests of the state. The younger sister, Sarah, became the wife of Allison 
Green, a farmer of Putnam county, Ohio, where they have resided for more 
than a quarter of a century. The youngest brother, Lewis, is married and 
has always resided in ColumbusL 

When a lad in his 'teens William Righter drove canal horses on ihe Ohio 
canal from Cleveland to Portsmouth and since that time he has labored for 
his own advancement and success. All that he has achieved in life is due 
to his own efforts. On leaving the canal he entered the employ of the Colum- 
bus & Xenia Railroad Company, but after a year's service returned to his 
former work on the canal, remaining there until 1851, when he again became 
connected with railroad woirk and at different times has served as brake- 
man, yard-master and yard conductor. He was in the continuous employ of 
the Panhandle Railroad Company from 1853 until January, 1900, at which 
time he was retired by the Panhandle Company under its pension system and 
is now enjoying a well merited rest. The only time he ever lost from his 
duties was about six months, and this was the result of an accident which he 
sustained September 13, 1875, in the Panhandle yards in Columbus, being 
caught between the cars. His right arm was so badly crushed as to neces- 
sitate the amputation of the member near the shoulder, but on the following 
April he resumed work for the company. 

Mr. Righter was married, December 21, 1859, to Miss Mary Snyder, 
and soon afterward he purchased the lot on which his present home is stand- 
ing. At that time the land was occupied by the oldest brick building erected 
in Franklinton, it having been the office and residence of Dr. Ball for many 
years. Mr. Righter caused the old building to be torn down and removed 
and his present residence was built. The home of our subject and his wife 
hasi been blessed with the following named: Harry, who was born in 1867; 
William, who was born in 1869 and was married to Miss Gallington in 1896; 
Thomas F., born in 1871 ; and Florence, born in 1873. The family are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church and are people of the highest respecta- 
bility, enjoying the uniform regard of many friends. Li his political views 
Mr. Righter is a Republican. 

WILTJAM H. WANAMAKER. 

William H. \\''annmnVer. of Columbus, was born January 24, 1867, in 
Pickaway county, Ohio. His patrnal grandfather was a native of Berks 
county, Pennsylvania, and -^t an early period in the development of the Buck- 
eye state took up his rps^'-'^p'^^e upon a farm in Pickaway county, where he 
spent his remaining dav^. """is son, James Wanamaker, the father of our 



3 1 2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

subject, was born March 29, 1845, in that county. The mother of our sub- 
ject, Mrs. Lucinda Wanamaker, was born in the same county February 18, 
1848, and their children were as follows: Annie L., the wife of William 
Fisher, a grocer of Columbus; Florence M., the wife of Lewis Hay, a farmer 
of Pickaway county; Mary L., who wedded William Reeder, a mechanic 
of Columbus; and Almeda. The father of these children was a member of 
the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Ohio Regiment of Volunteers during the 
Civil war, and his son-in-law, William Reeder, served with the Fourth Ohio 
Volunteers in the Spanish-American war. 

William H. Wanamaker, of this review, received good educational priv- 
ileges, supplementing his early mental training by a course in the college at 
Ada, Ohio, in which institution he was graduated. He entered the railway 
service in April, 1892, a,si a brakeman on the Pennsylvania road, being on 
the Indianapolis division. In January, 1898, he was promoted to the position 
of conductor and has since been in continuous service. He is always found 
at his post of duty and is a most reliable and trustworthy representative of 
the road. He not only enjoys the confidence of those under wdiom he 
serves, but has won friends among the traveling public by reason of his uni- 
form courtesy, consideration and attention. 

On the 1 6th of October, 1890, in Pickaway county, Ohio, Mr. W^ana- 
maker was united in marriage to Miss Jennie H. Rice, a daughter of Anthony 
C. and Susannah Rice. Her father was born in Pickaway county February 
24, 1 83 1, and died at his home there July 10, 1897. His widow still sur- 
vives him and now makes her home with her daughters. The sisters of 
Mrs. Wanamaker are Mrsi. John M. Thatcher, of Circleville, Ohio; Mrs. 
Henry C. Renick, who died at her home in Circleville December 13, 1895; 
and Mrs. Alex Renick, of Springfield, Ohio. The paternal grandfather 
of Mrs. Wanamaker was a native of Vermont, and, emigrating westward, 
became one of the pioneer settlers of Pickaway county. He aided in the 
development of the ag'ricultural interests there and after being long identified 
with farming pursuits his life's labors were ended in death. The children 
of Mr. and Mrs. Wanamaker are : John E., who wasi born January 29, 
1892, in Circleville, Ohio; Ralph H., born in Piqua, Ohio, April 11, 1896; 
and Charles W., who was born in Columbus March 6, 1898. In 1897 the 
family came to the capital city, where they afterward resided, their home 
being now at No. 703 Hoover street. Mr. Wanamaker is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity and in his life exemplifies the spirit of the order. 

JAMES P. ANDERSON. 

Before the days of street railways, omnibus lines were important institu- 
tions in Columbus, Ohio, as they were elsewhere, and the Columbus Transfer 
Company, which is the legitimate successor of one of the leading lines in the 
days before the war and during the '60s and early '70s, is an important local 
adjunct to travel at this time. The manager of this concern is James P. 




JAMES P. AHDERSOK. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 313 

Anderson, who has given his whole active hfe to the business except during 
a few years, when he was prominent in connection with circus enterprises. 

James P. Anderson was born at Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio, in 1841, 
and his father was John Anderson, a native of Scotland, who became promi- 
nent as a farmer in that county. After some years' connection with the local 
omnibus line at Wheeling, West Virginia, he was, in 1864, appointed by the 
receiver of the Kinsman street railway of Cleveland, Ohio, superintendent 
of that line and managed it successfully until 1866, when it was finally 
cleared from indebtedness and was returned to the control of the company 
wliich had previously operated it. In 1866 he came to Columbus and took 
charge of the old omnibus line with which Dr. Hawk was identified as the 
directing spirit, which then covered the whole city except High street, which 
had a short street railway line. After Dr. Hawk sold out the enterprise to the 
Columbus Transfer Company Mr. Anderson was for twelve years a partner 
wath B. E. Wallace, of Peru, Indiana, in the ownership and management of 
the Great Wallace Shows, his interest in which he eventually sold to Mr. 
Wallace, who has continued the enterprise . to this time. 

While Mr. Anderson was in Europe Adam Forepaugh died and James 
A. Bailey purchased the great circus enterprise which Mr. Forepaugh had 
built up and required a manager for the concern, and he telegraphed Mr. 
Anderson to return to America and take the show in hand, and Air. Ander- 
son managed it successfully for five years. After Mr. Bailey assumed con- 
trol of the Buffalo Bill Wild West, Mr. Anderson represented Mr. Bailey's 
interest in that concern for four years, until 1898, when he returned to Colum- 
bus to become the manager for the Columbus Transfer Company. 

Mr. Anderson is a thirty-third-degree Mason and is personally acquainted 
with prominent Masons in all parts of the country and with many in Europe. 
He was married while a resident of Wheeling, West Virginia, to Miss Esther 
Jane Packer, a daughter of Isaac Packer, proprietor of the Union Hotel of 
that city, and has three children : James, a plumber of Columbus ; Anna, who 
married P. J. Cassidy, of Columbus; and Sally, who is a member of her 
parents' household. 

Mrs. RACHEL H. LYONS. 

Mrs., Rachel H. Lyons has long resided in Columbus and is a repre- 
sentative of one of the pioneer families of Franklin county. She is a daugh- 
ter of Robert Hosack, who was born in Ulster county, New York. Her 
paternal grandfather came from Scotland to America and founded the family 
in the new world. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, served 
with Washington during the memorable winter. at Valley Forge, and at the 
capture of Stony Point he was chosen to act as one of the storming party 
under General Wayne. Llis death occurred in the Empire state. He had 
two sons, Robert and Thomas, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Jane and 
Catherine, and with the exception of Robert all remained in New York and 



314 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

are now deceased. Robert Hosack became a millwright by trade. In New 
York he was married to Miss Anna Merritt, whose father was a native of 
Westchester, that state, and who came to Ohio at an early day, some years 
prior to the removal of the parents of Mrs. Lyons, and located upon a farm 
in Huron county. Throughout his entire life he carried on agricultural 
pursuits and he died at Ravenna, Ohio, a few years prior to the Civil war. 
In his family were six daughters and five sons, and one of the sons, Horace 
Merritt, served in the war of 1812. 

In the year 1838 Robert Hosack came with hisi family to Ohio. His 
first home was on the corner of High and Mound streets, in Columbus, and 
Mrs. Lyons can recall the blasting that was done there at the time the family 
resided at that place. Later the father erected a residence on East Town 
street, beyond Seventh street, and subsequently he made his home on East 
Town street, between Sixth and Seventh streets. At the time of his death, 
which occurred in 1871, he was living at the corner of South High and 
Hosack streets, in the residence which he had erected. He passed away 
in his eightieth year, and his wife died in 1885, at the old home on South 
High street, in her ninety-second year. Through a considerable period Mr. 
Hosack had charge of the starch factory on that street and was also a promi- 
nent business man of Columbus in the early days. Unto him and his wife 
were born three daughters, — ^Jane, Rachel and Chloe Ann. The first named 
became the wife of John H. Chambers, but has been a widow for several 
years. She removed from Columbus, on the 6th of November, 1900, to 
Estherville, Iowa, where she is now living with one of her sons. She has 
three children. Chloe, the youngest daughter, became the wife of Joseph 
Foss, of Columbus, and both are now deceased. Her only surviving child, 
Mrs. Karch, is living in this city. !\Ir. Hosack was employed in the con- 
struction of several of the public buildings, including the first courthouse, 
lunatic asylum and county infirmary, and lived to see the new courthouse 
erected. 

Rachel Hosack, the second daughter, spent her girlhood days at her 
parents' home, and while the family resided on East Town street she was 
married to John J. Lyons, of Columbus, the wedding being celebrated in 
1850. Mr. Lyons was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, and during his 
early boyhood accompanied his father to Hocking county, Ohio, where he 
remained until, as a young man, he came to Columbus, He served his coun- 
try as a soldier in the Mexican war. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lyons were born 
seven children. One son, Alvin H., whose birth occurred in 1855 and who 
is a farmer by occupation, is the only one living. He was married, in 1885, 
to Miss Martha Brown, and they have two children: Alice, born in 1886; 
and Henry, born in 1888. The son and his familv are residing with his 
mother id their pleasant home at No. 1936 South High street. The family 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, Mrs. Lyons having pre- 
viously been connected with the congregation which worshiped in the old 
church located on East Town street, where the public library building now 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 315 

stands, and among her early pastors were Rev. Moody and Rev. Trimble. 
She can recall many interesting- incidents connected with life in Columbus 
during the early days. She resided in the city from the time of its early 
development and is very widely known here, her earnest Christian character 
and her 'Sterling worth gaining her the love and friendship of all with whom 
she has been brought in contact. 

ANDREW C. EMMICK. 

Andrew Culbertson Emmick has passed the psalmist's span of three- 
score years and ten, and throughout the entire period he has been a resident 
of Columbus, being one of the eldest of the native sons of the city. He now 
resides at No. 43 North Fifth street, and is a venerable and highly respected 
gentleman, well worthy of mention among the representative men of Franklin 
county. He was born February 18, 1826, and traces his ancestry back to 
John Emmick. his great-grandfather, who in 1773 crossed the Atlantic from 
Germany to America. Some years later, feeling it necessary to return to 
his native land, he took passage upon an eastward bound vessel, but ere the 
voyage was completed he was called to his final rest. His son, John Emmick, 
Jr., the grandfather of our subject, was born in Germany in 1763; and was 
therefore ten years of age when he came with his father to the United States. 
He served in the war of 1812 under Captain William Griffith and Colonel 
R. M. Johnson. At the battle of River Raisin, near Monroe, Michigan, he 
was one of six selected by the captain of the company to cross the river on 
stringers after the bridge had been destroyed by the Indians. He was sub- 
sequently captured by the red men between the river and Detroit, and by 
them was tied to a tree, but before he could be burned or tomahawked he 
was rei'-cued by the American soWiers under General Lewis Cass. He was 
not seriously injured, although his clothing was "full" of bullet holes. In 
after years General Cass was a frequent visitor at his home. 

Mr. Emmick married Miss Katy Bulon, a daughter of Alexander Bulon, 
who was then living near Poughkeepsie, New York. A wagon-maker by 
trade, the grandfather of our subject followed that pursuit in Cincinnati, 
Hamilton and Dayton, Ohio, at various times. Both he and his wife were 
drowned while near the mouth O'f the Mauniee river in a skiff, on the 29th 
of June, 1828. Their children were as follows: Frederick, Margaret, John, 
Katy, David, Eliza, Hannah. Alexander and James. The following dates 
of birth have been preserved: John, born in 1798; David, in 1807; Mar- 
garet, in 1810; Alexander, in 1813: Hannah, in 1814; and Jane \n 1818. 
Margaret became the wife of John Cowdrick, at Dayton, Ohio, and in 1822 
removed to New Jersey, but the family afterward returned to tliis state, 
locating in Miami in 1830. and there Mrs. Cowdrick died. Katy became the 
wife of David Sargeant, and died at Three Rivers, Michigan. Hannah is 
the widow of a Mr. Cross, of Maumee, Ohio. David, who was born in 
Sussex county. New Jersey, January 6. 1807, was brought ti^ Ohio bv his 



3i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

father in 1810, and was married to Jane Morgan, a relative of the famous 
Confederate General Morgan, in the year 1832. 

John Emmick, the father of our subject, was born in Sussex county, 
New Jersey, in 1798, and in 18 19 became a resident of Columbus, Ohio. 
For nine years previously he had resided in Cincinnati, this state, and there 
followed his trade of wagon-making. After locating in the capital city he 
established a shop 011 the southeast corner of Main and High streets, where 
the Southern Hotel now sta,nds. There he carried on business until the year 
1 83 1, when 'he located at the northeast corner of Pearl and Main streets, 
where he remained until his death, in the year 1841. He had been mar- 
ried in Columbus, May 23, 1823, to Miss Isabel Culbertson, a daughter of 
Andrew and Elizabeth Culbertson. She was born in Franklin county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1797, and came to Franklinton, Ohio^, with her grandfather, 
Colonel Robert Culbertson, in the year 1805. He removed to this state with 
a large family of children and grandchildren and brought with him horses, 
cattle and household effects. In Franklin county he pre-empted land on 
which the different members of the family were located. While with his im- 
mediate family he resided on property which he purchased in Franklinton. 
A wealthy citizen, he did much to improve and upbuild the little town. His 
death occurred in Franklinton in 1821, at the ag^e of eighty-three years. 
Before coming to Ohio he had served his country in the Revolutionary war. 
His son, Andrew Culbertson, the maternal grandfather of our subject, mar- 
ried Jane Parks, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. With the Colonel they came 
to Franklinton and Andrew settled on a farm on which the present starch 
factory is now located. Their children are Elizabeth, Mary, Isabella, Robert, 
Samuel and Rebecca. Of this number Elizabeth was married to Andrew 
Dill in 1820, and Mary became the wife of William Shannon in 1825. Both 
of these gentlemen were justices of the peace and were prominent and influ- 
ential citizens of their day. The next daughter, Isabella, became the mother 
of our subject; and Rebecca, the youngest daughter, married Nathaniel W. 
Smith, a jeweler, while Robert Culbertson distinguished himself by service 
in the war of 1812. 

The children of John and Isabella (Culbertson) Emmick are Elizabeth, 
Jane, Andrew C, John, Rebecca, Mary, Esther, Anna and Isabella. The 
Hrst named was married in 1847 ^o Jo^''^'^ Robinson, a painter by trade, who 
died in 1881, since which time Mrs. Robinson has resided with her brother 
Andrew. 

Andrew Emmick. whose name introduces this record, acquired his edu- 
cation in the sfelect schools of the day, for there were no public schools in 
Ohio at the time of his boyhood. Under the direction of his father he 
learned the wagon-maker's trade, and had followed that pursuit for about 
a year when his father died. He continued his labors along that line through 
the succeeding six years, being in the employ of the Ohio Tool Company, of 
Columbus. He then went into the service of the Columbus Machine Com- 
pany, for which he acted as a pattern-maker for ten years, and on the expi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3 '7 

ration of that period he accepted a similar position in the employ of Ambos 
& Smith, where he remained for nine years. He next established business 
for himself, opening a foundry and machine shop on Olentangy creek, near 
where the plant of the Pipe Foundry Company is now located, carrying on 
Ins enterprise there from 1879 until 1887, when he retired from active 
business. 

In 1849 Mr. Emmick was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Elliott, 
who died a year later, and their only child, Isabella, pass^ed away when a year 
old. Mr. Emmick afterward married Mrs. Gusta Bishop, of Tioga county, 
Pennsylvania. For a c^uarter of a century he was a prominent member of 
Central Lodge, No. 23, I. O. O. F., and exemplifies its benevolent and fra- 
ternal teachings in his life. For a half century he has resided at his present 
home, and is one of the most honored of the old citizens of Columbus. His 
entire life having been here passed, he is widely known and is familiar witn 
the history of the city from the days of its early development. 

MATTHIAS LOY, D. D. 

The subject of this sketch is the peer, if not the superior, of any man 
in our city and county with regard to religious and theological influence, 
and that influence of the most beneficial and salutary nature. Kniown to but 
comparatively few in our city, but most highly respected by every one that 
has had the pleasure of his acquaintance, he has been, and still is, a power in 
the Lutheran church of America whose influence has not been limited to the 
ecclesiastical organization whose honored and trusted member and leader he 
has been for many years. 

Dr. Loy was born of German parents in Cumberland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, March 17, 1828. In early childhood he lost his mother and then 
received an entirely English education. But, though ini consequence his pref- 
erence has alwaysi been the English language, he appreciates and loves the 
tongue of his ancestors and uses it with great readiness and skill. Ha 
learned the trade of compositor, — an accompHshment that has stood him in 
good istead frequently in his manifold laborsi as editor and author. Being 
troubled with rheumatism, an affliction that ha;s been clinging to him more 
or less, he had to give up his vocation and look out for a more suitable call- 
ing. Thus God led him to the study of theology, an occupation for which 
he is pre-eminently fitted. He obtained his classical and theological educa- 
tion at Flarrisburg, Pennsylvania, anid Columbus, Ohio, but may be termed 
a self-made man in more than one respect. In 1849 he received a call as 
pastor of the German-English Lutheran congregation at Delaware, Ohio. 

In i860, at the age of only thirty-two years, he was elected the presi- 
dent of the Evangelical Lutherani synod of Ohio and other states, generally 
known as the Joint Synod of Ohio. This position he held continuously till 
1878, when he declined a re-election on acc(^unt of failing health; but in 
1880 he was prevailed upon to accept the presidency again and held it till 



3i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1894, when the synod, because of its rapid growth, conckided to choose a 
president whose wdiole time should be devoted to the duties of his office. 
Dr. Loy continually had been doing the work of more than one man besides. 
In 1864 he was made the editor of the Lutheran Standard and he filled this 
important position in the most acceptable manner for more than twenty-five 
years, when, at his urgent request, the etynod very reluctantly relieved him 
of this onerous work. In 1865 he was called as professor of theology for 
the seminary, and as professor of mental and moral sciences for the college 
to Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, which position he still holds. In 
1 88 1 he established and until 1886 edited the Columbus Theological Maga- 
zine, as an exponent of true Lutheranism over against Calvinizing tendencies 
that were endeavoring to gain admission into the Lutheran church of Amer- 
ica in general and into the Synod of Ohio in particular. Among the men 
that bore the brunt of battle in this lamentable but necessary controversy 
Dr. Loy easily stands in the foremost rank. In the same year. 1881, he was 
also chosen the president of Capital University and held this office until 1890, 
Avhen, again at his urgent request, he was relieved, but appointed dean of the 
faculty, which position he has graced with his enviable tact up to the present 
year, 1900. In 1899, his seventy-first birthday, and at the same time the 
fiftieth anniversary of his ministry, w^as appropriately celebrated by the insti- 
tution whose ornament he has been for more than thirty-five years, amid the 
heartiest participation and congratulations of the whole synod. Notwith- 
standing his ill health, and in some respects his frail body, Dr. Loy has done 
a work that seldom falls tO' the lot of one man. 

Dr. Loy is a model teacher, respected and beloved alike by his colleagues 
and his pupils; a man of extensive learning, a profound and clear thinker 
and a good disciplinarian. His mastery of the English language is admir- 
able, though he prefers good, plain Anglo-Saxon speech to high-flown ora- 
tory. In theology the systematic branches have been his special field, a field 
for which his natural gifts and favorite studies have fitted him in an eminent 
sense. He is also a preacher of great power and eloquence, evangelical 
throughout. His popular Sermons on the Gospel Lessons of the Church 
Year, published in 1888, is a very valuabk' book for preachers and laymen; 
but it conveys no adequate idea of the spiritual and heart-moving oral 
delivery of the author. Dr. Loy is also the author of a number of lovely 
hymns contributed to the Hymnal of the Ohio Synod, breathing childlike 
faith and earnest Christian resolve. His theological publications, all of them 
an ornament to the Lutheran church of America, are numerous. The fol- 
lowing are the most prominent: Justification bv Faith, 1869; The Ministerial 
Office, 1870; Sermons on the Gospels, 1888; Christian Prayer, 1890; and the 
Christian Church, 1897, 

The prayer of Dr. Loy's many friends and pupils, of the whole synod 
whose foremost member he is. and of a great part of the Lutheran church 
outside of his synod, is that God may still prolong his days and preserve his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 319 

powers of body and mind for a great deal of useful work in the service of 
Christ and His church. 

Dr. Loy w^as married, in 1853, to :\Iiss Alary Willey, of Delaware, Ohio. 
Seven children were the issue of this marriage, of whom two are dead. All 
the living are devoted members of the Lutheran church. The three sons 
are engaged in business:. The oldest, Luther, is the organist of Grace 
Lutheran church, in the city of Columbus; the other two, Harry and Carl, 
at Dayton, Ohio. Of the two daughters, the older, Minnie, is the wife of 
Rev. Dr. L. H. Schuh, of Valley Crossing, Ohio. The younger, Ada, is still 
with her parents. 

FRANK FLEMING. 

Frank Fleming was born in Sidney, Ohio, January 25, 1826, and in early 
boyhood came to Franklinton, now Columbus, Ohio, in company with his 
parents, Samuel and Sarah (Henderson) Fleming. His father was a shoe- 
maker and for a number of years resided at the corner of Sandusky and Cook 
streets, in Franklinton, working at his trade. His mother died when the 
subject of this review was about seven years of age. His father afterward 
married, in 1833, and his second wife passed away in Columbus January 
j6, 1901, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. The subject of this 
review^ learned the stone-quarry trade and for some years operated a stone 
quarry, taking contracts for furnishing the stone used in the construction of 
the state capitol and the penitentiary buildings. After a time he took up 
his residence at the corner of Scidmore and West Broad streets, where he 
remained for forty years. 

In 1847 occurred the marriage of Frank Fleming and Aliss Mary Bar- 
bee, the wedding taking place in Franklinton. Their children are: Owen, 
who w^as born, in 1849 and resides in Columbus; Joseph, wdio was born in 
1851 and died in 1881 ; and William, who was born in 1855 and is now a 
farmer of Franklin_ county. The mother of these children died in Frank- 
linton, in 1858, and in i860 Mr. Fleming was again married, his second union 
being with Miss Lucinda Straley, of Columbus. . Her father, John Straley, 
was born in Virginia, w^as married in early manhood and came to Ohio with 
his family when Mrs. Fleming was seven years of age, their home being at 
the corner of West Broad and Sandusky s'treets. The father died in 1851, 
and the mother, surviving him ten years, passed away in 1861. The mem- 
bers of their family were as follows: Eliza died in 1870; Margaret is the 
wife of C. Anthony and resides upon a farm in Franklin county; and John, 
who was a prominent and influential citizen of Lancaster, Ohio, died in that 
place in 1895. Unto Mr. 'and Mrs. Fleming have been born six children: 
Laura, who was born in 1861 and died in 1886, was the wife of Charles 
Timmons and left one son, Frank, who was born in 1886 and is now a 
student in the public schools of Columbus, his home being with his grand- 
father, Air. Fleming; Samuel, born in 1862, is married and resides in Alor- 



320 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

rison, Colorado, near Denver, his children by the first marriage being Ger- 
trude and Mary, the first named being a student in the high school of Colum- 
bus, while by his union with Rosa Edmunds he has three children, — Ray, 
Gladys and a baby boy; Daniel, who was born in 1866 and is engaged in the 
stone-quarry business with his brother Samuel at Morrison, Colorado, is 
married and has four children, — Edmund, Frank, Edith and Leah G. ; Mar- 
garet, Ella and Wilson reside with their parents in Columbus. The family 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

GEORGE RIORDAN. 

George Riordan was born in Romney, Virginia, October 11, 1794. His 
father, Richard Riordan, was a native of Virginia and there spent his entire 
life. His wife, Mrs. Margaret (Kirk) Riordan, was born March 7, 1756, 
in Virginia, and died April 30, 1(854, in Columbus. In their family were 
two sons, — George and Robert. The latter came from the Old Dominion 
to Ohio and took up his abode in Franklinton at an early period in the develop- 
ment of this portion of the state. 

George Riordan left his old home in 1808 and cast his lot with the pio- 
neer settlers of Franklinton, but returned to Virginia in time to enlist in the 
war of 18 1 2. He served throughout the second struggle with England and 
in 1 82 1 returned to Franklinton. He was married in the old Sullivan house 
at that place, now the House of the Good Shepherd, on the 30th of March, 
1826, to Miss Sarah Downs, who was born in Amsterdam, New York, Octo- 
ber 14, 1803. They reared a large family of children: Henry Clay, the 
eldest, born January 19, 1827, married Miss Stella Turner, at Davenport, 
Iowa, in 1854, and took up his abode in that city, there engaging in business. 
Margaret was born February i, 1829. George H., born December 12, 1830, 
died June 25, 1871. Thomas, born November 20, 1832, died. May 11, 1855. 
John, born October 17, 1834, died April 8, 1835. Richard who was born 
February 9. 1836, now resides with his" sister, Mrs. Uncles. For many 
years he served as librarian in Columbus, retiring from the office in i860. 
He was also a member of the first board_ of equalization under the present 
state constitution, when the board held its sessions in the hotel over the 
store building now occupied by Brice Brothers, on South High street. James, 
born January 12, 1838, died January 4, 1848. Sarah L., born September 
9, 1840, married' John Uncles, of Columbus, in 1866. Her husband was 
b'orn in Franklinton May 25, 1825, and by their marriage there are five chil- 
dren, namely: Nellie was born in 1867 and died in 1876; Mattie, born in 
1870, died in 1872; Sarah L., born in 1873, is a high-school graduate; Mar- 
garet A., born in 1875, attended the public schools of Columbus, was grad- 
uated in the high school, also in the Ohio State University in the class of 
1897, and is a school-teacher; and Emma, the youngest of the Unclesi family, 
was born in 1880 and in 1898 became the wife of Harry Edwards, who is 
a clerk in the Cleveland office of the Big Four Railroad Company. They 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 321 

have one child, Harold Edwards, born in 1900. The daughters, Margaret 
and' Sarah, are residing with. their mother, who for eighteen years has made 
her home at No. 31 Gill street. John Uncles w^as a veteran of the IMexican 
and Civil wars and wasi wounded in the leg in one of the engagements with 
the Mexican troops. He was an honorable and influential citizen and died 
in Columbus December 5, 1882. Edward Riordan, the next member of 
the Riordan family, was born October 3, 1842, and died on the 22d of Novem- 
ber of that year. Mary E. Riordan, the youngest, was born November 9, 
1844, and died May 15, 1874. 

George Riordan, whose name introduces this record, was a popular 
citizen of Columbus in early days and took a very prominent part in public 
affairs, his fellow townsmen frequently calling him to public office, and he 
filled many positions of public honor and trust. He was a constable, city 
marshal and also crier of the supreme court for many years. He died August 
29, 1864, at the extremely old age of one hundred and- two years. His life 
was one of usefulness and honor and wherever he was known he was held in 
highest regard. 

WILLIAM MERION, Jr. 

Through more than four-score years William Merion was a resident of 
Franklin county and in his death the community lost one of its honored pio- 
neers. He was born on the loth of September, 181 1, upon a farm which is 
now within the city limits of Columbus, its location being a mile and a half 
due south on High street from the capitol building. The Merions w^ere of 
French lineage, but the father of our subject. William Merion, Sr., was born 
in Dorchester, Massachusetts, becoming a resident of Franklinton, now Colum- 
bus, in the year 1808, when a young man. He married Miss Sarah Wayte, 
and pre-empted a farm on which he carried on agricultural pursuits for many 
years. He died at the age of fifty and the property was inherited by his son 
and namesake. 

William Merion, Jr., was born and reared on the old family homestead 
and early became familiar wdth the work of the fields, learning what was 
required by the different products in order to produce good harvests. From 
the time when he was old enough to handle the plow he aided in the farm 
work and successfully carried on agricultural pursuits until the vear 1888. 
He was united in marriage, on the 28th of October, 1858, to Mrs. Martha 
(Uncles) Sheldon, the wedding being celebrated at the home of the bride 
in Columbus. She was then a widow. Her father, James Uncles, was born 
m Bradford, England, August 5, 1794, and in the year 1812 became a resi- 
dent of Franklinton, where he followed his trade of decoratino-. He was 
married, in Franklinton, in 1816, to Miss Elizabeth Crisswell, whose people 
w^ere from Lancaster, Pennsvlvania. She was earlv left an orphan and was 
reared m the family of Dr. Ball, of Franklinton, remaining there until her 
marriage to James Uncles. Their children were : Nancv, who was born in 



322 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1818 and died in 1877; Mary, born in 1821, wlio is the wife of Leroy Royce, 
a resident of Toledo, Ohio; Martha, who was' born in 1824 and is now Mrs. 
WiUiam Merion; John, who was born in 1826 and died in 1890; and James, 
who was born in 1828 and died in 1858, from injuries sustained in a rail- 
road accident. John H. Uncles, a cousin of Mrs. Merion, and now a widower, 
is living in Columbus. James Uncles, the father of Mrs. Merion, died of 
pneumonia. He was engaged in decorating the residence of Dr. Parsons and 
caught a severe cold which resulted in pneumonia, causing his demise. He 
and his family were members of the Episcopal church. 

Mrs. Merion was born in her father's frame residence on a lot adjoin- 
ing the First Methodist church, which was standing at the time, the house 
and church both occupying the present site of the public-school library build- 
ing on East Town street. She continued to reside there from 1820 until 
1844. January 21, 1844, she gave her hand in marriage to Thomas H. Shel- 
don, of Columbus, and they located at Tiffin, Ohio, where they remained for 
four years, when they returned to Columbus. Mr. Sheldon died in 1854, 
leaving two children : R. E. Sheldon, who was a prominent business man 
of Columbus; and Mrs. J. S. Roberts, now a widow. The marriage of Mr. 
and Mrs. Merion was blest with three children. Only one son is yet living, 
J. E. Merion, who for ten years was the chief clerk in the general offices of 
the Cleveland, Sandusky & Hamilton Railroad Company at Columbus, but 
is now the auditor. He wasi married, September 15, 1891, to Miss Sarah 
Peters, and since that time they have resided in the capital city. Mr. and 
Mrs. William Merion continued to reside upon their farm on Parsons avenue 
from the time of their marriage until October 28, 1880, Mr. Merion then 
retired from active business and took up his abode at No. 616 Franklin 
avenue, and there spent his remaining days, his' death occurring on the 13th 
of December, 1893. He was a man of resolute purpose, of firm convictions 
and upright principles. As a citizen he took a deep and commendable inter- 
est in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community, and by all 
who knew him he was held in highest regard. His widow, who is a faith- 
ful member of the Broad street Methodist church, still lives in Columbus 
and has many zealous friends. 

GEORGE EVANS. 

George Evans has l^een long in public service and at all times has mani- 
fested his loyalty to the duties of citizenshio, showing that the trusts reposed 
in him are well merited. At the present time he is by appointment serving 
as financial officer of the Institution for Feeble-minded Youth. 

Fie was born in Waterville, Wood county, Ohio, September 26. 1829, 
and is a son of George Webster and Nancy R. (Eberly) Evans. Hitei father 
was a manufacturer and farmer, born in Dover, Delaware, and his death 
occurred in 1862. He married Miss Eberly, who was born m- Huntingdon, 
Pennsylvania, in 1806, and was a daughter of Henry Eberly, who for many 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 323 

years was a gunsmith at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He was employed in 
the government service during the war of 181 2. He went with his company 
to tiie front and wasi never heard from again. 

George Evans, whose name introduces this record, accompanied his par- 
ents on their removal to Franklin county, Ohio. In 1832 the family located 
in Worthington. Three years later, in 1835, they removed to Dublm, where 
he acquired the greater part of his education. Subsequently he became a 
student in* Worthington Seminary for a short time, after which he returned 
to Dublin, becoming a clerk in a general store, where he remained for five 
years. In 1853 he came to Columbus, accepting a position in the county 
clerk's office, under Kendall Thomas. In 1857 he became a clerk in the post- 
office, where he remained until 1861. The following year he was appointed 
by President Lincoln commissary of subsistence, with the rank of captain, 
and served in that capacity until the end of the war in 1865, when he was 
honorably discharged and promoted to the rank of major by brevet. 

When the war was over Mr. Evansi again returned to Columbus and 
later to Dublin, where he established a drug and grocery store, conducting 
it successfully until 1884. He carried a large and well selected stock of 
goods and enjoyed a liberal patronage. In the year mentioned, however, he 
was appointed to his present position, as financial officer of the Institution for 
Feeble-minded Children, at Columbus, in which capacity he has proved him- 
self a competent and trustworthy officer. In all public positions which he 
has filled he has discharged his duties' with marked fidelity, administering the 
affairs in a businesslike and satisfactory manner. He is indeed worthy of 
the public confidence, for the trusts reposed in him have never been betrayed, 
even' in the slightest degree. 

]\Ir. Evans has been twice married. His first wife died in 1854, leaving 
a daughter. Bell, now the wife of David H. Everitt. In 1891 his second 
wife died, leaving three daughters : Lillie, the wife of Samuel H. Davis, Jr., 
of Dublin; Anna, wife of F. J. Thomas; and Stella, wife of Robert Thomp- 
son, of Columbus. 

Mr. Evans has two brothers. John E. and Eli P., and a sister, living. 

He is a member of Evening Star Lodge, No. 104, I. O. O. F., of Dub- 
lin, to which he was admitted in 1850; and belongs to Johanna Encampment, 
^^o- 57> of the same fraternity. 

JOHN HARVEY WASSON. 

It is the province of the writer now to present in brief the storv of the 
career of an upright and progressive self-made man. who left to his son?, 
Edgar and William Wasson, of Columbus, Ohio, the legacy of a good name. 

John Harvey Wasson. for more than thirtv vears prominentlv identified 
with the salt business of thisi state, was born in Preble county, Ohio, April 
18. 1827, and in 1834, with his parents, removed to Wavne countv. Indiana, 
where he was reared to the occupation of farming, attending township schools 



324 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

as a rural scholar in the winter, alternated with teaching- occasional terms 
of school in a country district in the summer. On arriving at his majority 
he engaged in the sawmill and lumber business near Richmond, Indiana, 
furnishing- large quantities of timber and ties for the construction of rail- 
roads which are now owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Company. 
From 1855 to the close of the year 1857 he was engaged in the grain and 
flour trade at Richmond, Indiana, and New Paris, Ohio, doing a large, pros- 
perous business until the crash of the great panic of 1857, occasioned by 
wild land speculation and precipitated by the failure of the Ohio Life and 
Trust Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was caught with large quan- 
tities of wheat and flour on hand and uns'old, stored in Cleveland, Buffalo 
and New York, aggregating something over one hundred thousand dollars 
in value, all of which he closed out during the first stages of the panic, with 
comparatively small loss, when it is remembered that prices of both flour 
and grain declined nearly or quite fifty per cent of the original cost within 
thirty days thereafter. In 1858 he became associated in the salt business 
with the Kanawha & Ohio River Salt Company, under the presidency of 
Hon. V. B. Horton, of Pomeroy, establishing his headquarters as north- 
western sales agent first at Richmond, Indiana, afterward in Chicago, and 
remained there until 1871. 

During the summer of 1871 he was engaged in the work of organizing 
the central Ohio salt manufacturers, embracing the Hocking valley, Muskin- 
gum valley, Guernsey county and Tuscarawas valley salt producers, under 
one control and management, the total capacity of which was three hundred 
thousand barrels amTually. Associated with him in this enterprise was the 
late M. M. Greene and Judge P. B. Ewing, of the Hocking valley, and Hon. 
E. M. Stanbury and other associates of the Muskingum valley. Mr. Wasson 
was made the general agent and manager of its affairs, with headquarters 
in Columbus, Ohio. He moved to Columbus and took charge of the busi- 
ness immediately after the great fire at Chicago of October 9. 1871. 

Pie remained with this association for ten years, winding up its busi- 
ness in 1881, when nearly or quite all of its members ceased to make salt, 
and the organization expired by limitation. In the meantime the manu- 
facture of salt in the state of Michigan began to assume large proportions, 
and Mr. Wasson became interested with tlie Michigan association. The lat- 
ter was put in possession of the territory lately occupied by the central Ohio 
company, and in furtherance of this arrangement large warehouses for the 
storage of salt have been erected at Columbus, Toledo and other points, where 
large stocks of salt are carried and kept under cover for the convenience of 
the trade. The Michigan Salt Association was organized in 1876, with a 
capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Wasson, aa the agent 
of the association, handled large quantities of dairy and table salt, as well 
as a grade especially adapted for packers and the ordinary grades of salt. 

Mr. Wasson died December 25, 1895. 

John Harvey Wasson married Miss Wrexaville E. Braffett, of New 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 325 

Paris, Ohio, whose parents came from Vermont. Their sons, Edgar, born 
at New Paris, Preble county, Ohio, and Wilham Wasson, born at Richmond, 
Indiana, w-ere educated principally in the schools of Columbus, and continue 
in the salt busin='£!s, established by their father, at Columbus. 

DAVID TAYLOR. 

David Taylor was one of the early pioneers in Franklin county. His 
father, Robert Taylor, came with his family to Ohio from the province of 
Nova Scotia in 1806 and remained two years in Chillicothe. In the fall of 
1807 he built his house on the west bank of Walnut creek, in what is now 
Truro township, on lands which he had before that time acquired. Hisi 
was the fourth house built in Truro township, which he occupied with his 
family in March, 1S08. It w.-as the firat frame house built in that portion 
of the county and is still standing in a good state of preservation. In this 
house Robert Taylor continued to live until the time of his death, which 
was March 28, 1828. During the time the house was being constructed 
David, then a boy of seven years of age, lived with the workmen engaged in 
the construction of the house in an unoccupied Indian hut near by and assisted 
them in such ways as he was able at that time of life. 

He continued to live with his father's family until 1826, when he mar- 
ried Nancy T. Nelson, of Franklin county, and about that time constructed 
a house for himself a short distance north from his father's house, and on 
the line of wdiat is now Livingston avenue, in which he continued to reside 
until 1844. This house also is still standing. In the last named year he built 
a new house on the line of the National road, on the north end of his farm 
and about one mile north from his original residence. In this new house he 
continued to reside Avith his family until March, 1858, when he removed to 
the city of Columbus and took up his residence on East Broad street, where 
he continued to live until the time of his death, which occurred July 29, 1889. 

David Taylor was born in the town of Truro, in the province of Nova 
Scotia, which is at the head of the bay of Fundy, July 24, 1801. His great- 
grandfather, Matthew Taylor, emigrated from near Londonderry, now 
Derry, New Hampshire, in 1722. He and his family were a part of a colony 
of Scotch-Irish people wdio came from the north of Ireland and settled at 
the above named place on lands allotted to them by the governor of Massa- 
chusetts, supposing at the time that the lands were within the boundaries of 
that state. Subsequently, when the line between Massachusetts and New 
Hampshire w^as fixed, the land upon which the colony had settled was found 
to be in the state of New Hampshire; but this circumstance did not disturb 
them^ in their occupancy of the land which had been allotted to them. The 
location wasi then the very frontier of civilization. All beyond to the north 
and west was wilderness. The Taylor family continued to live in New 
Hampshire until the close of the French and English war in 1763, the result 
of which w^ar was to give England dominion over the province of Nova 



326 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Scotia; and this was tlie cause of the emigration Ironi New Hampshire to 
that province. 

The second son of Matthew Taylor, the original head of the family in 
this country, was Matthew Taylor, Jr., who was born at Londonderry, New 
Hampshire, October 30, 1727. In time he was married to Miss Archibald, 
of Londonderry, and six sons and two daughters were born of that marriage, 
the birth of Robert, the fourth son, father of David, being on April 11, 1759. 
Matthew Taylor, Jr., removed with his family from- 'New Hampshire to Nova 
Scotia about 1764. His son Robert was then in his infancy. On Decem- 
ber 6, 1 78 1, Robert was married, at Truru, Nova Scotia, to iMehetabel Wil- 
son. There were born to that marriage four sons and several daughters, 
David, the subject of this sketch, being the youngest son and the youngest 
of the' family except his sister Susan. The older sons were named respect- 
ively : Abiather Vinton, Matthew and James. They all came with their 
father to Ohio and settled in Truro township, where they afterward married 
and brought up families worthy of the highest respect. -When Truro town- 
ship was organized in 1810 it was named for Truro, Nova Scotia, the town 
from which the Taylor family came. 

David Taylor commenced business for himself when twenty years of 
age. His first ventures were" in live stock. From 1820 to 1827 he was very 
active in this business, collecting large herds in Ohio and driving the same 
to the eastern markets. During this period he went "over the mountains," 
as the route was then called, with stock eighteen times, and was successful 
in almost every venture. He continued to deal extensively in live stock for 
many years, but after about 1827 he adopted the policy of collecting stock 
and preparing it for the eastern market, but selling at home. It was only 
when he failed to secure a satisfactory purchaser at home that he drove his 
animals to market. In the meantime he invested the gains of his enterprise 
in lands, which were brought into cultivation as fast as.it could profitably 
be done. In 1850 he purchased a large tract of land then known as* the 
Brien section. It consisted of the southwest quarter of JefTferson township, 
Franklin county, and contained over four thousand acres of land. This he 
subdivided intO' tracts of from fifty to one hundred and sixty acres and s'old 
a considerable portion of it, reserving for himself such portions as best suited 
his purpose. He has always' taken an active interest in the development of 
the agricultural interests of the state. He was one of the founders of the 
Franklin County Agricultural Society, and was the president of that organ- 
ization for the years 1857. 1858 and 1870. In 1861 he was elect'^rl as one 
of the members of the state board of agriculture for the state of Ohio, and 
was twice re-elected, serving in all six years. From 1862 to i8fi6 he was 
the treasurer of that organization, and on his retij-ement. so satisfactorily 
had he performed his duties in that respect, that a suitable testimonial was 
voted him. 

In early life he had considerable taste for military affairs, and for many 
years was an active member of a then famous mounted company, called the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 327 

Franklin Dragoons. This company had served through the war of 1812, 
under Captain Joseph Vance, and for many years after the war the com- 
pany organization was maintained. Abram McDowell succeeded Captain 
Vance in command of the company, and his successors in turn were Robert 
Brotherton, Joseph Mcllvain, Philo H. Olmsted and David Taylor, who was 
elected captain m 1824 and served in that capacity for three years. 

He was first married, in September, 1826, to Nancy T. Nelson, by whom 
he had two children: Eliza, who w^as married to the late Samuel Sharp; and 
Robert N., now living at Upper Sandus'ky. In July, 1831, he was married 
to Margaret Shannon, who died soon after her marriage, and in jNIay, 1836, 
he was married to Margaret Livingston, the oldest daughter of Judge 
Edward C. Livingston. Six children have been born of this marriage : 
David; Edward L. ; Mary C, now the wife of Thomas Hibben; Henry C. ; 
Martha, the wife of Samuel Lee; and IMargaret L., — all of whom are now 
living. 

CHARLES SELBACH. 

The spirit of self-help is the source of all genuine w^orth in an individual 
and is the means of bringing to man success when he has no advantages of 
wealth or influence to aid him. The life record of Mr. Selbach illustrates its 
power and shows in no uncertain manner what it is possible to accomplish 
when perseverance and determination form the keynote of a man's life. 
Depending upon his own resources and looking for no outside aid or support, 
he has risen from comparative obscurity to a place of prominence in the busi- 
ness world, and to-day he enjoys a well merited re;t. 

A native of Germany, Mr. Selbach was born in Elberfelt, Prussia, in 
April, 1835, and is a son of Frank W. and Matilda (Shade) Selbach. The 
father spent his entire life in Germany, where he died in 1856, and the year 
1858 the mother and her children emigrated to the United States. She 
landed at New York, accompanied by nine sons and two daughters, Charles, 
who was', a member of the army, having been left behind. Her chief interest 
in life was to secure good advantages for her children and this determined 
her to leave her native land and bring her boys to America, wdiere they would 
be exempt from army service. From New York she came direct with her 
family to Columbus, where a permanent location was made. 

Charles Selbach was educated in the schools of his native country and 
there learned the trade of bookbinding with his father. When he had com- 
pleted his apprenticeship he entered the army and served faithfully for three 
years, on the expiration of which period he came to the Lhiited States, join- 
ing the family in Columbus. Soon he secured a situation in the employ of 
Foster, Joaies & Company, bookbinders, with whom he continued through 
the years 1857-8. He spent a short time in St. Louis, working at his trade, 
but returned to the capital city and in 1861 enlisted in the service of his 
adopted land, as a member of Company G, Thirteenth Ohio Infantry, under 



328 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

General Georg-£ W. Smith. After being mustered into the United States 
service he was c rdered with his regiment to Virginia and took part in many 
of the skirmishes and battles of that part of the country, serving faithfully 
for two years and three months!, on the expiration of which period he became 
ill. He was then taken to a hospital, where he was cared for several months, 
after which he was honorably discharged on the surgeon's certificate for dis- 
ability. 

Returning to Columbus, Mr. Selbach engaged in the bookbinding busi- 
ness for M. C. Lilly. In 1865 he embarked in the grocery trade on< his' own 
account and successfully conducted the store for eighteen years. 

In 1862 Mr. Selbach was united in marriage to jMaria W. Jaeg'er, of 
Columbus, a daughter of Frederick Christian Jaeger. She was born in 
Germany and was brought to America by her parents when in her third year. 
Mr. and Mrs. Selbach had four sons and two daughters: Ernest F., Julius 
B. and Albert K. are the living. They lost two daughters and one son. 

In his political views Mr. Selbach is a stanch Republican. During his 
stay in St. Louis he visited two or three slave sales. His uncle at that time 
'was editing a Democratic paper and was a stanch supporter of the Democ- 
racy. Mr. Selbach had thought of affiliating with the same organization, 
but the scenes which he witnessed at two of the auction sales; were such as to 
cause him to resolve never to cast a Democratic vote in favor of enslaving 
a human being. Thus he became a stalwart Republican and has never 
wavered in his allegiance to the principles of the grand old party. Socially 
he is identified with the Grand Army of the Republic. With a capacity and 
experience which would enable him to fulfill any trust to which he might be 
chosen, he has never sought to advance himself in office, but has been xion- 
tent to do his duty where he could and leave the self-seeking to others. 
Viewed in a personal light, he is a strong man, of excellent judgment, fair 
in his views and highly honorable in his relations! to his fellow men. 

DAVID R. SUMMY, M. D. 

Dr. David Rittenhouse Summy is a skilled physician and surgeon of 
Columbus, Ohio, whose knowledge of the science of medicine and surgery 
is broad and comprehensive and whose ability in applying its principles to 
the needs of suffering humanity has gained him an enviable reputation in 
professional circles. He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 
1853, a ison of Peter H. Summy, who spent his entire life there, following 
the profession of a civil engineer for forty years and serving as the city 
engineer of Lancaster for some time. He died in 1888, at the age of sixty- 
six years. The paternal grandfather, John Summy, was also a native of 
Lancaster county, where he engaged in farming throughout his active business 
life, dying there at the age of forty-four years. The Doctor's mother was 
in her maidenhood Miss Susan Graeff, a daughter of Mathias Graeff. of 
Lancaster county, who served all through the war of 18 12, and died in 1886, 




DAYID R. SUHMY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 329 

at the advanced age of ninety-three years. At the time of his death he was 
stin very active ni body and mind, having never been ill a day in his life. 
By occupation he was a farmer. 

Dr. Summy's literary education was obtained in the State Normal 
School at Millersville, Pennsylvania, and in Franklin & Marshall College, at 
Lancaster. He commenced the study of medicine under the direction of Dr. 
S. T. Davis, of the latter city, and later entered Jefferson Medical College of 
Philadelphia, where he was graduated in 1883. In 1888 the Doctor came 
to Columbus, Ohio, and has since been in charge of the Hartman Sanitarium 
as the superintendent and surgeon, and also conducts a training school for 
nurses. The sanitarium is one of the most important institutions of the kind 
m the United States, having five regular physicians, students and a large staff 
of attendants. Its patients come from all parts of the United States and 
Canada, and are given the very best care and attention. 

Dr. Summy was married, in Pennsylvania, to Miss Sarah E Shindle of 
Lancaster county, a daughter of Michael Shindle, whose ancestors have m'ade 
their home m Lancaster county for several generations. Of the three children 
born to the Doctor and his wife, the only son died in infancv. The dauo-h- 
ters, Mma Belle and Pearl Graeff, are still living. ' ^ 

As a surgeon Dr. Summy has been successful^ and his abilities are widely 
recognized. As a citizen he is ever ready to do his part toward advancing 
the interests of his adopted county, and he has therefore manv friends who 
esteem him highly. 

JOHN O. LANDES and MAHALA C. LANDES. 

Few nien have been more prominent in public affairs in Franklin county 
than John Q. Landes, an esteemed and valued resident of Jackson township 
He was born in Madison countv, Ohio, July 27, 1831. His father John 
Landes, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, June 30, 1799. and the grand- 
father Avas born m the Old Dominion in 1757. He was: a cabinetmaker and 
painter by trade, and in 1804 he settled in Ross county, Ohio. Subsequently 
he came to Franklin county, locating within the present limits of Columbus 
and afterward taking up his abode on a farm which he purchased in Hamil- 
ton township. There he resided for twenty years, when he sold out and 
retired from active business. He was a soldier in General Hull's army at 
the time the British invaded Detroit, and was present when Hull surrendered 
that important post to the enemy, and thus he became a prisoner 

John Landes, the father of our subject, was reared amid the wild scenes 
ot frontier life m Franklin countv. He married Nancy Houck who was 
born m Centerburg. Knox county, Ohio. Her father,' Jacob Llouck was 
a well-to-do farmer, owning steven hundred acres of land, upon a part of 
which the village of Centerbury now stands. He died about 184^ After 
their marriage the parents of our subject removed to Madison county Ohio 
and Mr. Landes took charge of the Eli Gwyn stock farm, upon which he 



330 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

remained until 1833, when he came to Hamilton township, Franklin county, 
locating- on a rented farm. He resided on various places in that township 
until 1853, when he purchased a;id removed to a farm in Jackson township, 
making- it his home until his death. He was a well-educated man and in 
1845 was elected associate judge of Franklin county, filling the position with 
credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents until 1850, when he was 
retired on account of a change made in the state constitution. He had pre- 
viously been employed on a stage-coach line for four yearsi, from Columbus 
to Mount Vernon, and from Columbus to Chillicothe, Ohio. 

John Q. Landes, whose name begins this review, acquired a good com- 
mon-school education in early life, later was a student in the Capital Uni- 
versity and subsequently pursued his, studies for a year in- the Ohio Wesleyan 
University, at Delaware, Ohio. He was married, September 27, 1855, to 
Miss Sarah J. Lewis, and to them w^ere born the following children : Nancy 
C, born May 18, 1857; John B., born May 4, i860; Jacob E., who was born 
September 7, 1862, and died in 1873; and Ahvilda J., who was born October 
2, 1865. 

Mr. Landes was again married, February 2, 1894, to Mrs. Mahala C. 
Duff. She is a daughter of William W. Burchnell. whose father was born 
in Germany and came to America about two months previous to the birth' 
of his son William W., and located in Maryland. A year later the^ removed 
to Virginia. His father was a Lutheran minister and resided in Virginia 
until his death. William W. Burchnell was a potter by trade and success- 
fully engaged in business along that, line in London, Madison county, Ohio. 
Mrs. Landes is proud of her ancestors, having descended on her mother's 
side from the Hull family, being a distant relative of General Hull above 
spoken of. Her grandfather, having served in the war of 181 2 as minute- 
man, was an eye witness when Molly Pitcher waisi shot and hung suspended 
from a bridge. Mrs. Landes had a brother who served in the Mexican war 
and had two brothers and two brothers-in-law who served in the war of the 
Rebellion ; anl also had a cousin w^ho served in the Spanish- American war. 

In the widest sense of the term Mr. Landes, of this review, is a repre- 
sentative citizen of Franklin county. On the 2d of May, 1864, he mani- 
fested his loyalty to his country by enlisting for one hundred days' service in 
Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He 
was made sergeant and continued at the front until the close of his term. 
In politics he isi a Democrat, but is not strongly partisan. Although he votes 
for the men and measures of the Democracy at state and national elections, 
at local elections where no issue is involved he votes independently. He 
filled with credit the office of justice of the peace for six years; was for four 
years mayor of Grove City and Harris'burg, and for five years was township 
clerk. For ten years he was a school director, has been a member of the 
township board of education, and for two years was a member of the board 
of education of the city of Columbus, ever discharging his duties so as to 
merit the confidence and trust repos'.ed in him. Thirty-four years ago he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 331 

was initiated into Mt. Sterling Lodge, F. & A. M., and has since been a 
worthy follower of the beneticent teachings of the order, his membersihip being 
■now in Magnolia Lodge, No. 20. His wife is a lady of superior education 
and refinement and for eighteen years was a popular and successful teacher 
in the schools of Pickaway county. In manner she is genial and is an enter- 
taining conversationalist. Of the jMethodist Episcopal church she is an 
exemplary member and to its support both Mr. and Mrs. Landes contribute 
liberally. 

Dr. E. O. McCOLLUM. 

Dr. E. O. IMcCollum is a young physician of fine professional attain- 
ments engaged in practice in Linden Heights. He is devoted to his profes- 
sion, is a close student of materia medica and keeps in close touch with the 
best thoughts of the ablest minds of the m edical fraternity. Although his 
practice covers but a few years it has given him an excellent standing with 
the people of the community and his patronage is stsad.ly and constantly 
increasing. 

Edmund O'Dell McCollum is a native of Kentucky, his birth having 
occurred at Lidependence, in Kenton county, January 8, 1869. His parents 
were Elijah J. and Elizabeth C. (Thomasson) McCollum. The father was 
a native of Kentucky and a son of John McCollum, who was one of the pio- 
neers of Kenton county, that state, then known as Campbell county. He 
aided in opening up the way for civilization and resided in that pioneer dis- 
trict until 1849, when his life's labors were ended in death. He becam.e a 
prominent farmer and the owner of an extensive tract of land. He donated' 
the land which is now the town site of Independence and also gave the land 
on which was erected the courthouse of Kenton county. The McCollum 
family is of Scotch lineage, the original ancestors having been Highland 
Scotch, and from the country where the heather makes', purple the hills came 
the first of the name to America, settling in Virginia. The Doctor's father 
was reared in Kentucky, and after arriving at years of maturity he married 
Elizabeth C. Thomasson, who was born in Campbell county and is a repre- 
sentative of an old Pennsylvania family, some of whose members removed 
to the Blue Grass state at an early day. The father died December 19, 
1884, but the mother still survives. They were the parents of seven chil- 
dren, namely : Willie, Nellie, Atwood, Jo'hny and Sammy, all deceased ; C. 
W., a practicing physician of Erlanger, Kentucky; and E. O., whose name 
introduces this record. 

The early life of Dr. McCollum was passed upon a farm within the state 
of his birth, and in the public schools he obtained the rudiments of his edu- 
cation, completing his training in his home locality when he was seventeen 
years of age. He then spent a year in the Danville Normal School, at Dan- 
ville, Indiana, after which he began reading medicine under the direction of 
Dr. U. G. Senour, a prominent physician of Independence, Kentucky, who 



332 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 

acted as his preceptor and prepared him for college, lie theiT matriculated 
in the Medical College of Ohio, now known as the medical department of the 
University of Cincinnati, and spent three years in earnest study, being grad- 
uated with the class of 1892. Subsequently he took a post-graduate course 
in the institution, for he had no desire to engage in professional work without 
a thorough preparation and a firm belief in his own ability and power. This 
came from a full realization of the importance and responsibility which 
attaches to the physician. 

After leaving college Dr. McCollum located at Winton Place, a suburb 
of Cincinnati, where he opened an ofifice and for five years successfully engaged 
in practice. In 1897 he came to Linden Height?',, in Franklin county, where 
he has since enjoyed a liberal patronage, his business growing as he has 
demonstrated his ability to successfully cope with the intricate problems that 
continually meet the physician. No two cas'es which come up for treatment 
are exactly the same, for the usual physical conditions of the patient influence 
the trend of the disease in illness. The complications are therefore continually 
different, and it requires sound judgment and keen diiscernment, as well as 
careful diagnosis, in the treatment of disease. 

Dr. McCollum was united in marriage to Miss Florence May Shelby, of 
Covington, Kentucky, on the 6th of September, 1892, and their union has 
been blessed with two children — Elizabeth Evelyn and Gladys Thelma. The 
P'octor anl his wife have many friends in Franklin county, the circle being 
limited only by the circle of their acquaintance. Prompted by a laudable 
ambition and a deep interest in his work. Dr. INlcCollum is advancing steadily 
in his profession and to-day occupies a position which many an older prac- 
titioner might well envy. 

MORGAN J. THO^IAS. 

The beauty of a city depends largely upon its architecture, and to those 
who design and construct its buildings is due the credit for the position it 
holds in this direction. Among those who have done much work that adorns 
the streets and avenues of Columbus is numbered Morgan J. Thomas, who 
is well versed in the details and interests of this branch of industry and is 
advancing rapidly toward a prominent position in his chosen calling, hav- 
ing already secured an extensive and lucrative business. He is prepared at 
all times to execute orders with ability and promptness and his business is 
carried on with that courtesy and fair dealing that ever marks the success- 
ful business man. 

Morgan J. Thomas was! born in Wales December 5. 1865, and is a son 
of David O. and Ann (Jones) Thomas. In 1865 tlie parents and their chil- 
dren crossed the Atlantic to the United States, landing at New York, from 
which place they came direct to Ohio, locating in Licking county, where the 
father followed the occupation of a farmer. He and his wife still reside there. 

The subject of this review was but an infant when brought to the new 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 333 

world and upon the pioneer homestead he was reared, early becoming familiar 
with all the duties', and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, as he 
assisted his father in the cultivation of the fields. In the winter months he 
pursued his education in a primitive stone schoolhouse of the time. Wliile 
the branches pursued were few they were well mastered,— this probably being 
not only because the students were fond of their work but also because the 
master believed in the adage, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." Leaving 
the schools, he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade at Newark, 
Ohio, under Daniel E. Jowes, and after completing the regular term he 
remained with Mr. Jones for six years, a most trusted and capable emplove. 
He became an expert workman and after his removal to Columbus in 1889 
found no difficulty in obtaining employment, working for different parties 
on public buildings and private dwellings until 1896, when he began contract- 
ing and building on his own account. He has erected many of "the fine resi- 
dences of Columbus, doing all of the work from garret to cellar, and many of 
the store buildings and business blocks also stand as monument's to his enter- 
prise. He is a skillful mechanic and has the faculty of controlling and manag- 
ingmen to good purpose,— essential elements in the successful conduct of a 
business and much to be admired. 

In 1891 Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Laura Watkins, of Newark, 
Ohio, a daughter of James and Eleanor Watkins, and they have a pleasant 
home at No. 1040 West Broad street. In his political sientiments Mr. Thomas 
is a stalwart Republican and does all in his power to promote the growth 
and secure the success of his party. In the spring of 1898 he was elected a 
member of the school board of the fourteenth ward and in 1900 was re-elected 
for a second term of two years. In thorough sympathy with the public- 
school system of the land, he gives his endorsement to all measures and move- 
ments which he believes will promote the efficiency of the schools and advance 
their usefulness. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. He is a young man of strong purpose, of keen discernment 
and able management, and these factors will insure success in his business 
career. 

LEROY W. TUSING. 

Leroy W. Tusing. a son of G. W. Tusing, was born in Violet township, 
Fairfield county, Ohio, December 10, 1847, ^"^1 is now engaged m farming 
and sheep-raising in Truro township, Franklin county, Ohio. He began his 
education in the district schools of this county and later supplemented his 
early mental trai'ning by study in the high school at Pleasantville. Ohio. 
This was followed by a course in Duff Commercial College, of Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania, and then he entered upon an independent business career by 
teaching school in Fairfield and Franklin counties, a profession which he fol- 
lowed for eight years with good success, winning an enviable reputation by 
reason of his ability in that line. During the period of school vacations he 



334 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

aidied his father on the home farm, 
ing- during the winter for two years and then turned his attention to farming 
on his own account, operating sixty acres of land belonging to his father's 
estate. Since that time he has added to his, property a tract of two hundred 
and seventy-five acres in Franklin county. He has cleared the timber from 
one hundred and fifty-five acres, has erected all of the buildings upon the 
place and made all the improvements there found. He has one of the best 
developed farms in the community, the richly cultivated fields giving indica- 
tion of his careful supervision and his progressive methods. He keeps the 
land in a productive condition by the rotation of crops and his bountiful har- 
vests bring to him a good income. He also owns one hundred and fifty 
acres of farming land in Union county, Ohio, but this he rents, and he has 
sixty-seven acres in Texas), also fifty-five town lots in Laporte, Texas, besides 
he has an interest in the Crown Mountain gold mine of Dahlonega, Georgia. 
His farming interests are well conducted and the energy and enterprise which 
have characterized his career have been the means of bringing to him gratify- 
ing success. 

On the 1 6th of November, 1869, Mr. Tusing was united in marriage 
to Miss Louisa Roades, a daughter of Joseph Roades, and unto them have 
been born five childr'en, three sons and two daughters. Len W. married 
Cora Palmer, of Licking county, Ohio, whose father, William Palmer, was 
an enterprising agriculturist there, and they are the parents of two children, — 
Fred and Bryan. Nanniie, the second member of the family, is the wife of 
Collins Oldham, a farmer and dairyman of Truro township, Franklin county, 
and they have two sons and two daughters, — Cyril, Zola, Grace and one boy 
unnamed. Clauda is the wife of Charles Nessley, an enterprising farmer 
living in Fairfield county, Ohio, by whom shfe has one child, Ralph. Thur- 
man assistsi his father on the old homestead. Grover is pursuing his educa- 
tion in the schools of Brice. 

Mr. Tusing is a member of the Primitive Baptist church, with which 
he has been identified for twenty-eight vears. To its support he has con- 
tributed liberally and has done all in hi si power to promote the work and 
interests of the church. He also belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and at 
national elections he is a Democrat, but in affairs concerning merely the 
township and county, where no political issue is involved, he votes inde- 
pendently of party ties. He isi a man of well known reliability in business 
and in the community where he resides he has many warm friends. 

HUGH H. CARR. 

Hugh H. Carr, a member of the firm of Xichol & Carr, Columbus, was 
born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, near Greencastle, his natal day being 
May 20, 1852. He is a son of Hugh and Sarah (McAnaly) Carr. The 
former, a native of Ireland, cam'e to America in earlv childhood and after 
his marriage located upon a farm near Greencastle in Franklin county, Penrif- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 335 

sylvania, devoting hisi attention to agricultural pursuits until the death of 
Mrs. Carr, in 1877. His wife was a native of the Keystone state, and there 
his father, Hugh Carr, died in 1892. 

Hugh H. Carr spent his childhood in his native county and enjoyed the 
benefits of a common-school education. He afterward became apprenticed 
to Henry Stoner, under whose direction he learned the carpenter's trade, 
and on the completion of his term of service worked asi a jounteyman for 
some time. The year 1876 witnessed his arrival in the capital city, where 
for two years he was in the employ of others. Om the expiration of that 
period he returned to Pennsylvania, where he remained from 1877 until 1886, 
when he once more became identified with the interests of Columbus as a 
contractor and builder. His laborsi have since been an important factor in 
the improvemenit of the city, and fine private residences, business houses, 
churches and some of the public buildings stand' as monuments to his skill, 
his enterprise and his honorable business methods. 

In 1890 he entered into partnership with F. H. Nichol, under the firm 
name of Nichol & Carr, general contractors'. Both partners are skilled 
mechanics, and the firm is known as one of the most responsible and reliable 
in the city. They are very prompt in the execution of a contract, faithfully 
living up to its terms, and enjoy in a large measure the public confidence and 
therefore the public support. In 1900 Mr. Carr erected on West Broad 
street, at No. 949, a handsome flat building, which has a seventy-five-foot 
front and isi one hundred and forty feet deep. It is twO' stories in height 
and accommodates eleven families. The front is built of pressed and tile 
brick of fine finish and the building is supplied with all modem improvements 
and conveniences. The rental therefrom adds largely to the income of 
Mr. Carr. 

In 1878 was celebrated the marriage of our subject and Miss Emma B. 
Talhelm, of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, in which city she was born and reared, 
her parents bping Jacob and Catherine (De Walt) Talhelm. Mr. Carr is 
connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Mystic Chain, 
the Knights of Honor and the Builders and Traders' Exchange. He started 
out upon his business career with moderate means, but his industry and 
frugality, coupled with good judgment, have enabled him to accumulate a 
handsome competence for his declining years. He is a thorough exemplifica- 
tion of a typical American business man and gentleman. 

JOSEPH PEGG. 

At an early period in the dex-elopment of Franklin county Joseph Pegg, 
now deceased, became one of its residents, and through many consecutive 
years he not only witnessedi the progress and upbuilding of this portion of 
the state, but ever bore his part in the work of development. He arrived 
in Clinton to^vnship in the year 1833 and located upon a tract of wild land 
■which he purchased. Thereon had been previously built a primitive round- 



336 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

log cabin containiiTg oii'e room. In it was a puncheon floor and on the out- 
side a mud and stick chimney. Into this pioneer home he removed with his 
wife and three children. In his early youth he acquired a good education, 
partly in school and partly through reading and study in leisure hours. He 
followed teaching during the greater part of his life, beginning at a time 
when there was no public money to pay for a teacher's services, and accept- 
ing in -return for his educational labors the products of the farm, — meat, 
flour, and even fruit trees, — ^and these he would have \io exchange with those 
who wished such commodities in order to get money to defray his expenses. 
He wias a very studious man, who loved books, and was always carrying 
forward his work of investigation along some line of research. He was a 
very close observer and in that way added not a little to his knowledge. He 
(read law in connection with Reuben Beers, L. H. Webster and James Gal- 
braith. They rented a room in Columbus and there they carried on their 
studies without the aid of a teacher, in this manner qualifying for admission 
to the bar. Mr. Pegg later opened am office in Columbus, and subsequently 
he went to Bloomington, Illinois, with the intention of practicing law there, 
but instead he took up teaching as a means of obtaining a Hvelihoiod, remain- 
ing, however, in the Prairie state but a short time. 

Returning to Columbus, Mr. Pegg resumed teaching and the practice of 
law. In the former profession he was exceptionally successful. He had a 
clear, strong mind, which enabled him to give forcible and pleasing expres- 
sion to his th'oiughts and tO' impress them strongly upon the minds of his 
pupils. He served his townsmen in the capacity of justice of the peace and 
was ever fair and impartial in the discharge of 'his duties. He also served 
as clerk of the township for several years and was active in politics, doing 
all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of the Democ- 
racy, with which political organization be was allied. He was also a man 
of strong religious convictions, and his early aspirations were ior an educa- 
tion that would fit him for ministerial work, but later became attracted by 
the law and changed his plan of life. 

Mr. Pegg was married in Franklin township, Franklin county, to Miss 
Matilda Crawford. Her father was a pioneer farmer and honored repre- 
sentative of the community at an early day. Eleven children were born 
unto Mr. and Mrs. Pegg, of whom ten are yet living, the eldest, Margaret, 
having been killed by a falling tree when a child. The others are : Orville 
R., a resident of Logan county, Ohio; Elias W. and George F., who are 
residents of Clinton township; Emma INI., the wife of Alexander B. McGrew, 
a resident of St. Louis, Missouri; Mary, the wife of William Heverlo, who 
makes his home in Morrow county, Ohio ; Jane, the deceased wife of John 
Kissinger, a resident of Pass Christian, Mississippi ; Loiuis L., who is located 
in Clinton township; Melissa, the widow of Erwin Maize, of Clinton town- 
ship; Monroe J., who is living in the same township; and Thomas B., who 
resides in South America. 

The father of this family died in 1853, at the age of forty-five years, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 337 

and the mother passed away in 1873, at the age of sixty-five years. The ex- 
ample which he left to his children was one well worthy of emulation. 
Although his educational privileges were limited, he acquainted himself with 
the higher branches of learning, mastering botany, natural philosophy, physics, 
metaphysics and higher mathematics. He thus became a man of high schol- 
arly attainments, of broad general information, and his studious nature dom- 
inated his entire life. During the days of his early residence in Franklin 
county be was' the only strong educational factor in the settlement. He 
interested his neighbors in the erection of a school house and he had no diffi- 
culty in gaining the interest of his children or in maintaining discipline, nor 
"ivas he forced to resort to harsh measures, such as were employed by other 
teachers of the time. He had exceptional conversational powers, was a 
fluent speaker, had a ready command of the English language, and always 
managed to hold the attention of his auditors and both entertain and instruct 
them when be occupied a position upon the public platform. His services 
were in great demand as a Fourth of July orator and upon other occasions 
when the public was addressed upon patriotic measures. He was extremely 
public spirited and championed every measure for the public good. He was 
recognized as a leader in local politics, and his influence along that line was 
strongly manifest. He was a man of fine personal appearance and winsome 
personality, and he left the world better for his having lived. His wife was 
a lady of sterling domestic qualities, devoted to her husband, to her children 
and to her home. She also possessed business qualifications of a high order, 
and contributed her full share to the support of their large family. Of a 
deeply religious nature, she held membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
church and was a consistent Christian woman in all that she said or did. 
She was left a widow when six of her children were small, but she bravely took 
up the burden thus devolving upon her, kept her children together, provided 
for their necessities, gave them good educational privileges and prepared 
them for life's practical and responsible duties by the advantages which she 
afiforded them and by her own teaching and example. No one well acquainted 
with both Mr. and Mrs. Pegg should have anything but the highest regard 
for them on acc^ount of their many splendid characteristics, and the children 
certainly have every reason to honor their name and memory. 

Elias W. Pegg, their second son and third child, was born in Frank- 
linton, June 17, 1833. His early educational privileges were such as the 
schools of that day afforded, the school year comprising from two to three 
months during the w^inter season. During that brief period he continued his 
studies and at the age of sixteen years he left home, assuming the responsi- 
bility of providing for his own support. He won his father's consent to this 
move, and his first undertaking was to drive stock eastward across the Alle- 
ghanies, making the journey on foot, a distance of about five hundred miles. 
He received forty cents per day for the time consumed in making the round 
trip. On the return trip he walked forty miles per day, the remuneration 
being on an average of about a cent per mile. He afterward began working 



338 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

on a farm at ten dollars per moiith, ^vhich he followed f(jr three years. He 
then entered Westerville College, being about twenty years of age at that 
time. There he prosecuted his studies until he had prepared himself for teach- 
ing. His first and last school was taught in a little log school house in the 
woods in Norwich township, Franklin county. He received twenty-four 
dollars per month for his services and boarded around among the parents 
whose children were students under his instruction. When his first term 
was ended he rented a farm in Clinton township and operated it for five years. 

On the 8th of August, 1858. Elias W. Pegg was united in marriage 
to Miss Catherine Kissinger, a daughter of John and Catherine (DeNune) 
Kissinger, of Mifflin township. He then purchased a farm of ninety acres, 
which he afterward exchanged for the land upon which he now resides, 
taking up his abode there March 22, 1862. Farming has since been his 
principal occupation, and it has been the means of bringing to him a desira- 
ble prosperity. By purchase he has added to his possessions from time to 
time until he now owns two hundred and seventy acres of very valuable land, 
for some of which he has paid as high as three hundred dollars per acre. 
Beginning in 1862, foir many years he supplied the government with army 
horses, and he has aiso been engaged quite extensively in buying and ship- 
ping stock. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Pegg has been born one child, Elmer Ellsworth, 
who resides upon his father's farm. He is a graduate of the Ada (Ohio) 
College, where he pursued an engineering course, and is also a graduate of 
Bryant's Commercial College, of Columbus. He possesses superior mathe- 
matical attainments and engineering skill. He was married to' Miss Ruth 
Wilcox, and has two children, — Florence W. and Mary. 

Mr. Pegg gives earnest support to the Republican party, and has served 
his township as justice of the peace and as trustee, filling both offices for 
many years. For thirty-five years he has been a member of Capital Lodge, 
No. 334, I. O. O. F., also o-f Capital Encampment. His long business 
career has resulted in large financial gains which have been acquired along 
legitimate business lines, and he is now regarded as one of the sound and 
substantial men of Franklin county. He is well preserved, both physically 
and mentally, having the vigor of a man many years his junior. 

MONROE J. PEGG. 

Momroe J. Pegg, the tenth child of Joseph Pegg. deceased, was born 
in Clinton township, Franklin county, on the old family homestead, Janu- 
ary 7, 1848. He received a good common-school education and was thus 
fitted for the teacher's profession. He experienced all the trials and hard- 
ships of pioneer life on a farm in a new locality, having assisted his father 
in clearing and improving the land which was transformed into the home 
farm. Not content with the early educational privileges which he had re- 
ceived, he entered Otterbein College, of Westerville, Ohio, where he remained 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 339 

for a year aiid a half. Subsequently he engaged in teaching in the schools 
of Franklin county through the winter montnsi and in the summer he worked 
upon the liome farm. After his father's death he >remahied at home with 
his widowed mother until she, too, was called away, relieving her of the 
care of her farm and adding to her happiness in her last days by his filial care 
and devotion. 

Mr. Pegg was united in marriage to Miss Emma, daughter of J. O. 
Amos. They began their domestic life on the old family homestead, where they 
resided until 1^82, when they removed to an adjoining farm belonging to 
his brother, and there they have since resided. Mr. Pegg's landed pos- 
sessions constituted a tract of sixty acres. Unto our slubject and his wife 
have been born five children, three of whom are living, namely : Kate, Mar- 
guerite and Mary H. The deceased are Violet and one who died unnamed. 
Tlie mother is a member of the McKendree church. In politics Mr. Pegg 
is a Democrat, but has never sought or desired office, preferring to devote 
his time and energies^ to his business affairs, in which he is meeting with 
creditable success, being an energetic farmer. 

WILLIAM WALLACE BICKETT, M. D. 

Dr. Bickett, who is spending the closing years of a useful life free from 
business cares at his pleasant home in Perry township, was for many years 
one of the leading physicians of Franklin county, practicing most of the 
time in Worthington. He was born on the Richards farm, on the Scioto, 
in Perry township, November 4, 1835, and is now the only representative 
of the family living in this county. 

The Doctor is a twin brother of Ebenezer Erskine Bickett. and a son 
of James Bickett, who was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, Sep- 
tember 8, 1805. The paternal grandfather, William Bickett, was a native 
of the north of Ireland and a Protestant in religious belief. He was twice 
married, James being a son by the first union. In his native county the latter 
was reared to agricultural pursuits, and on coming to Franklin coimty, Ohio, 
in 1833, he purchased an unimproved farm of eighty acres in Perry town- 
ship, which he at once began to improve, erecting first a primitive log cabin. 
This place becoming his permanent home, he dying here April 28, 1865. In 
1834 he married Miss Sarah Richards (familiarly known as Sallie), who 
was born in Perry township, this county, May 14, 1814, and belonged to 
one of the honored pioneer families of Ohio. Pier father, Ebenezer Rich- 
ards, was born in Masisachusetts, May 24, 1773, of Welsh ancestry, andat 
an earlv day moved with his family to Pennsylvania, where he was married 
March 22, 1802, to Lois Taylor, who Avas born February 24, 1784, of English 
parentage. In 1807 they came to this state and took up their residence on 
Big Walnut creek, south of Columbus. The following year Mr. Richards 
bought two hundred acres of land two miles north of IMarble Cliff, which 
has ever since been the homestead of his family. He died October 4, 1839, 



340 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

cind liis wife passed away June 8, 1822. They had seven children: Esther, 
Zipporah, Lydia, Hiram, Salhe, Nancy and Julius, two of whom died in 
childhood. Dr. Bickett's father departed this life April 28, 1865, ^.nd the 
mother subsequently made lier borne with the Doctor in Worthington, where 
sihe died February 25, 1887. Ae an affectionate and faithful son, he ten- 
derly cared -for her during the last twenty-tw'o years of her life. Both par- 
ents were devout and active members of the Presbyterian church of Worth- 
ington. 

To this worthy couple were born nine children, seven sons and two daugh- 
ters, including three pairs of twins. William W. and Ebenezer E. were 
born November 4, 1835. The latter enlisted in 1861 as a private in Company 
H, Foirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and for meritorious conduct was 
promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. He was later transferred to Com- 
pany G, the same regiment, with which he served until his death. He par- 
ticipated in many hard-fought engagements, and was wounded at the battle 
of Resaca, Georgia, May 14, 1864, dying from the effects of his injuries at 
Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the 27th of June. His remains were brought 
home and interred in the Ebenezer Richards cemetery. Hiram and John, 
twins, died in infancy. Andrew J. and Thomas J. were born November 22, 
1840, and are veterans of the Civil war. The former, who is now a resi- 
dent of Bureau county, Illinois, enlisted as a private in Company D, Ninety- 
hfth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in July, 1862, and was captured with his 
regiment at Richmond, Kentucky. After being exchanged he 4-eturned to 
the service in January, 1863, but in June, 1864, he was again captured at 
Guntown, Mississippi. This time he was incarcerated in Andersonville prison, 
where he remained until the following December, when be was paroled on 
account of illness and exchanged. He was mustered out with his regiment 
at Camp Chase in 1865. At Richmond', Kentucky, he had his right fore 
finger shot off, and now receives a pension of ten dollars per month. Thomas 
J., a resident of Barton comity, Missouri, entered the service in 1861, also 
as a private in Company H, Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and took 
part in all of the engagements in which his regiment participated, being 
honorably discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, in July, 1865. He was 
wounded m the shoulder at Pittsburg Landin'g, and now recei\'es a pension 
of_ twelve dollars per month. Julius D., born January 22, 1846, is' in the 
railroad service and resides at Cincinnati. Nancy J., born in 1850, died in 
May, 1865, at the age of fifteen yeairs. Lois R., born in 1855, was married 
in 1880 to Frank L. Davies, a railroad man residing in Danville, Illinois. 

Dr. Bickett, of this review, passed his early life upon the home farm, 
and attended the district schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty- 
two he entered the Capital University at Columbus, wdiere he was a student 
j'or two years, and then engaged in teaching and working on the farm until 
i860. The following year he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at 
Delaware,' remaining there until 1861, when he was made stew^ard at the 
county infirmary and held that position for two }-cars, at the same time 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 34i 

attending Starling College. He commenced the study of medic^n^ with 
Dr. John Dawson, and was graduated from J. W. Hamilton's office March 
I, 1864. On the 15th and i6th of that month he passed the required exami- 
nation before the state boiard of examiners for the army, and w^as commis- 
sioned assistant surgeon, being assigned to the Third Ohio Volunteer Cav- 
alry. He joined his' regiment at Nashville, Tennessee, April 7, 1864, and 
was with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign. After the fall of that city the 
regiment returned wdth General Thomas's army to oppose General Hood, 
then operating in Tennessee. After participating in the battles of Nash- 
ville and Franklin they were assigned to General Wilson's cavalry corps and 
took part in the celebrated Wilson raid, which ended at Macon, Georgia, 
April 21, 1865. There they remained until mustered out the following Sep- 
tember. The Doctor's horse was shot under him in the Kilpatrick charge 
near Lovejoy Station, Georgia, August 20, 1864, and he was twice struck 
by bullets in the same engagement, but not disabled. He was mustered out 
at Nashville, Tennessee, September 14, 1865. 

Upon his return to civil life Dr. Bickett took a trip through the west, 
and then, in May, 1866, opened an office in Columbus, remaining there until 
December, when he formed a partnership with Dr. E. M. Pinney, of Dublin, 
with whom he was connected for one year. In May, 1868, he located at 
Worthington, wdiere he w^as successfully engaged in general practice for 
twenty-one years. In the fall of 1871 he entered the Bellevue Hospital 
Medical College, New York city, and taking the full course he received a 
diploma March i, 1872. He is still a member of the Central Ohio Medical 
Society and the Delaware County Medical Society, though he discontinued 
practice in 1889, wdien he sold his property in Worthington and moved to 
his farm in Perry township. He takes yearly trips through different sec- 
tions of the country, and in 1890 traveled through southern California and 
Mexico. 

On the 1 6th of October, 1866, the Doctor was initiated into the mys- 
teries of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Capital Lodge, No. 334, 
of Columbus, and in June, 1869, transferred his membership to Ark Lodge, 
No. 270, of Worthington, from which he took a card in 1892 to become a 
charter member O'f Lincoln Lodge, No. 801, of Columbus. He is also a 
member of Olentangy Encampment, No. 149, and has represented his district 
in the grand lodge of Ohio three terms of two years each. He has served 
as assessor of Perry towmship several times, and in 1900 took the govern- 
ment census there. He is wadely and favorably known throug'hout his native 
county, and is justly deserving the high regard in which he is held. 

JULIUS ZIRKEL. 

Among the farmers and gardeners of Marion township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, the late Julius Zirkel achieved the distinction of having been one of 
the first growers of strawberries for the Columbus market. Mr. Zirkel was 



342 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

born January i8, 1836, on the farm on section 32, Clarion township, which 
is now the home of his widow. 

He was! a son of Otto Zirkel, a native of Prussia, who came when a 
comparatively young man to Frankhn county and settled on the Zirkel farm 
above referred to. He was later married to Eliza Simmons, who bore him 
a daughter and a son. The latter, Julius Zirkel, at the age of seventeen, 
began the cultivation of btrawberries and developed this enterprise into a 
successful business, which he continued until his death, November 10, 1896. 
He became wiell knoiwn in his line of business, the "Zirkel berry" having 
achieved an enviable reputation on the market He enlisted in the army of 
the north, in the fall o.f 1864, and served as a soldier until the close of the 
war of the Rebellion. July 30, 1872, he married Julia D. Frankenberg, who 
was born within the limits of section 22, Marion township, September 17, 
1845, ^ daughter of Ernest Frankenberg, a native of Hanover, Germany. 
He came to the United States in 1835 and located in Marion township, where 
he became known as a farmer and dairyman. His death occurred in 1863, 
in his seventieth year. 

He was married in his native land to Amfelia Bethje, who lived to be 
ninety-three years old, and they had three sons and a daughter : Ernest, who 
is deceased; Adolph W. and Albert H., the latter residing in Columbus. Mrs. 
Zirkel, the daughter, was the third child in order of birth, and was educated 
by private teachers. In 1863 Mr. and Mrs. Frankenberg removed to Mc- 
Lean county, Illinois, Where Mr. Frankenberg died in 1864, and his wife 
remained there until 1868, when she returned to Franklin county and located 
at Columbus. Otto Zirkel, Julius Zirkel's father, was at one time a colonel 
in the German army. He commanded a company in the Mexican war, and 
offered his services to the United States government in 1861, but they were 
declined because of his age. Otto Zirkel was best known as a physician. He 
was a graduate of Starling Medical College, and his familiar figure was known 
far and wide, as he -rode on 'horseback many miles in each direction in his 
daily visits to his numerous patients. 

Julius and Julia D. (Frankenberg) Zirkel have had a son and a daugh- 
ter, Raymond H. and Edna E. Their son is a teller for the Market Exchange 
Bank at Columbus, Ohio, and their daughter, a graduate of the Columbus 
high school and the Ohio State Normal School, is a special teacher of Ger- 
man at the Ohio Avenue School, of Columbus. Mrs. Zirkel's farm consists 
of about forty acres of land, and is considered a productive and valuable 
property. 

ALEXANDER NEIL, M. D. 

In the subject of this review we have one who attained distinction in 
the line of his profession, who was an earnest and discriminating student, 
and who held a position of due relative precedence among the medical prac- 
titioners of Columbus. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 343 

Dr. Neil was born in Delaware county, Ohio, December 21. 1838, a 
son .of Charles and Elizabeth (Walker) Neil, both of whom were natives 
of Virginia. The father died' in 1882, and the mother October 19, 1894. 
She was a daug-hter of John Walker, who serv^ed as captain in the Revolu- 
tionary war, and died in 1858, at the very advanced age of one hundred and 
two years. He married Miss Mary Rollins. The ancestors of the Neil 
family came from England and were among the early settlers along the 
Atlantic seaboard. The representatives of the family have taken an active 
part in things pertaining to the political, religious and material development 
of the section of the country in which they have resided. 

Dr. Neil, whoise name introduces this record, began his education in a 
private school and there prepared for college, after which he entered the 
Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, where he completed the course, 
winning the degree of bachelor of arts in 1858, while later his alma mater 
conferred upon him the degree of master of arts. Upon his graduation 
he began reading medicine under the direction of George C. Blackman, a 
professor of surgery in the Medical College of Ohio and a fellow in the 
Royal College of Surgeons of London, England. Subsequently our subject 
attended a course of lectures in the Ohio Medical College, and afterward in 
the College of Medicine and Surgery in Cincinnati, receding from the latter 
histitution the degree of doctor of medicine in 1861. The country becoming 
involved in civil war, he joined the Union army at the beginning of the 
struggle and served as a surgeon until hostilities had ceased and the "boys 
in blue" no longer needed his services to repair the (ravages of war. Dur- 
ing the latter part of the sanguinary trouble between the north and the south 
he was on the staff of General P. H. Sheridan as medical purveyor of the 
valley department. 

After receiving an honorable discharge he returned to the north and 
was engaged in the practice of medicine at Sunbury, Ohio, from 1865 until 
1870, when he came to Columbus, where he resided until his death, Febru- 
ary 14, 1901, after an illness of several months. Here he built up an excel- 
lent business. He spent the year 1867 in St. Bartholomew Hospital and 
in Guy's Hospital, in London, England, and there learned of the methods of 
medical treatment in use in Great Britain. He was a member of the Ameri- 
can Medical Association, also of the State Medical Society, and a life member 
of the Mississippi Valley Medical Association. In 1878 he was president 
of the Columbus Academy of Medicine. The profession and public accorded 
him a position of distinction in connection with his chosen calling. He 
carried his investigations far and wide into the realms of medical science, 
and not content with mediocrity he advanced step by step until he left 
the ranks of the many and stood among the successful few. He is the author 
of a number of papers published in the current medical journals which 
awakened widespread attention by reason of their able presentation of sub- 
jects of great interest to the entire medical fraternity. 

On the 5th of September, 1866, Dr. Neil was united in marriage to 



344 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Miss Marietta Elliott, a daughter of the Hon. Da\-id H. Elliott, of Sun- 
bury, Ohio, and their union was blessed with three children : Camma, 
the wife of Dr. D. R. Kinsell, Jr.; Dessie, at home; and Goldie, \vho is a stu- 
dent in Garden's Eemale Institute in New York city. Dr. Neil held mem- 
bership in McCoy Post, G. A. R., at Columbus, Ohio, and was a prominent 
JMason, having become identified with the order in 1864. In his practice 
lie had ample opportunity to exemplify the noble principles which form the 
basic elements of the craft recognizing the universal brotherhood of man. 
His loss will be mourned by a very large and distinguished circle of friends. 



BARNET J. COSGRAY. 

'he industry, patriotism and progressiveness of the Irish race have made 
its/representatives noteworthy wherever they have found a home, and Ohio 
wes much to the Irish element in its population. One of the best known 
Irish names in Franklin county is that of Cosgray, and one of the most 
prominent members of the family is Barnet J. Cosgray, a successful farmer 
of Washington township. The Cosgrays have been known in the Green 
isle for many generations as people who paid their way, loved liberty and 
were willing to make sacrifices for their fellow men. 

Terence Cosgray, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in 
Londonderry, Ireland, being a younger son, of noble birth. He was a mem- 
ber of the Episcopal church and married Lady Mary McCowen, a native of 
Scotland; her people were wealthy and of high social standing and she was a 
member of the Catholic church. Of their twelve children five were born in 
Scotland, one was born at sea \vhile the parents were on their way to the 
United States, and six were born in this country. They settled in Hartford 
county, Maryland, near Baltimore, and afterw-ard moved to Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, and located on a farm near Uniontown on the Monongahela 
river. Mr, Cosgray died on that farm about 1S31, and his wife survived 
him, dying in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1855, well advanced in life. 

The following data concerning the children of Terence and Mary 
(McCowen) Cosgray will be found interesting in this connection: Their eld- 
est son, William, who was a school-teacher and civil engineer, was known 
as a surveyor in eastern Ohio, and died in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. 
Michael married a Miss Rogers and died at his home in Ross county, Ohio. 
Frank, who never married, died in Maryland. Sarah died in Washington 
township, Franklin county, unmarried. James married Elizabeth Benning- 
ton and died in Franklin county. Katie married John Foster, a cousin of 
Governor Foster, of Ohio, and died in Greene county, Pennsylvania. Ignatius 
married Elizabeth Diamond, a daughter of Captain Diamond, who served 
in the Revolutionary \var under General Lafayette, and died in Greene county, 
Pennsylvania. Mary became Mrs. Hiram Sweeney and died in Tyler county, 
West Virginia. Joseph Wheeler w^as the father of the subject of this sketch. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 345 

Barnet died in Washington township. David was the next in order of birth; 
and John married EHzabeth Morgan and died at Waynesbiirg, Pennsylvania. 

When Terence Cosgray and his wife and children came to America they 
were accompanied by his brother, Barnet Cosgray, and Mrs. Cosgray's brother^ 
Francis McCowen. These men both became merchants in America, and Sir 
Francis McCowen lived for many years in Baltimore, Maryland, and died 
there. Terence Cosgray's daughter Sarah, an aunt of Barnet J. Cosgray, 
saw the British troops land at Baltimore, Maryland, in the war of 1812. 

Joseph W. Cosgray, father of Barnet J. Cosgray, was born October 31, 
1 8 10, at Clermont Mills, Hartford county, Maryland. He was but a smatl 
boy when his parents moved to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where the lad 
received a good education. When a young man he came to Perry county, 
Ohio, where he married Elizabeth Gordon, April 3, 183 1. About 1835 he 
bought and settled on land in Hocking county, Ohio, where he lived about a 
year. His father-in-law visited him there, and, not liking such a hilly coun- 
try, induced the young man to go with him to Columbus, whence they jour- 
neyed on horseback. Mr. Cosgray bought one hundred and thirty acres of 
land in Washington township, on which there was no clearing, and built upon 
it a small round-log house, which contained one room with a very low log^ 
ceiling. There was plenty of wild game in the woods and water was con- 
venient. Before this cabin w^as ready the family lived for about a year near 
the place which has since come to be known as the Gill farm. Mr. Cosgray 
made all possible haste to clear land and put it under cultivation and he 
added to his original purchase until he owned two hundred and five acres. 
He was an influential citizen, active in politics as a Democrat and held many 
township offices, and he was identified with the Christian church. He died 
at his home in Washington township February i, 1888, and his wife died 
February 12, 1882. Mrs. Cosgray was a daughter of George and Hannah 
(Hemisphar) Gordon, and was born in Perry county, Ohio, May 14, 181 1. 

Joseph W. and Elizabeth (Gordon) Cosgray had children as follows: 
Barnet J., who is the immediate subject of this sketch; George W., who mar- 
ried Elizabeth Gordon ; Elizabeth Mary, who is the widow of James Finch, 
of Washington township; Martha J., who married George L. Geary, a bio- 
graphical sketch of whom appears in this work ; Sarah Catherine, who mar- 
ried Dawson A. Hoskinson, and now lives with her brother Barnet J. ; Charles 
W., wdio died at the age of twenty-one years; and John A., who married 
Estella Graham and was accidentally killed on a railroad. 

Barnet J. Cosgray was born near Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, Octo- 
ber 20. 1832, and was about three years old when his parents removed to 
^\'ashing•ton township, Franklin county. His first school-teacher was Lenora 
Tupper, a lady of first-class ability, who discovered that the boy was fond of 
study and directed him most efficiently. After he was old enough he was 
obliged to assist in the farm work at home. He was only nine years old 
when he began to help his father clear land, and he assisted his father until the 
latter's death, and when Mr. Cosgray's land was divided among his heirs- 



346 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

he received forty-two acres as his share. In time he bought one hundred 
and thirty-two acres across the road from the home he had estabhshed on the 
forty-two acres referred to. His fine residence was erected in 1899 and 
1900. He is considered one of the leading farmers of the township. Though 
prominent as a Democrat he is not an office seeker. He is not a member of 
any church, but is fiberal in his support of rehgious worship. He is not 
married. He has demonstrated that he is a business man of abihty, not only 
in the management of his own affairs, but also in the settlement of his father's 
estate, which he accomplished satisfactorily to all concerned. 

Sarah Catherine Cosgray, daughter of Joseph W. and Elizabeth (Gor- 
don) Cosgray, was born December 5, 1845, ^^id was married, March 29, 1871, 
to Daw-son A. Hoskinson, a son of ex-Judge George Hoskinson. Mr. Hos- 
kinson was born at Waynesburg, Greene county, Pennsylvania, March 8, 1844, 
and w'as there reared and educated, spending a part of his youth on a farm 
near Waynesburg, and finishing his studies at Waynesburg College, where 
he took a three-years course. Going south during the Rebellion, he, in 1863, 
entered the employment of the United States government as a laborer and 
was two months later made a clerk in the commissary department at Nash- 
ville, Tennessee, a position which he held fourteen months. He then returned 
to his old home and was for eight years employed as a salesman in his 
brother's clothing store. He had previoush^ visited Franklin county and 
there married Miss Cosgray, and in 1875 they moved to Washington town- 
ship from his former home in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, and took up their 
residence with Mrs. Hoskinson's brother, Barnet J. Cosgray. Mr. Hoskinson 
is an influential Democrat and he and his wdfe are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church. They have had children as follows : Joseph, who mar- 
ried Ella Emery and lives in Washington township; Georgiana, who is now 
traveling in the western states; Adelaide who is a member of her parents' 
household ; and Daisy, who is wath her sister Georgiana. 

DAVID R. VAN SCHOYCK. 

An influential farmer of Norwich township, David R. Van Schoyck, 
is widely and favorably known in Franklin county, where his birth occurred 
August 9, 1852. His father, William Tobias Van Schoyck, was born in 
Warren county, Ohio, near Cincinnati, February 11, 1811, and there re- 
mained until twelve years of age, when he accompanied his parents on their 
removal to Norwich township, Franklin county. John Van Schoyck, the 
grandfather, purchased one hundred and seventy-eight acres of heavily tim- 
bered land. The men who aided them to move also assisted them in putting 
up their log cabin; but the top log could not be raised by them alone and they 
had to call some people who were passing to assist them. The grandfather 
and his sons cleared the land, plowed the fields and developed an excellent 
farm. William T. Van Schoyck pursued his education in the subscription 
schools for a short time, but his privileges in that direction were very limited. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 347 

He inherited fifty acres of the home farm from his father. He wedded 
Ehzabeth W eeden, who was born on the Scioto river, in Ohio, a daughter of 
Mr. and Mrs. John Weeden. Her mother was a sister of Colonel Ennis. 
For several years after their marriage Mr. Van Schoyck resided on the old 
homestead, and then built a house on his fifty-acre tract, where he continued 
throughout his remaining days, devoting his attention to farming. Both 
he and his wife were members oi the Methcdist Episcopal church, and in 
politics he was a Republican. 

This worthy couple were the parents of nine children: Margaret, who 
became the wife of Alexander Gray and is now deceased. Annie, who has 
passed away; John, who married Jane McCammel, and died in Franklin 
county; Nancy; Harriet; Susan, the wife of T. T. Armstrong; Cynthia, 
deceased; David R. ; and Henry, who is deceased. 

On the old home farm David R. Van Schoyck spent the days of his boy- 
hood and youth, and when not needed to assist in the culti\-ation of the land 
he attended school, largely pursuing his studies through the winter months. 
He became thoroughly familiar with farming in every detail, and after his 
marriage he operated the home farm. In the second year he erected a dwell- 
ing on a part of the land, and through the terms of a will he became the 
owner of forty-three acres by paying a sum of money to the other heirs, 
and is now the possessor of a good property. Fie carries on general farm- 
ing, and in addition follows the raising of sheep and cattle. He was also 
a horse breeder and dealer in former years, and in his business affairs he 
has met with very desirable success. 

In 1878 occurred the marriage of Mr. Van Schoyck and Miss i\Iary 
Hart, a daughter of Van Lear Hart, of Virginia. They became the parents 
of five children : Ora, who is a member of the Seventeenth Ohio Regiment, 
and is now serving in the Philippines; Leila, Ira, Harry and lona. The 
mother died July 12, 1898, and as she had many warm friends in the com- 
munity her loss was widely mourned. Mr. Van Schoyck is a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church at Hilliard and in his political faith he is a 
Republican. For eighteen years he served on the school board, and the 
cause of education found in him a warm friend. He also gives his support 
to every measure calculated to prove of public benefit. 

KING A. NORRIS, M. D. 

One of the busiest and most energetic young professional men of Colum- 
bus is Dr. King A. Norris. He was born in Reynoldsburg. Franklin county, 
July 18, 1871, and is a son of Frederick W. and Nancy (Allen) Norris. 
His father was a native o'f the Empire state, but the mother of our subject 
was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and was a daughter of B. B. and Maria 
Allen, who were among the honored pioneer settlers of that locality. The 
paternal grandfather of our subject was Thomas Norris, a native of New 
\ork, of which state his father was one of the eariy settlers. :Mr. Norris, 



348 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the father of our subject, served as a soldier in the Civil war, being a mem- 
ber of the Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. For three years he re- 
mained at the front as a loyal defender of the cause represented by the starry 
banner. When hostilities had ceased and the Confederacy Wias overthrown 
he returned to Franklin county, locating on a farm near Reynoldsburg, where 
he pursued the honorable vocation of an agriculturist. He and his estima- 
ble wife are both living and yet reside upon the old homestead. 

Dr. Norris spent his youth upon the farm and began his education in 
the district school near by, supplementing his early privileges with a course 
in the Reynoldsburg high school. Throughout his business career he has 
been identified with the interests of the state. Coming to Columbus, he 
entered the employ of his brother, J. G. Norris,, in the capacity of clerk, re- 
maining with the house for five years, on the expiration of which period he 
began reading medicine under the direction of Dr. J. B. Dysart, of Reynolds- 
burg, and further continued preparation for the profession in the Ohio Medi- 
cal University, in which he was graduated in April, 1898. Subsequently 
he spent one year with his former preceptor, Dr. Dysart, and then entered 
upon an independent practice. In 1900 he went to New York city and pur- 
sued a course in the Post-Graduate Medical College. Upon his return he 
again established an office in Columbus, and is now enjoying a growing 
patronag'e. It has already assumed proportions that many an older member 
of the fraternity might well eiwy. 

In January, 1900, Dr. Norris was united in marriage to Miss Lydia M. 
Sayre, of the capital city, a daughter of William Sayre. Socially our sub- 
ject is connected with Truro Lodge, No. 411, I. O. O. F., and with the En- 
campment of the I. 0.0. F., and Jasper Lodge, Knights of Pythias His 
residence and office are located at No. 716 Neil avenue. He is a member 
of the Columbus Academy of Medicine and the American Medical Associa- 
tion, and is the examining physician for the New England Mutual Life 
Insurance Company. His earnest desire to attain a high degree of perfec- 
tion in his chosen calling has led him to study carefully and thoroughly the 
principles of the medical science and to exercise great care in diagnosing and 
treating disease. The results that have followed his practice have therefore 
been commendable, and his skill thus demonstrated has secured to him grati- 
fying success. 

ALEXANDER W. KRUMM. 

One of the wxll-known professional men of the city of Columbus, Ohio, 
is one of her native sons, Alexander W. Krumm, whose birth occurred here 
March 12, 1850. His father was Martin Krumm, a native of Wurtem- 
berg, Germany, born tihere in 181 2, emigrating to this country in 1832, and 
dying in Columbus after a long and successful career as a machinist and iron 
manufacturer. He had come to America with his father and his family. 
The mother of our subject is still living. Her maiden name was Frederika 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 349 

Fichtner, and she also was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1820, and 
although she reached her eighty-first year, is active in mind and body. Six 
of her ten children still survive : Martin ; Albert ; Alexander W. ; Daniel ; 
Flora, the wife of Dr. A. M. Bleile, of the State University; and Louisa A., 
three having died in infancy, and the eldest, Frederick Krumm, having died 
in July, 1899. 

Mr. Krumm, of this review, received his education in tbe city schools 
of Columbus, soon afterward entering upon the study of law under the guid- 
ance of Messrs. English & Baldwin, two prominent attorneys, constituting 
one of the leading law firms of this city. He Avas admitted to the bar in 
1875, immediately commencing his practice in partnership with John H. 
Ileitmann, then mayor of the city, and with whom he remained eighteen 
months. His legal business steadily grew and his friends proclaimed their 
confidence in his ability by electing him to the ofiice of city solicitor from 
1879 to 1883, — two terms. 

The marriage o'f Mr. Krumm took place in 1877. ^^^ ^liss Mary M. 
Zettler, of Columbus, a daughter of John Zettler, an old and highly respected 
citizen. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Krumm; Herbert, 
a cadet at West Point; Benjamin; Thomas; Grace Helen; Nettie Belle; 
John J., who died in 1887; Alexander W., Jr.; Samuel; James; and Edna 
Mary. 

Mr. Krumm has never taken a great interest in politics, the demands 
of his constantly growing practice having- required his undivided attention. 
He owns and occupies a beautiful residence at No. 975 South High street, 
where his attractive surrounding's proclaim his material prosperity and ?es- 
thetic taste. 

EDWARD L. MARION. 

The family of Marion, of which Edward L. ]Maripn, of section 3. Clarion 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, is a representative, is distinguished as having 
furnished to this part of the state some of its earliest pioneers and some of 
its leading citizens in succeeding generations. Edward L. Clarion, who 
was born in what was then Montgomery township, Franklin county, Ohio, 
August 10, 1847, '^^'^s the second son and third child in order of birth of 
Elijah and Adaline (Livingston) Marion, who are referred to more at length 
in the biographical sketch of Elijah Marion, which appears in these pages. 
He was reared and educated in his native township and assisted in the man- 
agement of the old Marion homestead until he was twenty-seven years old. 
After his marriage he took diarge of the place and managed it until 1881, 
when he moved to his present farm in section 3, which consists of eighty- 
seven and one-half acres and is devoted to general farming. His large and 
comfortable residence was erected in 1883. of brick, burned for the county 
infirmary, but which, not being needed, was purchased by. Mr. Marion, w^ho 
gave about three years of his life to building and finishing this house, which 



350 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

is one of the most sightly and home-Hke in the township. Members of his 
family in both lines have been leaders in architectural progress in Franklin 
county, Mr, Marion's grandfather in the maternal line, Edward Livingston, 
who boarded with the Indians for a time after he came to the county, having 
later erected the first frame house in Frankhn county. 

June 17, 1874, Mr. Marion married Alice McElhmny, a native of Ham- 
ilton, now Marion, township, Franklin county, Ohio, who was born October 
2y, 1849, ^ daughter of Hugh McEMiinny, a native of Pennsylvania, born 
November 19, 1786, who was a pioneer in Franklin county, where he mar- 
ried Sarah Williams, and died September 4, 1854. Sarah Williams was 
born in Hamilton township, Franklin county, Ohio, July 13, 1807, a daugh- 
ter of the Hon. George W. Williams, who was an early representative from 
Ohio in congress, and was in his day one of the prominent men in Franklin 
county. Hugh McElhinny and Sarah Williams were married April 5, 1825, 
and Mrs. McElhinny died March 20, 1894, aged eighty-six years, eight 
months and six days. They were both prominent in the Presbyterian church. 
They were the parents of eight children, all of whom grew to manhood and 
womanhood, and Mrs. Marion, who was the youngest of the family, was 
reared on the farm on which she now lives and was educated in the common 
schools near by. 

Mr. Marion, who is an enthusiastic Republican, cast his first presiden- 
tial vote in the court house in Columbus in 1868 and has voted the Repub- 
lican ticket at every general election since and has worked for the success of 
his party in every campaign. He has filled the office of judge of elections 
for many years and is one of the committeemen of his party this year. He 
lias in every way shown that he was actuated by a broad public spirit, and 
has advocated and assisted to the extent of his ability all measures promising 
to benefit his township and county. 

SHERMAN LEACH, M. D. 

On the roll of the successful physicians of Columbus appears the name 
of Dr. Sherman Leach. He possesses the true western spirit of enterprise 
and progress, and this has led to his advancement in the calling wdiich he 
has made his life work. He was born in Mount Sterling, Madison county, 
Ohio, May 30, 1864, a son of W. T. and Jane (Bostwick) Leach, both of 
whom were natives of Vermont, and during childhood accompanied their 
respective parents to Ohio. Robert Leach, the paternal grandfather of our 
subject, located in Madison 'county, Ohio, near Bloomingburg. Ere his 
removal to the west he had married Miss Eliza Thompson and to his Ohio 
home he brought his family. Late in life he removed to Bloomington, Illinois, 
where his wife died. W. T. Leach, the Doctor's father, is now living retired 
at his home in Mount Sterling. 

Sherman Leach spent the greater part of his youth in that town, and 
having acquired his literary education in the public schools, he determined 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 35 » 

upon the practice of medicine as a life work, and to this end began reading- 
in the office and under the direction of Dr. W. H. Emery, of Mount SterHng. 
Later he matriculated in the Starling Medical College ,of Columbus, and 
was there graduated with the class of 1887. He then returned to his native 
town, where he immediately began practice. Subsequently he pursued a 
post-graduate course in a post-graduate hospital in New York, and then once 
more became a practitioner at Mount Sterling, where he continued in business 
until 1S95. when he pursued a oours,e in the Chicago Post-Graduate ^^ledical 
College. It was in 1889 that he removed from Mount Sterling to Columbus. 
He has spared no labor, time nor expense that would perfect him in his chosen 
work, and at this writing he is pursuing a special course in the Chicago Post- 
Graduate Medical School. He is now surgeon of the Woman's Hospital, 
and is associated with various organizations whose membership comprises 
representatives of the medical fraternity. He belongs to the American ]Medi- 
cal Association, the State Medical Society and the Columbus Academy oi 
Medicine, and is a member of the faculty of the Ohio Medical University 
and a member of the staff of the Protestant Hospital. 

In 1889 Dr. Leach was united in marriage to Miss Florence Isl. Horn- 
beck, of Pickaway county, Ohio, and a daughter of Marvin Hornbeck. _ She 
died October 12, 1897, 'leaving one child, 'jane M. The Doctor is widely 
known as a prominent Mason, holding membership in Columbus Lodge. 
F. & A. M., in Garfield Chapter, No. 6, R. A. M., at Washington Court 
House, and the Ohio Consistory, in which he has attained the thirty-second 
degree of the Scottish Rite. He also belongs to Aladdin Temple of the 
Mystic Shrine. He is a man of strong mentality and keen discernment, 
qualities which are absolutely essential -to the successful physician.^ He has 
studied widely the questions which bear upon human diseases, their preven- 
tion and their cure, and added to his interest in scientific investigation is a 
sympathetic interest in his fellow men which -makes him a capable, strong and 
successful physician. 

CHARLES E. WORTHINGTON. 

Upon a farm which is the place of his birth Charles E. Worthington 
still resides. His natal day was May 12. 1869. His father, John Worth- 
ington, was also born on the old family homestead, Julv 3, 1843, and to a 
limited extent he attended the district schools. From the tmie he was old 
enough to work he aided his father in the development and cultivation of 
the fields, and through his entire business career he carried on agricultural 
pursuits. In earlv manhood he removed to the farm now owned by Clark 
Worthington, his 'brother. He was married on the 8th of March, 1868. m 
Jackson township. Franklin county, to Mrs. Caroline Titus, a widow, and the 
daughter of John England. She was born in Ohio, and proved to her hus- 
band a faithful companion and helpmeet on life's journey. After their mar- 
riage they returned to the old home place, where the father of our subject 



352 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was boTii and where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring on the 
3d of May, 1885, while his wife passed away on the 5th of May, 1900. She 
was a member and active worker of the United Brethren chirrch, and Mr. 
Worthington contributes liberally to the support of the church and lives an 
honorable Christian life, althoug'h not identified through membership with 
any religious denomination. In politics he was a Democrat, but not an office- 
seeker. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Worthington were born two children : Charles 
Edward, and Flora, now the widow of Edward Ralston. 

Charles E. Worthington, whose name introduces this review, first opened 
his eyes to> the light of day in the old log cabin which still stands upon the 
home farm. He pursued his education in the schools of Pisgah until about 
sixteen years of age, mostly attending through the winter seasons, while 
in the summer months be worked in the fields and meadows, aiding in the cul- 
tivation of the farm. After his marriage he took charge of the home farm 
of one hundred and twenty-four acres, and now energetically devotes his 
attention to the raising of the cereals best adapted to this climate and to the 
raising of stock. He possesses the true spirit of enterprise and progress, and 
his place is characterized by neatness and thrift. 

On the 2d of April, 1891, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Worth- 
ington and Miss Florence Demorest, who Avas born in Prairie township, 
Franklin county, April 19, 1870. She was reared in Galloway and attended 
school there until fourteen years of age, after which she was a student in the 
Reynold'sburg and other schools. When nineteen years of age she began 
teaching in Pleasant township, successfully following that profession for two 
years. She is a daughter of Milton and Virginia (Lavely) Demorest, who 
reside at Morgan Station. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Worthington has 
been blessed with three children : William Milton, Harold D. and Olive 
Lillian. Mr. Worthington exercises his right of franchise in support o^f 
the men and measures of the Democratic party, believing that the principles 
of that party contain the best elements of good government. Political pre- 
ferment has no attraction for him, his attention being given to his farming 
work. His methods are progressive and systematic and his work is diligently 
prosecuted, bringing to him a good living and a substantial competence. 

A. H. PACKARD. 

This well-known real-estate dealer of Columbus was born in Readfield, 
Maine, in 1837; and his parents, James and Sophronia (Clough) Packard, 
were also natives of the Pine Tree state. His father was a contractor and 
builder, following these pursuits for some time. His grandfather, Caleb 
Packard, was a native of the old Bay state, a son of Joshua Packard, a 
grandson of Abel Packard and a great-grandson of Zaccheus Packard'. 
Samuel Packard, who was the father of Zaccheus Packard, became the founder 
of the family in America, emigrating from Norfolk. England, to the new 
world in the year 1638. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Chase 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 353 

Clough, a native of New Hampshire, who married Betsey Taylor, and their 
daughter, Sophronia Cloug^i, was the mother of our subject. 

IMr. Packard', the subject proper of this brief sketch, spent his boyhood 
days in Maine, where he acquired a good common-school education, and 
later he pursued his studies in the home academy at Kent's Hill. After 
leaving school he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade, and on the 
completion of his term of service he came to Ohio, locating first in Delaware, 
Delaware county, where he followed carpentering until a change of employ- 
ment found him in the service of the Big Four Railroad Company, by which 
he was appointed foreman of the bridge-building department, having in charge 
the construction of bridges and depots, also superintending repairs along the 
line. On severing his connection wath the railroad service he went to Ten- 
nessee, where he had charge of a corps of men in bridge construction. In 
1883 he came to Columbus, where he has since resided and where he has 
been actively engaged in handling real estate and in building residences and 
business blocks, among w'hich may be mentioned Orton Hall. He is the 
owner of considerable valuable property in this city, and his business affairs 
are annually augmenting his income. 

In 1863 Mr. Packard was, united in marriage w^ith Miss Miranda Black, 
of Delaware county, Ohio, and a daughter of John Black. She was born 
in Indiana and when about ten years of age her parents died and she returned 
to Delaware county. Mr. Packard has two children, — Frank L. and Cora. 
The son is a skilled architect, and has drafted the plans of many of the finest 
business buildings and residences in the capital city. The daughter is now the 
wife of H. L. Rownd, who is in the enuploy of the Republic Steel & Iron 
Company, of Chicago, and is a son of Robert Rownd, a capitalist of Columbus. 

In his political views Mr. Packard has been a stalwart Republican ever 
since casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont. He has served 
for two terms as a county commissioner of Delaware county and for one term 
as a member of the city council of Delaware. Local advancement and public 
progress are both dear to his heart, and he withholds his support from no 
movement or measure calculated to prove of general good. 

JAMES LINDSEY. 

If a good name is valuable to a man during his lifetime, it is doubly 
valuable to his family after he has passed away. Those who looked to the 
late James Lindsey, of Hamilton township, Franklin county, for support 
and protection during his active years hare a right to be proud of the excel- 
lent reputation which he achieved and they regard it as their most priceless 
heritage. 

James Lindsey was born in Columbus. Ohio, Jul}- 19, 182 1. and died 
at his home on section 22, Hamilton township. June 25, 1885. He, was the 
third in order of birth of the three sons and three daughters of James and 
Mary (Barr) Lindsey, and his parents were of high social standing and 



354 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

prominent in the Presbyterian church. His father was a man of wealth, a 
banker and a stockholder in various prominent enterprises at Chambersburg, 
Pennsylvania, where he was born, reared and entered upon his active career. 
He came, a single man, to Franklin county, Ohio, and there married Mary 
Barr, daughter of John Barr, an early settler there. Their son, James Lind- 
sey, was educated in the common schools and reared to farm work, but he 
demonstrated that he possessed unusual business ability and interested himself 
in stock raising to such an extent that he became known in New Yiork and 
Boston, where he often went in the interests of his business, as in Franklin 
county. In association with Dr. Clark, he in one year disposed of one hun- 
dred thousand dollars' worth of fine cattle. He carried on farmng on the 
same extensive scale, as will be apparent when it is stated that he at one time 
marketed fifteen thousand bushels of corn. With his home farm of three 
hundred acres he farmed also a tract of four hundred acres on the river, 
making an aggregate of seven hundred acres. 

Mr. Lindsey was in every sense of the word a self-made man, for he 
was only twelve years old when his father died and was obliged to begin the 
battle of life at that tender age. He was reared a Presbyterian, but in time 
became a Methodist, in which faith he died. Previous to 1856 he was a 
Whig, but in that year he became one of the original members of the Repub- 
lican party and voted for John C. Fremont, its first nominee for the presi- 
dency. Four years later he voted for Abraham Lincoln, and he voted for 
every subsequent Republican presidential nominee until his death. In recog- 
nition of his splendid business ability he was frequently importuned to devote 
it to public interests, but he was too busy with his private affairs to entertain 
such a proposition and persistently refused to be a candidate for any office. 
At the same time he was an active wo'rker for the success of his party, and 
was often influential in placnig his friends in offices they desired. ' He was 
among the largest employers of labor in Firanklin county in his time, and 
was liberal and helpful to all who served him faithfully. As an Odd Fellow 
he was well known. 

Ann Elizabeth (Wright) Lindsey, widow of James Lindsey, was born 
in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, May 12, 1823, a daughter of Thomas 
and Elizabeth (Watt) Wright. Her father was born near Baltimore, Mary- 
land, and was educated in the schools near his childhood home. His parents 
died when he was very young, and he went to Pennsylvania, and w^as mar- 
ried at Strasburg, Lancaster county, that state, where he became a farmer 
and the owner of two hundred acres of valuable Pennsylvania land: There 
Thomas and Elizabeth (Watt) Wright had seven children. They came 
to Ohio in 183 1 and settled in Hamilton township, Franklin county, where 
the youngest child was born. Their children, mentioned in the order of 
birth, were as follows : John, of Logan county, Ohio, now deceased ; Martha, 
also deceased; Charlotte, who is now Mrs. Lockard Ramsey; Mrs. Lindsey; 
Margaret, who married Philo Watkins and is now deceased; Isabelle S., who 
married William Riley; and Mary, who is the widow of Gibson Barr, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 355 

lives in Franklin township, Franklin county. Mrs. Linclsey, who was the 
third daughter and fourth child of her parents, was seven years of age when 
they brought her to Franklin county, where she and Mr. Lindsey attended 
the same schools and were in the same classes. They were married August 
29, 1844, by the Rev. Josiah Smith, founder of the Westminster church of 
Columbus, Ohio, and about one hundred guests attended their wedding. 

Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Airs. Lindsey settled "on 
their farm on section 22, in Hamilton township, where she has lived for 
fifty-seven years. Six children were born to them, two of whom died in 
infancy. The others were named as follows, in the order of their nativity : 
Ellen is the wadow of Dr. G. S. Stein, and she and her daughter Gertrude 
are members of Mrs. Lindsey's household. Frank has the active manage- 
ment of the home farm. Thomas is now deceased. Lucien is a lawyer. 
Mrs. Lindsey is a remarkably well-preserved woman for her years, and is a 
business woman of unusual ability. She was in early life a Presbyterian, 
but is now a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. She is a woman 
of much culture and has traveled much throughout the United States, having 
accompanied her late husband on many of his business trips through the east 
and on numerous journeys for pleasure and recreation to different parts of 
the country. 

W. DALLAS HOYER, M. D. 

Among the younger representatives of the medical fraternity in Colum- 
bus is Dr. W. Dallas Hoyer, yet his years seem no bar to his advancement, 
for he is already enjoying a large practice and his patronage is steadily in- 
creasing. He is a native of Holmes county, Ohio, his birth having occurred 
at Millersburg. His father, W. E. Hoyer, was for many years a successful 
educator, acting as the principal of several schools of Holmes county. He 
married Miss Amanda F. Harris, a native of Ohio-, reared and educated in 
Holmes county, where she gave her hand in marriage to Professor Hoyer. 
The Hoyers are of Holland lineage, the ancestors of the family in America 
having come directly to this country from the land of dikes. The paternal 
grandfather of our subject, B. E. Hoyer, became one of the pioneer settlers 
of Holmes county, Ohio. 

The Doctor acquired a good common-school education in his early youth 
and in 1890 became a student in the Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, 
and later he determined to make the practice of medicine his life work. His 
preliminary reading was supplemented in 1894 by a course in the Ohio Med- 
ical University, in which he w^as graduated in 1900. After his graduation he 
began practice in Columbus and is now well established in his profession. 
He is the district physician of the thirteenth and fourteenth wards and is a 
young man of ability, whose knowledge of medicine is comprehensive and 
whose skill is indicated by the successful results which attend his efforts. In 
1897 the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Helen Monroe, of this city, 



356 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

a daugiiter of Peter and Magdalena (Schnider) Monroe. They have a 
acquaintance among the best people of Columbus and are cordially welcomed 
to their liomes. 

THOMAS N. GREGORY. 

Thomas N. Gregory, a well-to-do and prominent farmer of Franklin 
county, was born at Centerburg, Knox county, Ohio, on the i6th of July, 
1857. His father, Charles P. Gregory, was born in Berkshire township. 
Delaware county, Ohio, August 28, 1828, and is descended from old New 
England familiiss that through long years were connected with the develop- 
ment of that section of the country, for early representatives of both the pa- 
ternal and maternal ancestry had come to this country prior to the Revolu- 
tionary war. The paternal great-grandparents of our subject were Nathaniel 
and Hannah Gregory, who resided in the vicinity of Hartford, Connecticut. 
There in 1807 occurred the birth of their son, William Gregory, the grand- 
father of our subject, who was reared in that locality and there married 
Sophronia Hitchcock, the tenth and youngest daughter of Benjamin and 
Mary (Johnson) Hitchcock. The former wasf a son of Samuel Hitchcock, 
and it was Samuel Hitchcock or his father who came to this country in the 
]\Iayfiower and thus planted the family on American soil. 

Members of both families have been prominently connected with events 
that have aided in shaping the history of the nation. Benjamin Hitchcock 
(entered the American army at the time of the war for independence and 
served for seven years. When he went before \Vashington to be examined, 
the General asiked him his age. The young man replied that he could not 
lie about it, that he was oiily seventeen. Washi-ngton looked at him and 
smiled and then said : '*We will take you, for I see you have outgrowm your 
pantaloons." He was tall, angular and awkward and wore homespun 
clothes, but he made a good soldier and for seven years aided in the struggle 
for independence. Twice he was made a prisioiier of war, but on gaining 
his freedom again entered the army. Some of his brothers became famous 
ir letters and science and he had two sons who won fame. The family is a 
distinguished one and numbers many prominent men. Mrs. Sophronia 
(Hitchcock) Gregory was: the daughter of Mrs. Benjamin Hitchcock, whose 
maiden name was Piatt, and thus the father of our subject, Charles Piatt 
Gregory, is a grandnephew of Senator Piatt, of Connecticut, and bears the 
family name. He is also a second cousin of Grover Cleveland, and is related 
to the prominent Trowbrid'ge family of New Haven, Connecticut. His 
aunt Patty became the wife of a son of Elbridge Gerry, one of the signers 
of the Declaration! of Independence. 

As before stated. \A^illiam Gregory married Sophronia Hitchcock, who 
■was born in Bethleh-em. Litchfield county, Connecticut, in 1809, and was 
married at the age of eighteen years. The "blue laws" of Connecticut were 
in force during her girlhood. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and 
Mrs. Gregory came to Ohio, making the journey in a wagon across the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 357 

country and taking up their residence in Berkshire township, Delaware county. 
Other m'smbers of the family, on both sides', soon afterward came to the 
Buckeye state. The grandfather developed a farm and continued to carry 
on agricultural pursuits until his death. He passed away in 1841, leaving 
three children. Charles P., Mary and Elvira. The mother afterward mar- 
ried again and had a daughter, Mrs. Martha Wintermute, who is living near 
Newark, Ohio. Mrs. Gregory died when about eighty-one years of age. 

Charlesi Piatt Gregory was about six years of age when his parents sold 
their farm in Delaware county and removed to Licking county, where a settle- 
ment was mad'e in the midst of the green forest, the grandfather there de- 
veloping a farm, upon which the family remained for eleven years. That 
place was then sold and they removed to the town of Granville, where Will- 
iam Gregory died in February, 1841, after which the widow and her chil- 
dren returned to Berkshire, Delaware county, where Charles P. Gregory was 
bound out to learn the harness-rnaker's trade. When his term of apprentice- 
ship was: completed he removed to Knox county, Ohio, and was employed 
by a harness-maker in Centerburg. While there he formed the acquaintance 
of Rebecca Williams and they were married. The lady was born in Hunt- 
ingdon county, Pennsylvania, and when about nine vears of age accompanied 
her parents on their removal to Knox county, Ohio. She was a daughter 
of Thomas, and Hannah (Black) Williams, the latter a member of the well- 
known Black family of the Keystone state. Charles P. Gregory and Re- 
becca Williams were married about 1850, and began their domestic hfe in 
Centerburg, where he followed the wagon-making trade, also the business 
of making gims, until the great war of 1861-5. He enlisted in a company 
made up at Centerburg and engaged in the military service of his country 
till the close of that struggle. Returning from the war, he removed to 
Mount Vernon, where he was employed at the C. & G. Cooper machine shop, 
where he still continues;. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gregory were born three children : Sophia, who 
was born May 15, 1853, and died on the 3d of August of that year; William, 
who was born September 21, 1854, and married Lydia Berkholder, their 
home being now in Mount Vernon, Ohio; and Thomas N., of this review. 
The mother passed away at Mount Vernon, July 14, 1890, her remains being 
interred at Richill, but the father is still living. 

In taking up the personal history of Thomasi N. Gregory we present the 
life record of one who has a wide acquaintance and is well known as a rep- 
resentative agriculturist of Franklin county. He remained in Centerburg 
luitil five years of age and began his education there. The familv then re- 
moved to Mt. Vernon, Knox county, where he attended the public schools 
until sixteen years of age. On the expiration of that period he began work 
as a brakeman on the Cleveland, Mount Vernon & Columl)us Railroad, 
following that pursuit until 1878. After his marriage he took up his abode 
in ]\Iount Vernon, where he continued for a year. In 1878 he located upon 
his present farm, comprising one hundred and fifteen acres. For twelve 



358 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

years he followed railroading. He acted as fireman on the road mentioned 
for three years and was yard master at Mount Vernon for six months. He 
mow devotes his time and energies to agricultural pursuits, and has a well- 
developed farm, the highly cultivated fields yielding to him a rich return. 

On the 29th of November, 1877, Mr. Gregory was united in marriage 
to Miss America L. Henderson, who was born in Pleasant township, Frank- 
lin county, March 15, 1858, and is a daughter of Henry T. Anderson. 
When a maiden of eight summers she accompanied her parents to Wester- 
ville, Ohio, and acquired her education in the schools of Pleasant township 
and of Westerville. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Gregory has been blessed 
with two children' — C. Frederick and Harry H. Mr. Gregory is an active 
member of the United Brethren church of Galloway, and is serving as one of 
its trustees. In politics he is a stanch Republican and keeps w^ell informed 
on the issues of the day, but has never sought or desired office, his time being 
fully occupied with his business cares. He now successfully follows agri- 
cultural pursuits and upom his place are found all modern accessories and 
conveniences, giving evidence of the progressive and enterprising spirit of 
the owner. 

WILLIAM B. AND ELDON F. SMITH. 

Progress is to-day the keynote of the world's history, and America is 
certainly the exponent of the spirit of the age. Along all lines which may 
be classified as utilitarian her advancement has been most marked, leading 
all other nations. To be actively identified with this great movement is to 
gain a place in the history of the country that is indeed desirable. In con- 
nection with the great department of agriculture, especially in stock-raising 
interests, the gentlemen whose names head this sketch, William Brown and 
Eldon F. Smith, father and son, have become widely known. They have 
a reputation throughout the country as breeders of Holstein cattle and have 
been the owners and produced some of the best cattle registered in America. 
They have indeed become leaders in this line, and through the prosecution 
of their individual business interests have largely contributed to the pros- 
perity of stock-raisiers by improving the grade of cattle and thus raising 
the value of stock. 

William B. Smith is a native of Athens county, Ohio, born in 1828, and 
is a representative of an old Virginia family, his father, Wjilliam Smith, 
having emigrated from the Old Dominion and cast in his lot with the pioneer 
settlers of Athens county when that region was first opening up to civilization, 
about the year 1800. He took up two hundred acres of land from the gov- 
ernment and became a prominent agriculturist. William B. Smith was 
reared amid the wild scenes of the frontier and early became familiar with 
the labors of field and garden, assisting in the cultivation of the land from 
the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested in the autumn. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 359 

He continued to follow farming until 1882, when he began the breeding of 
Holstein cattle in connection with his son, 

William B. Smith married Miss Nancy A. Carpenter, a daughter of Rev. 
Jeremiah Carpenter, a Baptist minister of Meigs county, Ohio, whose parents 
came to the Buckeye state fi:om Virginia. He died about 1887. Eldon F. 
Smith, the son of William and Nancy Smith, was reared at his parental home 
and has always associated with his father in businessi. He married Jennie 
McBride, a daughter of William McBride, of Morrow county, who served in 
the Civil war as a member of an Indiana regiment, and is now a resident of 
Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have two interesting children, Frank and 
Edith, both students in school. He is a valued member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks', the Knights 
of Pythias and the Masonic order, in which he has taken the Scottish-rite 
degrees; but while Mr. Smith enjoys the friendship of many acquaintances 
in Columbus and vicinity, he' isi most widely known in connection with his 
business interests. 

In 1882 the father and son began stock raising on the Columbus state 
farm connected with the State Asylum for the Insane. They had made a 
specialty of the breeding of Holstein cattle and are now the owners of some of 
the finest specimens in the entire country. They own the celebrated bull Paul 
Dekol, the finest Holstein bull in America, and have others almost as valu- 
able, constituting what is widely known as "Ohio's famous herd." They sell 
only calves and ship their stock into fully half the states in the Union. They 
exhibit at the state fairs and for the last six years have won, on an average, 
ninety per cent, of prizes. At present the herd numbers one hundred and 
twenty. They milk sixty-six cows and supply two hundred gallons per day 
to the asylum, which has fourteen hundred patientsi and three hundred em- 
ployes. The farm is splendidly equipped for stock-raising purposes with 
large barns and milk houses, supplied with the latest improved facilities for 
caring for the dairy products. They have a splendid silo of three hundred 
and fifty tons, and the ensilage is all grown on the farm. Five men are em- 
ployed to look after the buildings and the stock, and everything is done in 
the most up-to-date and progressive manner. It is a well known fact, proven 
by statistics, that the Holstein cattle are the best milk and butter producers, 
and it is evident then that they are the best cattle for general use. 

William B. and Eldon F, Smith are both men of marked business ability, 
giving close attention to their interests, and gaining through their industry, 
perseverance, capable management and honorable business methods most de- 
sirable and creditable success, 

EDWARD M. HELWAGEN. 

A prominent representative of the legal profession of the city of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, is Edward M, Helwagen, the subject of this sketch. He was 
born in Pickaway county, Ohio, February 23, 1872, and was a son of Edward 



36o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

F and Mary J. (Warner) Helwagen, the former being- a native of Germany, 
fvhP-P he was born May 30, 1840. He came to America m 1849 with his 
±nts Gotteib aLr^^^^ the family setthng at Williamsport, 

01 io where they resided until October, 1875, when they removed to Cirde- 
OhS, Mr Helwag-en removing to Columbus June 21, 1890. Hisi 



ville 



Our subject was reared and educated in Circleville until his eighteenth 
year and then engaged in clerking for several years Selecting the law as 
his pro ession, he^ntered the office of Paul Jones, of this city, and applied 
imself so well that he was admitted to the bar m 1894. . In 1898 he was, 
elected to be a justice of the peace and has been in office continua ly ever since 
An active Democrat, Mr. Helwagen has been prominently identified with 
his party. Socially he is connected with the Woodmen of the World and the 

^''^ The" marriage of our subject was celebrated February 12, 1896 to 
Miss Elizabeth Saner, of Columbus, and one daughter, Clara Lucil e has 
been born to them. Mrs,. Helwagen is a daughter of one of the old and 
prominent families of this city. 

HENRY BOHL. 

The insurance interests represented at Columbus, Ohio, involve, directly 
and indirectly, an almost incredible amount of capital and command the serv- 
ices of men whose ability and business experience fits them for any position, 
either in public or private life, to which they may be called. One of the 
most prominent representatives of this interest is Hon. Henry Bohl, the super- 
iutendent of agencies for Ohio and Indiana of the Prudential Life Insurance 
Company, who has held many responsible positions as insurance manager 
legidator and government official, and in all of them has acquitted himself 

with the greatest credit. x • -^i 1 ,v 

Mr Bohl was born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to America with his 
parents, Conrad and Catherine (Altvater) Bohl, when he was ten years old. 
The family settled in Washington county, Ohio, where they lived on a farm, 
near Marietta. In 1864 Mr. Bohl settled in Marietta himself, his parents 
remaining on the farm. Young Bohl received a good common-school edu- 
cation and began his insurance career in Marietta in 1869. Three years later 
ill health compelled him to go -south and he connected himself with a promi- 
nent insurance company at Atlanta. Georgia. In 1873 he was unanimous y 
elected as secretary of the Underwriters' Insurance Association of the boutn, 
which covered a territory embracing eleven states. Returning to Marietta, 
Ohio in 1874, he was in 187S elected to the Ohio legislature from Wash- 
ington county. He was elected to succeed himself in 1877. and he was again 
elected in 1883. It is worthy of note that the nomination was given him 
each time by acclamation. He was the chairman of the house committee on 
insurance for several years, and during the administration of Governor Hoad- 








HEHRY BOHL. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 361 

ley was the chairman of the house finance committee, the most important 
body in the legislature. He was also the secretary of the Ohio state Demo- 
cratic executive committee in the memorable state campaigns of 1884-5; ^^'^^ 
chairman of both the Democratic Ohio state central and executive commit- 
tees in 1886, and chairman of the Ohio state central committee in 1887, and 
in each instance he was elected by acclamation. Early in President Cleve- 
land's second administration Mr. Bohl was appointed United States marshal 
for the southern district of Ohio, and he served in that position during the 
Ohio miners' strikes and the Debs railway strike of 1894, with rare finesse 
and sagacity and upheld the laws with courage. In April, 1895, he resigned 
this office to accept his present position. In making mention of his retire- 
ment the press of the state almost without exception expressed regret at the- 
step he had taken and referred in terms of the highest praise to his integrity 
and faithfulness in office. The Enquirer, Commercial Gazette, Times Star 
and Tribune of Cincinnati and the German press of the same city and of the 
state generally, as well as the English papers, were unstinted in good words, 
and it was the unanimous opinion of Mr. Bohl's fellow townsmen that no- 
one better deserved them. 

In 1887 Mr. Bohl was appointed the receiver of the Second National 
Bank of Xenia, Ohio. His work there was so well appreciated that in 1893 
Hon. J. H. Eckels, the comptroller of currency, tendered him the receiver- 
ship of the Citizens' National Bank of Hillsboro, Ohio, which Mr. Bohl 
declined, with thanks. About this time he was appointed superintendent of 
agencies of the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company of Newark, New 
Jersey, and filled the position for five years, with much credit and success. 
Mr. Bohl had declined the position of receiver of the public money for Wyo- 
ming tendered him during President Cleveland's first administration, as well 
as an Indian agency and a chief-clerkship in the office of the department of 
the interior at Washington. In 1878 he was a prominent candidate for con- 
gress in this district and was strongly supported for the nomination in the 
convention through more than eighty ballots, until, the second day, he with- 
drew and General A. J. Warner was nominated. In 1880 the Democratic 
press brought him forward for the office of secretary of state, but he declined 
to be a candidate. In 1881 he was urged to be a candidate for the lieutenant- 
governorship and also for the senatorship in his district, but he declined to 
accept the nomination for either office. In 1884 many prominent Democrats 
of his district again insisted on nominating him for congress, and at a time 
when his nomination was deemed possible he withdrew from the field in the 
interest of harmony. For many years he was a stanch Democrat, but in 
1896, on the adoption of the Chicago platform of that year declaring for the 
free and unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio of sixteen to one, and other 
populistic ideas,, he left the party and has since affiliated with the Republicans, 
in whose councils he has been given a place of honor. During the campaign 
of 1896 he made speeches in favor of McKinley in Ohio, Indiana, and three in 
Chicago, Illinois. 



362 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

Since April i, 1895, Mr. Bohl has directed the affairs at Cohimbiis of 
the Prudential Life Insurance Company with characteristic ability and suc- 
cess. His public spirit is recognized by his fellow citizens of ah political 
parties, and he is one of the foremost to advocate any measure which he 
believes promises good to his city, county or state. In January, 1901, he 
w^as elected vice-president and director of the Columbus Savings & Trust 
Company, of Columbus, Ohio, it being the first bank in Columbus with a 
cash capital of five hundred thousand dollars. In March, 1901, he was also 
elected chairman of the legislative committee of the Columbus board of trade, 
it being one of the most important committees of this commercial body, wath 
a membership of over one thousand. 

From the Western Underwriter, of Chicago, of January 17, 1901, \yq 
quote the following: "Those who have watched the progress of the Pruden- 
tial in Ohio and Indiana cannot help but recognize the dominant personality 
behind the agency machinery in those two great life-insurance states. The 
dash and spirit, the system and wholesomeness manifest in the building up 
of this section of Gibraltar are largely due to the head and heart of Hon. 
Henry Bohl, superintendent of agencies for the territory named. Mr. Bohl 
has enthusiasm tracing every vein, and intelligence runs with it. His faculty 
to stimulate and to produce results is peculiarly fitted to agency guidance. 
Mr. Bohl is a widely known factor in Ohio politics, and his renunciation of 
Bryanism was a significant event in the Buckeye state. Owing to a constant 
drain on his physical resources in advancing his company's interests, Mr. Bohl 
has been in delicate health for weeks and not able to visit his field. His 
hundreds of friends will be glad to learn of his returning vitality and will 
wish him years of health and prosperity." 

In the spring of 1899 Mr. Bohl delivered a lecture on life insurance 
before the students of the Ohio State University, making clear the science 
and ethics of the subject. He was the first man to speak from a university 
or college rostrum in Ohio upon this subject. He suggested that this science 
be added to the department of economics in the university. The Daily Even- 
ing Dispatch of Columbus sees no good reason why other branches of insur- 
ance, especially fire insurance, should not be added. 

JOHN W. SLYH. 

John W. Slyh is one of the representative farmers and successful citizens 
of Franklin county and is numbered among its native sons, his birth having 
here occurred on the nth of March, 1844. He is a son of Jacob and Emeline 
(Lakin) Slyh, and a grandson of Mathias and Mary (Drill) Slyh, who 
became the founders of the family in Franklin county. The grandfather was 
born in Pennsylvania and was the son of Frederick Slyh, who was a native of 
Germany and became the progenitor of this branch of the family in America. 
He settled in Lancaster county Pennsylvania, about 1735, there residing 
until his death. His son Mathias subsequently took up his abode near Har- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 363 

per's Ferry, Virginia, and wedded Alary Drill, who was born September 8, 
1779, and was ot English birth. They made their home in tnat locality until 
their removal to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1829. He was an enterprising 
man and a most excellent citizen. In the Reformed church he held member- 
ship and died in that faith, February 6, 1843. His wife, Mary, died March 
17, 18 16. He had two sons, Mathias and Henry, the former born April 12, 
1765, and the latter in 1767. Henry came to Ohio in 18 10, locating in Pick- 
away county, whence he afterward removed to Madison county. Jacob Slyh, 
the father of our subject, was a son of Mathias Slyh. 

Jacob Slyh was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, October 31, 
1798, and was married, July 31, 1828, to Emeline Lakin, who was born in 
Westmoreland county, Maryland, April 27, 1801. The following September, 
accompanied by his wife, he came to Franklin county, Ohio, and spent the 
succeeding winter in Columbus, which was then a frontier village. In the 
spring he purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land of which only a 
few acres had been cleared and on which there was a small log cabin. His 
capital was limited. He had about six hundred dollars, yet this was con- 
sidered quite a sum of money in those days. For his land he paid eight dol- 
lars per acre. At that time he could have purchased the property 
which is now the site of the Union depot in Columbus for six dollars 
per acre, but the tract was low and wet and heavily timbered, and 
he decided that it would be a better investment to buy land four miles 
away at the higher price of ten dollars per acre. Upon the farm 
which he purchased he lived until 1850, when he bought another farm 
in the same township, and taking up his abode thereon made it his place of 
residence until his death, which occurred March 31. 1887. He was a mem- 
ber of the Episcopal church for nearly fifty years, living a consistent Christian 
life and was a generous supporter of the church. 

Soon after coming to Franklin county he was elected justice of the 
peace, but in that office he never tried a suit, always endeavoring to have the 
contending parties settle their difficulties by arbitration without resorting to 
the law. He was nominated by the Democratic party for irepresentative in 
1848, but as the Democracy was in the minority he was defeated. He was 
elected to the office of county commissioner in 1850 and served in that 
capacity for two terms in a very capable manner. He was again elected to 
the same office in 1862, discharging his duties with credit to himself and 
satisfaction to his constituents. A liberal and broad-minded man, well 
informed on the questions of the day, he gave his support to all measures 
which he believed would prove o>f public benefit along the social, material, 
intellectual and moral line. He donated a building site for the Episcopal 
church in Clinton township, and in connection with John Kenney erected the 
house of worship. It was called the Union church from the fact that ]\Ir. 
Kenney was of the Reformed faith, both denominations using the church, 
holding their services on alternate Sundays. Mr. Slyh was a very industrious 
man and won success in his undertakings. He cleared the farm himself with 



364 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the aid of his sons and at his death he left seventeen hundred acres of valu- 
able land in Franklin county, besides considerable city property. During the 
war of 18 12 he used his teams in hauling army guns from Harper's Ferry to 
Baltimoire. One of these guns is now in the possession of John W. Slyh. 
His wife was born Apiril 27, 1801, and died June 6, 1886. She, too, was a 
member of the Episcopal church and a consistent Christian woman. 

Mr. and Mrs. Slyh celebrated their golden wedding at their home on the 
31st of July, 1878. The event was largely attended and there were present on 
that occasion two friends, Mrs. Cleggett and Mrs. Best, who witnessed their 
marriage fifty years before. Mr. and Mrs. Slyh were the parents of eight 
children, four sons and foiir daughters, namely : Daniel, who resides in Perry 
township; Jacob E., of Clinton township; Rebecca R., now the widow of 
Harrison Walcutt, of Columbus, Ohio; Henry, deceased; Mary E., the wife 
of Absalom Walcutt, of North Columbus; John \\., of Clinton township; 
Sirena Ann, the deceased wife of Harrison Walcutt; and Emoline O., who 
died in infancy. 

John W. Slyh, whose name forms the caption of this article, acquired 
his rudimentary education in the public schools, which was supplemented by 
a course in Gannbier and Worthington Colleges. He was early inured to the 
arduous task of develciping the farm from the wilderness and remained at 
home with his parents until his marriage which occurred August 22, 1867, 
Sarah M. Armstrong, a daughter of Samuel and Jane (Thompson) Arm- 
strong, becoming his wife. After his marriage they took up their abode upon 
the farm in Clinton township which is still their home. Her father was a son 
of Robert Armstrong, a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, born in 1795, After 
attaining his majority he came to America, settling in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, and a few years later he removed to Belmont county, Ohio, 
where he died in 1846. He had seven children, namely: James, William, 
John, Samuel, Robert, Thomas and Margaret; the last named is the wife of 
Thomas Thompson. All of the children came to Franklin county with the 
exception of James, who resided in or near Clarkson, Ohio, and all are now 
deceased. They were enterpirising, public-spirited and highly respected 
people. 

Samuel Armstrong was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Jane Thomp- 
son, and on coming to Ohio located in Belmont county, whence he removed 
to Perry township, Franklin county, settling on a farm west of Worthington 
which he purchased. On this farm he resided until his death. He and his 
wife were exem.plary members of the Presbyterian church of Worthington, 
in which he served for many years as an elder. Unto them were born ten 
children, namely: Elizabeth H., the wife of W^atson Tripp, of Hilliard', 
Ohio; Rose A., the deceased wife of William Martin; ]\Iargaret J., the widow 
of Montgomery Starrett, of Columbus ; Robert and Thomas, both deceased ; 
Sarah M., the wife of our subject; William T., who married Frances King, 
of Columbus; Mary A., the wife of Samuel Webb, of that city; and Llewellyn, 
who married Flora Cook and resides in Clinton township. Mr. Armstrong* 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3^5 

died orr his homestead farm in Perry township, January 29, 1881, at the age 
of seventy-two years, and his wife passed away June 6, 1883, at the age of 
sixty-eight years. 

Unto J\lr. and Mrs. Slyh were born five children: Charles R., who mar- 
ried Gertrude Johnson; Emma R., the wife of Louis Gooding, of Columbus; 
Edwin M., who wedded Alice INI. Legg; Harry L. and Chester L. Mr. 
Slyh holds membership in the Episcopalian church and his wife in the Con- 
gregational church, of North Columbus, of which the children are also mem- 
bers. The family have a very pleasant home in the midst of a valuable farm 
of two hundred and eighty acres, which is owned and operated by John W. 
Slyh, and is one of the desirable properties in Clinton township. He is a 
progressive and enterprising agriculturist and his success is attributable en- 
tirely to hisi own efforts. He has been identified with the office of township 
trustee for nineteen years and is the present incumbent. He was also town- 
ship treasurer for eight years. In politics he is a Democrat and socially 
he is connected with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to New England 
Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., of Worthington, while in the Scottish rite he has 
attained the thirty-second degree. 

Mrs. CATHERINE KRAUSS. 

Mrs. Catherine Krauss was for many years one of the most prominent 
ladies in the city of Columbus, a well-known representative of business in- 
terests and a leader in charitable and benevolent work. She was born in 
France and bore the maiden name of Catherine Leib. In 1826 she crossed 
the Atlantic to the new world and made her way direct to Columbus, where 
soon after her arrival she was united in marriage to George Krauss. Her 
husband owned and was landlord of the Eagle Hotel, wherein he operated 
the first bakery in the city, and he was even more widely known as a French 
baker than as 'the host of the hotel. In this hotel was located the first public 
hall in the city, and there were held the magnificent military balls' which 
graced the early days at the capital. There also the old-time military com- 
panics had their headquarters and held their weekly drills. Mr. Krauss died 
in 1850, at the age of sixty-five years, and Mrs. Krauss afterward pur- 
chased the Canal Hotel, located on' what is now South Canal street and at 
that time in the heart of the business district. She always had a great at- 
tachment for her old home, and, although changes were wrouglit in the city 
so that the residence district was moved elsewhere, she continued at the old 
homestead until the time of her death. 

Mrs. Krauss w-as most active and influential in benevolent work, and the 
record of her charities forms a bright page in the history of Columbus. 
When in the early days Columbus felt the need of and sought to estalilish an 
infirmary, Mr. and Mrs. Krauss gave the necessary land and the infirmary 
was built. It was later removed and the site used by the citv whereon to 
erect the present Beck Street school building. The means of this worthy 



366 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

couple were freely used to advance the public interest along tbs line of ma- 
terial, social, intellectual and moral welfare, and they never withheld their 
support and aid whenever opportunity was offered to relieve want or distress. 
The great cholera scourge and again the epidemic of small-pox, which raged 
in Columbus in the years gone by, were two occasions which demonstrated 
the nobleness of the nature of Mrs. Krauss. Though possessed of sufficient 
means to enable her to remove her family beyond the reach of danger, she 
refused to- go, and, seemingly devoid of any fear of contagion, she put her 
soul into the work of caring for those from whom all others had fled in fear, 
and, as the older physicians well say, she was an angel of mercy. This great 
element of the religion of humanity actuated her every-day life until withm 
the last few weeks, when her eyes became dimmed and the feet, which were 
always ready to go where others could be made happy, could no longer travel. 
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Krauss was blessed with ten children, 
five of whom still survive her, namely: Martin, a resident of Kansas City; 
Christian, who is living near North Lewisburg, Ohio; Mrs. Frederick For- 
nof, Sr., Mrs. Edward Fisher; and Mrs. Jonathan Dent, who reside in Cali- 
fornia. The other daughters are all living in this city. Mrs. Krauss con- 
tinued at the old home she so truly loved until called to the home beyond, 
April 25, 1898, after seventy-two years' residence in Coilumbus. "Her chil- 
dren rise up and call her blessed," and her memory remains as a grateful 
benediction and inspiration to all who knew her. 

SEBASTIAN B. BIGGERT. 

The agricultural interests of Prairie township are well represented by 
Sebastian Byron Biggert. The family name was formerly spelled without 
the final "t." John Bigger, the grandfather of our subject, was bom in 
Ireland, and on leaving the Emerald Isle crossed the Atlantic to the new 
world, taking up his abode in Pennsylvania, where be was married. Sub- 
sequently he came to Obio and settled on the banks of the Big Darby, two 
miles south of Georgesville, in Pleasant township, Franklin county. He 
had two hundred and twenty acres of land, all wild and unimproved, for the 
country was in its primitive condition, and his nearest neighbor was at Har- 
risburg. He took an active part in the pioneer development of this section 
of the state, and died upon his old homestead in 18 18. 

Samuel Biggert, the father of our subject, was born on the old home- 
stead farm there September 22, 1809, and was reared to manhood under the 
parental roof. He attended the district schools to a limited extent, for the 
schoolhouse was some distance from his home and his labors were needed 
upon the home farm. During his boyhood he engaged in hunting wild game, 
which was then quite numerous. Indians would frequently camp upon the 
home farm and there was little promise of progress and improvement in the 
mear future. Mr. Biggert remained at home until his marriage, which oc- 
curred on the 6th of May, 1834, Miss INIary Roberts becoming his wife. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1^7 

She was born December 6, 1816, on the banks of Little Darby, in Madi- 
son county, Ohio, a daughter of Thomafe' Roberts, who was born in Berkeley, 
county, West Virginia, in 1774. With his wife, Mrs. Susan Roberts, he 
came to Ohio, locating in Pleasant township, Franklin county, and his death 
occurred at West Jefferson, Madison county, September 30, 1864, his wife 
passing away on the 18th of the same month. After their marriage Samuel 
and Mary Biggert took up their abode about three-quarters of a mile from 
the homestead farm on which he had been reared. Later they removed to 
Georgesville, where at one time the father owned more than seventeen hun- 
dred acres of land, a part o^f which was in Madison county. In his political 
affiliations he was a Whig, but from the time of the war was a Democrat. 
His death occurred on the old homestead, June 28, 1888, and his wife, who 
was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, passed away 
April 2, 1896. Their children were as follows: Martha, born May 25, 
1835, married Beckwith Nolan ALirch 5, 1856. and died m Madison county, 
Ohio', June 13, 1900; ALatilda ^^L'lrian, born July 14. 1837. was married ^Lirch 
5, 1856, to WilHam Fitzgerald and died in Madison county February 22, 
1863; Susan E., born Mav 20, 1839, was married SeptemDer 2. 1858, to 
Joseph Gardner, and died August 22, 1895, in Madison county; Thomas K, 
born November 5, 1840, was married November 19, 1863, to .\laria Bennett 
and resides near Wriglitsville, Ohio; John, born November 28, 1841, died in 
infancy; Samuel, born September 13, 1843, died October 20, i860; ^^lar- 
g-aret Ann, born July 30, 1846, died January 30, 1888; John R., born August 
30, 1848, w^as married January 27, 1881, to Mrs. Jennie Percy and resides 
at Georgesville; Sebastian B. is the next of the family; Mary S., born SeiD- 
tember 21, 1852, was married March 20, 1878, to Joseph Johnson, of Madi- 
son county; William S., born September 28, 1854, died April 13, 1871 ; Char- 
lotte, born September 7, 1857, was married October 21, 1880, to Lrther 
Johnson, and their home is also in Madison county ; and Frank, born ^Lirch 
3, 1862,' was married April 14, 1885, to Ella Nash and resides in the same 
countv. 

Sebastian B. Biggert, whose name introduces this record, was born 
on the home farm at Georgesville, July 2, 1850, and was educated in the 
district schools, pursuing his studies during the winter terms until twenty 
years of age. In the summer months he was frequently kept at home to assist 
in the work of the farm. He aided in clearing and developing the landand 
early became familiar with the duties and labors which fall to the lot of the 
agriculturist. His school life began rather unfavorably. His first teacher 
Avas David Merriman, to whom he went one day. On that day he received 
a whipping with a rod and refused to go again. However, under other in- 
structors he continued his mental training, and experience m the practical 
affairs of life, together with his reading and observation, has made him a 
well-informed man. He remained at home until his marriage, which was 
celebrated March 12. 1872, Miss Marv A\'ignel becoming his wife. 

Mr. and Airs. Biggert began their domestic life upon the fanii whichi 



368 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

is yet their home, Hving- in a log cabin of two rooms, to which a third room' 
was afterward added. His capital was small and his farm comprised one 
hundred and twenty acres, only fifty acres of which had been cleared. He 
3ias cleared the remainder, fenced and tiled the place, erected a commodious 
brick residence about 1882 and has added to his farm all modern accessories 
and improvements. It is now a very desirable and valuable place. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bigg-ert have been born five children : Mary Susan, 
born January 5, 1873; Samuel Thomas, born August 31, 1874; Rebecca Jo- 
sephine, born September 8, 1876, and died at the age of eighteen years; 
Sebastian, who was born October 14, 1878, and was married September 12, 
1900, to Tracy Grossman, their home being now in Galloway; and Blanche 
Olive, who was born April 10, 1889. Mr. Biggert has always taken an ac- 
tive interest in politics and has ever adhered to Democratic principles. He 
has served for many years as school director, was trustee of his township 
for three years and for four terms served as township treasurer. In 1892 
he was elected county commissioner for one term, and in all these positions 
he has discharged his duties with promptness and fidelity, thus winning the 
high commendation of his constituents. 

JAMES S. BRITTON. 

The population of the city of Columbus, Ohio, contains among its cit- 
izens miany men of means who have settled here in comparative retirement, 
after an active life upon the farm. Among those of this class is the highly 
respected subject of the present sketch, whose residence in Columbus dates 
from 1884. Mrs. Britton was born in Norwich township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, October 20, 1822. His parents were Ben j amine and Eliza- 
beth Grace Britton, the former a native of Frederick county, Virginia, 
bors September 14, 1779. Soon after marriage, in 181 1, he removed 
to Norwich township, becoming a farmer on the west bank of the 
Scioto river in Ohio, and remained in that locality until his decease. He was 
a good man, a minister of the Christian church, devoting fifty-one years to 
the preaching of the gospel, riding a circuit in pioneer days. He died Sep- 
tember 26, i860. The mother of our subject was born in Rockingham 
county, Virginia, January 20, 1780, and died March 26, 1846. Her father 
was a native of Ireland, but the paternal ancestors came from England, first 
settling in Pennsylvania. 

James S. Britton spent his boyhood on the farm in Norwich township, 
for a short time receiving instruction in a subscription school, later attending 
a private school, where he received a fair education. He reimained with his 
father on the farm, until t^he time of his marriage, after which he settled on a 
farm in Norwich townshi^^, near Hilliard, where he engaged in farming* 
amtil i860. At that time he removed to Hilliard and opened a general store. 
Mr. Britton made a success of this undertaking, conducting the store in con- 
nection with farming, and dealing in hogs and cattle. In 1884 he disposed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3^9 

of his store, but retained the farm and reino\-ed to the city of Cohimbus, 
Ohio, where he has since resided. 

The first marriage of Mr. Britton was to Miss Vn-gnua baunders, a 
daughter of Miskell Saunders, of Frankhn township, her death occurrmg m 
February, 1896. She was a devoted Christian woman, beloved by all. Mr. 
Britton was married, a second time, to Miss Melvilta Barbee, an accomplished, 
cultured lady, a daughter of James Barbee, of Franklin county. 

In his political opinions Mr. Britton has always been a Democrat and 
has always been a strong advocate of the prohibition of the hqu'cr traffic. 
He has never sought office, although he served one term as a justice of the 
peace For thirty years he has been a consistent nuember of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, where his many admirable traits of dharacter are recog- 
nized The beautiful home of the family, located in one of the best residence 
portions of the city, was erected fifteen years ago, and there Mr. and Mrs. 
Britton dehght to dispense a generous hospitality. 

Some years, ago Mr. Britton donated to the Ohio Wesleyan Ijmversity 
at Delaware a farm and the property where he resides, the whole value ot 
which is thirty thousand dollars, with the intention of endowing a chair in 
said university to be named for Mr. Britton, and conveyed the property to the 
university, reserving a life estate for himself and his wife in the residence 
property. This is only one of the many acts of benevolence by M;r. Britton 
known to the writer of this sketch. He has helped to educate a number ot 
young men and young women and contributed largely to the erection ot 
churches. 

EDWARD N. COBERLY. 

For almost two decades Edward Newton Coberly has been engaged in 
general merchandising in Georgesville, and is also proprietor of a well-im- 
proved farm in Pleasant township. He was born in Madison county, Ohio, 
on the 7th of August, 1853, but during his infancy was brought by his par- 
ents to Franklin county. The family is of English ancestry and was tound^ed 
in the new world at an early period of its development. The grandfather, 
William Coberly, was born in Virginia, was a farmer by occupation and on 
removing to Ohio located in either Ross or ^ladison county. \\ hen the 
war of 1812 was in progress he enlisted as. a private, but on reaching Frank- 
linton learned that peace had been declared. He was twice married and died 
in Madison countv, near Walnut Run. 1-1 1 r 

Wihiam Coberlv, the father of our suliject. was the youngest child of 
his father's first marriage. He was born in Madison county m 1823, Avas 
reared to farm life and pursued his education in the district schools, but his 
privileges in that direction were quite meager. His mother died when he 
was a child and he went to live witli an uncle. Job Coberly, in ^ladi-on 
county, with whom he remained until he attained man s estate. He married 
Margaret Gardner, who was born in Franklin county m 1827, a daughter of 



370 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Edward Tiffin and Sarah (Hall) Gardner, the latter born in Virginia in 1801. 
Mr. Gardner was connected with the family of Governor Tiffin. After his 
marriage the father of our subject resided for one year in Madison county 
and then came to Pleasant township, Franklin county, wliere he purchased 
a small farm east of Georgesville. He died February 4, 1890, but his wife 
is still living on the old homestead. Both held membership in the Methodist 
Episcopal church, and in politics he was a stanch Republican, unswerving 
in his support of the principles of the party. The children of this worthy 
couple were : EdKvard N. ; William Parker, who married Minnie Gardner 
and is living in Pleasant township; Sarah, who died at the age of six years; 
Margaret, who died in infancy; and Thomas W., who is upon the home place. 

In Pleasant township Edward Newton Coberly was reared, spending 
his youth upon the farm, and in the district schools acquired his education. 
As soon as old enough to follow the plow he began working in the fields, 
and from the time of early spring planting until crops were garnered in the 
autumn he aided in the work of cultivating and improving his father's land. 
His preparation for a home of his own was completed on the 26th of March, 
1878, by his marriage to Melissa Scott, of Pleasant township. She was born 
in the old town of Georgesville, January 19, 1853, a daughter of William and 
JN'Iartha (Upp) Scott. They now ha^•e two children. Edward D wight and 
Marie Hazel. The son is now attending the Ohio State University and the 
daughter is a student in the Columbus high school. 

After his marriage Mr. Coberly removed to Georgesville, where he en- 
gaged in teaching the district schools for ten years. He then turned his 
attention to merchandising and since 1882 has conducted his general store, 
carrying a large line of goods, for which he finds a ready sale, having a large 
patronage. He is also^ the owner of a farm of one hundred ten and three- 
Ifourths acres in Pleasant township, and is a dealer in coal. "Keep out of 
debt" has been his motto in business matters, and- he owes no mam he cannot 
pay on demand, and was never in a suit at law, either as plaintiff or defend- 
ant, and has never sent a collector to any patron of his store. His various 
business interests are well conducted, and his enterprising spirit enables him to 
carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. In politics he 
is a staunch Republican, and during President Garfield's administration he 
capably served as postmaster o'f Georgesville. During his long residence in 
the county he has formed a wide acquantance, and the fact that many who 
have known him from boyhood are numbered among his best friends is an 
indication that his career has ever been an upright one. 



HERMAN F. SCHIRNER. 

Prominent in the musical circles of Columbus is Herman Frederick 
Schirner. As his name indicates, he is a representative of that nation wliich 
has given to the world its finest musical compositi'ons. The love of music is 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 37i 

characteristic of the German people and is one of the dominating elements 
in its culture. Mr. Schirner of this review has done much to piromote the 
love of this great art and to improve the musical tastes of the people with 
whom he is associated as a resident of Ohio's capital city. 

A native of the duchy of Saxony, he was born near the home ot the re- 
nowned composer Liszt. Bach was a native of that locality, his birth having 
occurred at Weimar, and in the community resided many famous pupils who 
were instructed by Liszt. The Duke of Weimar encouraged musical education 
in that locality and made it one of the musical centers of the country. There 
the father of our subject engaged in merchandising, and Herman F. spent tne 
days of his boyhood and youth in that favorite locality, acquiring his_ educa- 
tion from private teachers, having the best masters. He continued in Ger- 
many until twenty-two years of age, when, in 1856, he bade adieu to friends 
and native land and crossed the Atlantic to America. The following year he 
accepted the position of professor of music in the Seminary of Worthmgton 
Franklin county, Ohio, and in i860 became the superintendent of the musical 
department in the Wesleyan Female College, at Delaware, where he remained 
for three years, also teaching German. In 1863 he began teaching music m 
Columbus and has since been a very prominent factor in the musical circles 
of this city. He spent the summer of 1875 in the Fatherland. It was his 
intention to sail on the steamer Schiller, which was lost off Scilly island. His 
brother and his wife and a friend were among the passengers on that ill- 
fated vessel, and had it not been for illness, which prevented his sailing, 
Professor Schirner would also have embarked on that steamer. He, how- 
ever, sailed on the next steamer and did not learn of the wreck until he had 
arrived in England. From' that country he made his way to his native land 
and pleasantly spent the summer amid the scenes of his boyhood, renewing 
old acquaintances with the friends of former years. Professor Schirner s 
great love of the "art divine" is one elaiient in his success as a teacher, and 
combined with this in his excellent ability to explain to his students the ele- 
ments and principles of music. For twenty-five years he has given his ser- 
vices gratuitously foT benevolent purposes, aiding in many concerts that 
have been given for charity, and he was specially helpful in this w^ay during 
the war, when entertainments were given for the purpose of raising funds 
for the benefit of the "boys in blue" at the front. 

Professor Schirner was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Schrader. 
a native of Columbus and a daughter of August Schrader, who for many 
years occupied a position in the city engineer's office as draftsman and archi- 
tect. He has been liberallv educated, enjoying the privileges of a course m 
the University at Berlin. His death occurred in 1893, when he had attained 
the age of eighty-two years. Three children have been born unto the Profes- 
sor and his wife, two sons and a daughter: Oliver E., who is employed in the 
Hayden Clinton Bank; Otto Herman, who is employed in the Deshler Bank; 
and Dorothea Almelia, who is in school. The family is one of prominence, 
occupving a leading position in social circles. Professor Schirner is a member 



372 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the! Humbolt Verein, the lea(hno- musical and Hterary society o£ Columbus, 
and for many years was a mennber of the Maennerchor. For three yeairs, 
from 1863 to 1866, he was the organist in the Second Presbyterian church 
and afterward served the Universalist church in that way. He now attends 
the services of the Independent church, and in politics he is somewhat inde- 
pendent, but usually votes with the Republican party. A man of scholarly 
attainments and ibroad culture, he has done much to improve the musical 
tastes of the city and to spread the knowledge of that art "which is the 
universal language of mankind." 

JONATHAN E. PARK. 

Jonathan E. Park is now living retired after long years of connection 
with the agricultural interests, his home being in New Albany. He is num- 
bered among the native sons of Franklin county, his birth having ^occurred in 
Blendon township, on the i8th of May, 1831, his parents being Ezekiel and 
Elizabeth (Crist) Park. His paternal grandfather was a soldier in the war 
of 1812. He went to the front and was probably killed in battle, for nothing 
was ever heard from him again. His widow then reared her children and 
about 1828 came with her family to Ohio, locating in Licking county, where 
she spent her remaining days. The father of our subject was born in Ken- 
tucky, in 1808, and during his early childhood his parents removed to Vir- 
ginia, settling in the Shenandoah valley. After his father's death he became 
the main stay of the fa'mily and in early life assumed the bmrden of caring for 
his mother and the younger children. After his mother's death he came to 
Franklin county and purchased ninety acres of land in Blendon towniship, 
constituting the farm now owned by Jonah Crist. It was then an uribroken 
forest tract, and, clearing away the trees, he built a log cabin and continued 
the further work of developing and improving his farm. He completed his 
arrangements for a home by his marriage and then provided for his family 
through his agricultural pursuits. He Tesided upon his pioneer farm until 
1845, when he went to Plain township to assume the management of a farm 
belonging to his father-in-law, Abraham Crist. He had married Eliza'beth 
Crist and unto them were born eleven children, namely: Jonathan E., Mary 
A., the wife of Levi Swickard, a farmer of Plain township; Samuel W.. 
an agriculturist of the same township; Abraham C, who follows farming 
in Mifflin township; Sarah J., now the widow of Jacdb Searfoss, of Plain 
township; Charlotte E., widow of Owen Nutt, and a resident of Genoa town- 
ship, Delaware county; William F., who follows farming in Blendon town- 
ship; David P., an agriculturist of Plain township; Amanda A., the wife of 
John Ogden, a blacksmith of Gahanna, Ohio; Saphrona E., who became the 
wife of Hosea Carpenter, a farmer of Plain township; and Caroline E., the 
widow of Martin Cubbage. a farmer of Blendon township. In 1863 the 
mother of this family died and later in the same year the father married 
Mrs. Henderson, with whom he removed to Harlem, Delaware eoimty. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 373 

She survived her marriage fifteen years, and after her death ]\Ir. Park 
returned to Plain township, FrankHn county, making his home with his son, 
vSamuel, on the old Crist farm. He lived to the age of eighty-three years 
and never, had occasion to employ a physician in his own behalf. He gave 
his political support to the Democracy and for many years was justice of 
peace in Delaware county. Connected with military affairs he served for 
years as captain of the state militia. He was a gentleman of commanding 
presence and was said to be among the strongest men ever in the county. 
He enjoyed the respect and regard of all with whom he was associated and was 
an active worker and licensed exhorter in the United Brethren church, doing 
all in his power to advance the cause of Christianity among his fellow men. 

Jonathan E. Park, whose name introduces this record, remained on the 
old fami4y homestead and became familiar with all the duties and labors 
of the agriculturist. His preliminary education, acquired in the public 
schools, was supplemented by study in Otterbein University, at Westerville. 
He was a member of the first class, w^as present at the founding of the 
school and carried a banner at the time of the fiftieth anniversary of its estab- 
lishment, held in Westerville, in. 1897. At that time he was the only man 
present who had witnessed the founding of the institution a half century 
before. 

On the 22d of September, 1853, Mr. Park was united in marragi to 
Miss Sarah J. Rex, of Summit county, Ohio, a daughter of Jacob Rex, a 
prominent agriculturist of that community. The young couple began their 
domestic life upon a portion of a farm in Plain township which he still owns 
and occupies, he and his father having purchased ninety acres of land some 
months previous. They divided the property, our subject becoming the owner 
of foriy-five acres, and about a year and a half later JMr. Park of this review 
purchased an adjoining thirty-acre tract of land on which was good build- 
ings and substantial improvements. He then took up his abode upon) the new 
place and resided there for a quarter of a century. He then purchased his 
present home farm and continued there until November, 1900, when he re- 
moved to New Albany, where he is now living a retired life. He had acquir- 
ed two hundred and forty acres of land, one hundred acres of which he has 
given and sold to his son, but retaining possession of one hundred and forty- 
four acres which is well improved and yields to him an excellent income. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Park have been born five children, of whom four are 
yet living, as follows: Lewis E., of this township; Augustus E., a commercial 
traveler of Columbus, Ohio; Lovett E., a practicing physician of Basil, Fair- 
field county, Ohio, whose reputation extends to many adjoining counties; 
Ida M., wife of H. G. Youngker, of Wayne county, Ohio; and Lucy A., de- 
ceased wife of John Frank Clymer. The mother of this family died January 
T, 1884, and the same year Mr. Park was joined in wedlock to Estella L. 
Kitsmiller, who had formerly been a Miss Carpenter. By this marriage there 
were two children, Maud E., at home, and William Jonathan, noAv deceased. 

Mr. Park is in sympathy with the temperance movement, believing in 



374 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 



closing- the liquor traffic, and he embodies his views on the question in his sup- 
port of the Prohibition party. He holds membership in the Radical United 
Brethren church, is one of its trustees and has been class leader, steward and 
secretary of the quarterly conference. He served for one term as trustee of 
liis township, but has not been an office seeker, preferring to devote his ener- 
gies to his own 'business affairs. He owes his success in life entirely to his 
own efforts and all that he has has been acquired through farming and stock 
raising. He began life empty-handed and through close attention to business, 
honorable methods and untiring perseverance he has advanced steadily to a 
position of affluence, 'being now numbered among the substantial citizens of 
his community. 

FERDINAND SIEGEL. 

The subject of this sketch is one of the leaders of the Democratic party 
in Columbus and vicinity, his large acquaintance and unbounded popularity 
giving him an influential following, while his shrewd judgment of men and 
affairs make his counsel of value in all important movements. In business 
affairs he also takes foremost rank as a successful lawyer, and is associated 
in practice with his brother, Frank A. 

Mr. Siegel was born in Troy, Ohio, in 1856, a son of Ferdinand Siegel, 
Sr., who was born in Baden Baden, Germany, in 1812, and as a boy was a 
friend of General Sigel, living only nine miles apart in their native land. 
The father of our subject was a student in both Eng-lish and German in the 
Lyoeiuii of his birthplace. Coming to the new world, he, in 1843, located 
in Troy, Ohio, where he made his home until locating on a farm in Putnam 
county, in i860, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1888. 
He took a great interest in local affairs, served as township trustee or several 
terms, and was a member of the school board for a quarter of a century. 
Politically he was a supporter of the Democratic party, and religiously was 
an earnest member of the Presbyterian church. In Dayton, Ohio, he mar- 
ried Miss Mayt Akre, also a native of Baden Baden, Germany, who died in 
1872, at the age of forty-nine years. 

The primary education of Ferdinand Siegel, Jr., was obtained in the pub- 
lic schools of Putnam county. Later he attended the Troy high school and 
Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating at the 
latter institution in 1875. He then successfully engaged in teaching school 
in Putnam county until 1880, when he came to Columbus and commenced the 
study of law with the firm of Collins & Atkinson. On his admission to the 
bar in 1882, he at once opened an office in Columbus, and has since success- 
fully engaged in general practice at that place. Here he was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Matilda Koch, a daughter of Peter and Jacobina S, (Becher) 
Koch, both natives of Germany. Her father died in October, 1899, aged 
eighty-nine years, her mother in 1893, aged sixty-nine. The latter was the 
oldest milliner in Columbus, having been in continuous business for forty 
years. Both were highly respected and esteemed by all who knew them. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 37 S 

Mr. and Mrs. Siegel have two children: IMargiierite, aged nine years; and 
Lester, aged five. 

As a Democrat Mr. Siegel has taken a very prominent part in political 
affairs, and as a speaker and writer in both English and German his influ- 
ence has been felt throughout the state. He has written much for the 
Democratic press on the money and tariff questions, and many of these ar- 
ticles have been copied and used by the national committee, including two 
addresses on the money question in 1896. Mr. Siegel is a thorough believer 
in the principles of bimetallism, and is the president of the Gold and Silver 
League of Central Ohio, one of the largest political organizations in the 
state. He has corresponded largely with most of the prominent senators, 
congressmen and public men, and stands deservedly high in political circles. 
He has never asked for office, however, but seeks to advise and move opinion 
as a private citizen. 

WILLIAM H. BARBEE. 

\Mlliam H. Barbee, deceased, through the years of his identification 
with Franklin county, enjoyed the highest respect of his fellow citizens by 
reason of his sterling worth, strict integrity and honorable dealings. His 
devotion to the public welfare also made him a valued factor in public life, 
and by his death the community was deprived of one of her best citizens. 

A native of this county, Mr. Barbee was borni in Jackson township, 
April 26, 1 841. His father, William Barbee, was born in Virginia, and 
when a small boy came to Franklin county, Ohio, where during the years of 
his manhood he followed the occupation of farming. He married Eliza 
Rowles, a native of Maryland, and to them were born eight children, six 
sons and two daughters, all born in Jackson township. 

Of this family William H. Barbee was the eldest son. He was reared 
to manhood in his native township, and the education he acquired in its pub- 
lic schools was supplemented by a course of study at Otterbein University. 
Llis school days over, he embarked in the stock business, which he followed 
many years, being one of the leading stock dealers of Grove City, where he 
made his home, and he also engaged in farming with good success. 

In Fairfield county, Ohio, Mr. Barbee was married, in 1864, to Miss 
Martha R. Leib, a native of that county and a daughter of Joseph and 
Clarissa (Allen) Leib. The father was also born in Fairfield county, and 
was a son of Joseph Leib, Sr., who on coming to this state from Pennsylvania 
at an early day located there. Her mother was a descendant of Ethan Allen, 
of Revolutionary fame. She was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, and was 
a daughter of Levi Allen, who located in Muskingum county at an early day 
and followed the occupation of farming. Mrs. Barbee is the seventh in order 
of birth in a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters, all of 
whom reached years of maturity. She was reared in the county of her na- 
tivity and was fitted for the teacher's profession in the schools of Lancaster, 



376 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

after which she successfully engaged in teachiug in the schools of Fairfield 
and Perry counties for three years. With the exception of a few years spent 
in Columbus, she has made her home in Grove City since her marriage, and 
here she is surrounded by a large circle of friends and acquaintances who 
have for her the highest regard. To Mr. and Mrs. Barbee were born two 
daughters: Clara Eliza, the elder, is now the wife of E. C. Wagner, of 
Grove City. Annabel is the widow of Dr. Frank Obets and has a little 
daughter, Frances Ruth. Dr. Obets was born in this county, and was edu- 
cated for his profession at the Starling Medical College, Columbus, and also 
at other schools. He became a prominent physician of Columbus, where he 
was successfully engaged in practice for some years. 

The Republican party always found in Mr. Barbee a stanch supporter 
of its principles, and he did all within his power to advance its interests. He 
was the second Republican chosen as sheriff of Franklin county, being elected 
to that office in 1886, ;and wdien renominated was defeated only by a small 
majority. When elected to that office he retired from active business, having 
already secured a comfortable competence, which enabled him to lay aside 
all business cares. He was a charter member of the Odd Fellows Lodge at 
Grove City, in which he filled all the offices, and was widely and favorably 
known throughout the county where his entire life was passed. He died 
June I, 1897, and was laid to rest in Green Lawn cemetery by the fraternity 
to which he belonged. He was considered one of the best sheriffs of the 
county, and was a man of the highest respectability, who kft a large circle 
of friends to mourn his loss asi well as his immediate family. 

CHARLES RIEBEL. ' 

This well-known resident of Grove City is one of the self-made men of 
"Franklin county, whose early life was devoted mainly to farming, and who 
has acquired a handsome competence which now enables him to lay aside all 
business cares and live retired. As a young man of seventeen years he came 
to America, and with no capital started out in a strange land to overcome the 
difficulties and obstacles in the path to prosperity. His youthful dreams have 
been realized, and in their happy fulfillment he sees the fitting reward of his 
earnest toil. 

Mr. Riebel was born in Ranis, Germany. March 9, 1836, and after leav- 
ing school, at the age of fourteen, he devoted the following three years to 
learning the butcher's trade in his native land. He then crossed the Atlantic 
and came direct to Columbus, Ohio, beginning work at once in the stone quar- 
ries of this place, getting out stone for the state-house. He followed that 
occupation for four months, and then commenced work on the farm of John 
Stimmel, at thirteen dollars per month, being employed in that way for four 
years. 

On the 9th of March, 1857. Mr. Riebel was united in marriage with 
Miss Caroline Hemsline, who was also born in Saalfclt, German v, ]\Iarch 




HR. AHD MRS. CHARLES RIEBEL. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 177 

9, 1835, and at the age of eighteen emigrated to the new world, locating in 
Columbus. They have become the parents of six children, all born in Frank- 
lin county, namely : Paulina, iiDw the wife of Charles Ballard ; Charlie, who 
married Emma Groul; Lewis, who married Amelia Emmelhinse; Mary, wife 
of Henry Emmelhinse; Minnie, wife of Jack Gresley; and William, who 
married Kate Hentzel. 

The first year after his marriage ]\Ir. Riebel rented the Stimmel farm 
and engaged in general farming, and then lived for a year each on the farms 
belonging to Jesse Cartright and John Young. The following year he worked . 
in the sawmill of George Simmler, and then leased the Henry Henderson 
farm in Pleasant township for five years. During the fifth year he entered 
the seryice of his adopted country, enlisting in 1865, in Company C, One 
Hundred and Ninety-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close 
of the war. In the fall of that year he purchased one hundred acres of land 
in Pleasant township, upon which he made his home until he retired from 
active farming in 1899 and removed to Grove City. Success attended his 
well-directed efforts, for he was an enterprising and industrious farmer as 
well as a man of good business ability, and he added to his landed possessions 
from time to time. Four years after locating upon his farm he bought fifty 
acres, later purchased a tract of seventy-five acres; next bought the Miller 
farm of two hundred and twenty-one acres, and in 1895 purchased one hun- 
dred and twenty-five acres, making in all five hundred and seventy-one acres, 
which he has since given to his children on specified conditions. In his labors 
Mr. Riebel has ahvays been ably assisted by his estimable wife, who has. 
proved to him a true helpmeet, aiding him in every possible way. He deserves, 
great credit for the success that he has achieved in life, and well merits the 
confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens. Politically he is a standi 
Republican and served as trustee of Pleasant township two yearsi and school 
director for some time. His wife is a member of the Lutheran church, to 
which he has been a liberal contributor. 

ALVIN MONROE SHOEMAKER. 

Among the active and prominent citizens of Columbus who are factors in 
public affairs at this time there are few more conspicuous or more popular 
than the alderman named above, who represents the north end of the city in 
the: city council. Mr. Shoemaker was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 
1854, a son of Joseph and Susan (Fenstermacher) Shoemaker. His father, 
who was a native of Pennsylvania, came to Ohio in boyhood and removed to 
Iowa in 1858, and there the subject of this sketch received his primary edu- 
cation in the public schools. Returning to Ohio, he was for two years a 
student at the high school at Canlal Winchester, Franklin county. He early 
acquired a knowdedge of the carpenter's trade, and in 1873, when he was 
nineteen years old, he came to Columbus and entered the employ of B. H. 
Howe, a manufacturer of picture frames. Later he was employed at car- 



378 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

penter work, and in 1876 he became the foreman of the wood-working 
machinery department of the Colmiibus Buggy Company, the largest con- 
cern of its kind in the world, with w^hich he was employed for nineteen 
years. In 1897 he became the superintendent of the Columbus Coffin Com- 
pany, a responsible position which he is filling at this time. He has always 
taken an active interest in county and city affairs and has long been recog- 
nized as an efficient worker for the success of the Republican party. He 
w^as the chairman of the Republican county central committee in 1893-4, and 
in 1899 was elected an alderman from the nineteenth ward, and in April, 
1900, was re-elected, for two years. He is the chairman of the water-works 
and viaduct committee and a member of the judiciary committee, lb& gas 
and electricity committee and the Goodale Park committee. He is making 
an enviable record as a municipal legislator and has come to be known as an 
alderman who works for the best interests of the city and exerts himself to 
the utmost to advance such measures as promise to benefit his fellow citizens. 
He was elected vice-president of the board of aldermen in 1900, and re-elected 
in April, 1901, both times unanimously. 

Jacob Fenstermacher, Mr. Shoemaker's grandfather in the maternal line, 
came to Ohio from Pennsylvania and was prominent in Fairfield county dur- 
ing pioneer days and later. He was a man of strong character, upright in 
all his dealings, who made a success! in life in his day and generation, and 
his daughter, Mr. Shoemaker's mother, was a woman of many virtues who 
most worthily filled her allotted place in life. Joseph Shoemaker possessed 
those sterling traits of character which have made Pennsylvanians success- 
ful wherever they have gone ; and it is not remarkable that from sudi parents 
Alvin Monroe Shoemaker inherited those qualities' which have started him 
on a career of success. Mr. Shoemaker married Miss Lena L. Adams, a 
daughter of Dr. D. P. Adams, who has practiced his profession at Columbus 
for a third of a century and has attained prominence as a physician and has 
done good work outside of his profession as a member of the city board of 
education, with which he is identified at this time. Dr. Adams is a son 
of James Adams, a native of Virginia, who became a prominent pioneer in 
Morgan county and who, though from a slaveholding state, was one of the 
most zealous workers in the interest of the underground railroad by wdiich 
slaves escaped to freedom in the days before the war, and his farm was a 
station on the line at which many a fugitive slave found comfort and con- 
cealment and from which he was safely conducted to the next station. Mr. 
Adams fought in the war of 181 2 and in the Mexican war, and was a leader 
in all public affairs in Morgan county. He died at the advanced age of 
ninety-seven years. The grandfather of Dr. Adams was a Revolutionary 
soldier. 

Mr. Shoemaker's position in the business community of Columbus/ is 
a good one and his standing in connection with public affairs is one in which 
his friends and constituents take pride. In religious affiliation he is a Presby- 
terian and he is an active and helpful member of the Fifth Avenue Presby- 
terian church, in the work of which Mrs. Shoemaker also labors zealously. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 379 

JOHN BARTLETT. 

John Bartlett has long resided in Franklin county, either in Jackson or 
Pleasant township, and to-day he is identified with the farming niterests of 
the latter. His grandfather, William Bartlett, lived and died in New York, 
and served as a soldier in the war of 1812. Erasttis Wilder Bartlett, the 
father of our subect, was also born in the same county, in the year 1810, 
and remained in the I^mpire state until twenty-two years of age. He was 
reared in the usual manner of farmer lads and acquired a fair education. In 
1832 he determined to try his fortune in the west and removed to Columbus, 
Ohio, where he remained for a short time. He then married Miss Mary 
S inkier, of Jackson township, who was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, 
in 1 81 2, and was a maiden of sixteen summers when brought to Jackson town- 
ship, Franklin county, by her parents, Samuel and Mary Sinkler. Her 
father was a native of Ireland, and on coming to the United States took 
up his abode in Maryland, whence he subsequently removed to Muskingum 
county, Ohio, and thence to Franklin county, his death occurring in Jack- 
son township. After his marriage Erastus W. Bartlett rented a tract of 
land and began its operation, following farming throughout his entire life. 
His political support was given the Democracy. He died in Jackson town- 
ship in 1865, and his wife, long surviving him, passed away in Pickaway 
county in 1896. 

They had seven children, namely : Lydia, now the wife of Elias Tipton, 
of this county; George, who is living in Pickaway county; Mary, wife of 
John Garbeson, of this county ; John and his twin sister Sarah, the latter now 
tlie wife of Oliver Orden, of Pleasant township; Lottie, wife of John Col- 
ver, of Pickaway county; and Hattie, wife of Peter Ralston, of Hardin county, 
Ohio. 

John Bartlett was born on the old T. J. Adams farm in Jackson town- 
ship May 19, 1845, and has spent his entire life in Franklin county. He 
attended the district schools until sixteen years' of age, and during the months 
of vacation assisted his father in the work of the farm. He was twenty-two 
years of age at the time of his father's death. He remained with his mother 
until twenty-seven years of age and was then married, in 1873, to Miss Jane 
Richardson, who was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1851, a daughter 
of Isaac and Catherine (Van Dene) Richardson. The young couple began 
their domestic life upon a rented farm, upon which they lived until 1885, 
when Mr. Bartlett purchased ten acres of land in Jackson township, making 
his home thereon until 1895. In that year he purchased his present farm, 
comprising seventy-two acres of good land in PkasaTit towniship, and to its 
development and cultivation he now untiringly devotes his efforts. 

The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with nine chil- 
dren: Clara, now the wife of Charles Hill, of Columbus; Scott, who mar- 
ried Nora Conner and is living in Hardin county; Albert, of Chicago, Illi- 
nois; Charles, of Hornsburg, Ohio, who married Ora Leath; Daisy, who is 



38o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

living in llornsburg; Mary Catli^rine, at home; Lettie Pearl, Roy and Anna 
May, who are at school, in his political affiliations Mr. Bartlett is a stalwart 
Democrat. His life has been one of marked industry and all that he has 
is the reward of his owai labor. Depending entirely upon his own efforts he 
has worked hisi way to a position among the substantial farmers of the 
community. 

COTTON H. ALLEN. 

In the death of the honored subject of this memoir there passed away 
another member of that little group of distinctively representative business 
men who were the pioneers in inaugurating and building up the chief indus- 
tries of the western middle states. His name is familiar not alone to the 
residents of the city to whose development he coutributed so conspicuously, 
but also to all that have been in the least intimately informed as to the 
history of the state. He was identified with this section of the Union 
throughout the greater part of his life and contributed to its material progress 
and prosperity to an extent equaled by but few of his contemporaries. Few 
hves furnish so striking an example of the wise application of sound prin- 
ciples and safe conservatism as does his. The story of his success is short 
and simple, containing no exciting chapters ; but in it lies one of the most 
valued secrets of the great prosperity which it records ; and his private and 
business life are pregnant with interest and incentive, no matter how lacking 
in dramatic action, — the record of a noble life, consistent with itself and itsi 
jDossibilities in every particular. 

Cotton Hayden Allen was born in Auburn, New York, in 1834, the 
son of Carrington Allen, wlio died in 1864. The father was a native of 
Schenectady, New York, and when he had arrived at the years of maturity 
he married Miss Martha Hayden, a sister of Peter Hayden, who established 
a foundry andi hardw^are store that are still in operation in Columbus and 
who through the exercise of his splendid business and executive powers 
became one of the wealthiest men in Ohio. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. 
Allen was celebrated in the Empire state, and in 1889, several years after his 
wife's decease, he came to Ohio and resided in Columbus for a short time, 
occupying the responsible position of general manager of Mr. Hayden's large 
interests. His sister, Mrs. Sarah McCallip, remained in Columbus with her 
uncle, Mr. Hayden, and is still a resident of this city. She became the wife 
of Patrick McCallip, who was also associated in business with Mr. Hayden 
as foreman of one of the departments in the roller mills. He afterward moved 
to Portsmouth, where he died in i860, leaving a son, William McCallip, 
who has attained prominence as a singer. Another son, Charles Hayden 
McCallip, was for eisrhteen years engaged in business in St. Louis, represent- 
ing Mr. Havden. There were also two daughters in the McCallip family: 
Mrs. Mary Tremaine. the wife of H. H. Tremaine, and Mrs'. Harry B. Fern. 

Cotton Hayden Allen, wdiose name introduces this review, pursued his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 381 

education in the public schools of Haydenville, Massachusetts, where he was 
an industrious student. Throughout his life he manifested the spirit of 
industry, realizing that it is the most important element in success, also con- 
tributing in a large measure to life's happiness. He started out for himself 
as an indentured apprentice in a cotton mill, where he received his board, 
clothing and fifty cents each month. He worked from seven o'clock in the 
morning until five o'clock in the evening. He was thus employed for four 
years, during which time he manifested marked faithfulness to the interests 
of the house he represented. His business ability, keen discrimination and 
unflagging energy attracted the attention of his uncle, Peter Hayden, who 
at that time was conducting a large saddlery and hardware business in New- 
York. He offered his nephew a position of trust in the New York house. 
This was accepted and Mr. Allen continued to work there uninterruptedly until 
the time of the Civil war. 

When hostilities were inaugurated between the north and the south 
Mr. Allen was a member of the Seventy-first Regiment of the New York 
Militia, and his patriotic spirit prompted his enlistment, but 'duty called him 
into other fields. "Some must work that others may fight," and this was the 
lot which fell to Mr. Allen. When told that the government was practically 
without equipment for cavalry and artillery, and that an urgent demand had 
been made upon the house of Peter Hayden to furnish these supplies, and 
that his services were indispensable at this critical time, Mr. Allen, in the 
unostentatious manner that always characterized him, put aside his own ambi- 
tions and hurried forward the w^ork. It is doubtful whether any one but 
a boy, eager to take part in the greatest military drama of the age, could 
appreciate the sacrifice made by the lad, who, in order that the cavalry o£ 
the United States might be better equipped for military service, relinquished 
his own dreams and remained quietly in the background despite boyish 
enthusiasm. It w^as one of those quiet victories over self that develop char- 
acter. Continuing in his uncle's employ, Mr. Allen mastered the business 
in all of its departments and was given charge of Mr. Hayden's interests 
in his branch houses which were established in San; Francisco, Chicago, St. 
Louis, Detroit and other points. Thus his time was fully occupied in the 
m.'inag'ement of work which involved many millions of dollars annually. Mr. 
Hayden died in 1887 and Mr. Allen was made one of his executors, super- 
intending the interests of the estate until his own death. In business circles 
he sustained a most enviable reputation, for over the record of his life there 
fell no shadow of wrong nor suspicion of evil. He was notably prompt 
and reliable, never making an engagement that he did not meet, nor incurring 
an obligation which he did not fill. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Allen w^as united in marriage to Mrs. Louise Llatthews. 
Two children were born of their union, but both died in infancy, and Mrs. 
Allen passed away in 1887, leaving a daughter, Mrs. Schumacher, by her 
former husband. She is now a resident of San Francisco. In the year 
18S9 Mr. Allen determined to make Columbus his permanent home and con- 



382 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

tinned his residence in that city until his life's labors were ended, having 
charge of the extensive concerns over which Mr. Hayden had control and of 
which he was the owner. These included a bank and a hardware store, and 
of the former Mr. Allen became the vice-president. In commercial life he 
was known throughout the United States and wherever known was recog- 
nized as a man of exalted and uncompromising integrity. He made muchl 
money, but he gave as liberally as he made. He was a philanthropist in 
the true spirit of that term and his benefactions were numerous and large, 
yet in all of his giving he was unostentatious. He had a strict regard for 
the ethical relations of life, was a student of the sociological problems and in 
his career exemplified his belief in the brotherhood of mankind. He never 
sought political preferment, but Columbus honored him with election to the 
ofiEice of mayor in 1895, recognizing his superior fitness for the position. 
As his friends and constituents believed, his administration was business-like 
and practical and proved of great benefit to the city, promoting its material 
interests and introducing many needed reforms and improvements along 
various lines. He passed away January 26, 1900, at the age of sixty-five 
years, and upon his monument might be fittingly inscribed the epitaph, "An 
honest man is the noblest work of God." 

HARVEY COIT. 

Among the prominent capitalists of the city of Columbus, Ohio, is the 
esteemed subject of the present review. Harvey Coit is a native of the state 
of Massachusetts, born in Norwich, now Huntington. Hampshire county, 
July 31, 1819, a son of Harvey and Nancy (Stone) Coit. His father was 
born in the same county and state, in 1794, was a farmer by occupation, and 
died in Columbus, Ohio, in 1877. The mother was a native of Worthing- 
ton, Hampshire county, Massachusetts, and lived until 1867. She was the 
daughter of John Stone, of the same state, who was a soldier in the Revo- 
lutionary war, as was also Isaac Coit, the paternal grandfather of our sub- 
ject. The Coit family originally carn^e to America from Wales and were 
among the first settlers in New England. 

Our subject, Harvey Coit, is the only survivor of his parents' family of 
eight children, seven of whom lived to maturity. He was reared a farmer 
boy and assisted his father on the farm until his seventeenth year, when 
he came to Columbus and became a clerk in the store of Stone, Kelton & 
Company. Mr. Coit was one of the sensible class of young men who realize 
that the good things of life do not come without efTort, and he bravely started, 
resolving to do his best, although his salary for the first year amounted only 
to fifty dollars. The second year yielded a salary of seventy-five dollars, 
while liis third year of service brought him one hundred dollars and a reward 
for faithful work by his admission into the firm as' a partner, the firm name 
continuing the same. Mr. Coit remained several years in this connection, 
only leaving it to open a business of his own, starting a general store on the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 383 

corner of Town and High streets, continuing at this location for forty-five 
years. 

The business house of Mr. Coit had become a landmark, but he desired 
to turn his attention to brokerage and real estate, his own holdings having 
become numerous and valuable. His possessions have increased, and many 
of the most desirable buildings and dwellings ini the city are owned by him, 

In 1844 Mr. Coit married Elizabeth Greer, the gifted daughter of 
Joseph Greer, an old settler in Worthington, Ohio. Mrs. Coit was born in 
Worthington in January, 1820, and grew to womanhood in her native vil- 
lage. She early displayed many of the intellectual traits which in later life 
made her known so well to the people of her native state, and which have 
so noticeably appeared in her family. She- attended the Worthington Sem- 
inary and taught school for several years afterward. Being of a literary bent 
of mind, she identified herself with various societies which seemed designed 
to elevate her sex, and finally became a strong advocate of woman suffrage. 
Her exceptional ability was recognized, and for fifteen years she held the 
important position of treasurer of the Woman Suffrage Association of Ohio. 
Gifted beyond ordinary, she was frequently called upon to place before the 
public the objects of the organization, and her graceful manner, in con- 
junction with her unanswerable arguments, excited favorable comment 
throughout the state. Mrs. Coit is a firm believer in modern, progressive 
spiritualism, and is an intellectual woman delightful to meet. Although so 
occupied with literary work, she was a model mother, her family of eight 
children testifying, by prominent and successful lives of their own, that her 
care was never relaxed. This family consistsi of Colonel Alonzo B.. a man 
of prominence in the state, for years being the colonel of the Ohio National 
Guards; Belle Morrow, wife of Frank C. Kilton, of Columbus; Staunton, 
a graduate of Amherst, who completed his education at the Berlin Uni- 
versity, becoming a noted lecturer and now occupying the pulpit of a church 
in London, England, — these being the survivors. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Coit have passed the three-score and ten of the 
psalmist, but do not look their age, time having lightly touched them. They 
are both in unison in their firm belief in the truths of modern spiritualism. 
They have journeyed together for fifty-six years, and present one of those 
beautiful examples of constancy and affection which the whole world delights 
to honor. 

TRUMAN H. COE. 

This well known retired business man of Clinton township is an hon- 
ored representative of the early pioneers of this county, and a true type of 
the energetic, hardy men who have activelv assisted in developing and improv- 
ing his locality. His upright course in life commands the respect and con- 
fidence of all, and it is safe to say that no man in his, community is held in 
higher regard. 



384 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Air. Coe is a native of Franklin county, born in Mifflin township, Feb- 
ruary 6, 1820, and is the eldest child of Harvey and Jane (Whitzel) Coe. 
His father was born in Connecticut in 1790, and was a lad of twelve years 
when he came to Ohio, in 1802, with his parents, Denman and Mary 
(Northrop) Coe. After his marriage he located on a farm in Mifflin town- 
ship, which continued to be his home throughout the remainder of his life. 
In their family were ten children, namely: Truman H., John W., Ninus, 
Ada, Lucy, Allen T., Irvin, James, Amanda and Nettie. 

'The boyhood and youth of Mr. Coe were passed upon his father's farm 
assisting in the work of field and meadow. All the educational advantages 
he had were received at the district school three months in the year. When 
he was in his nineteenth y ear he attended the Otterbein University at Wester- 
velt, Ohio; this was all the advantages of education he had. When in his 
twentieth year he assisted with the work on the farm in connection with the 
study of vocal music, and also prepared himself for teaching the coming fall 
and winter. His first effort was in spending four months' time in the fall 
and winter teaching music. This proved to be a grand success, going beyond 
his expectations. The success he had in his first effort in teaching music 
continued for four years:, he spending four months in each year at this pleas- 
ant and interesting business. 

Mr. Coe was united in marriage with Sylvia B. Bull, daug'hter of 
Jason and Amelia Bull, early settlers of Franklin county. By this union 
were born four children, all of them now living, namely: Safford M.. Lug 
P., Irvin T. and John F., two of them residents of Columbus and two of 
Clinton township, Franklin county. 

After his marriage Mr. Coe made a purchase of two hundred and five 
acres of land in Blendou township, all in the green timber, paying ten dollars 
per acre for it. He built a frame house on the new purchase and moved into 
it. He never engaged in agricultural pursuits to any extent, his energies 
being devoted to the lumber and timber business. At the time that Mr. Coe 
made this purchase of land in Blendon township a plank road was planned 
and stock taken at once to build the road from Columbus, to Westervelt, he 
taking five hundred dollars worth of stock in the road. The contractor of 
the plank road had a steam sawmill put on Mr. Coe's land and Mr. Coe 
furnished the timber in logs at the mill and the contractor sawed out for him 
one and a half million feet of plank, which he delivered on the line of the 
new road. After the road was finished the price of land along the route 
rO'Se greatly in value and Mr. Coe soon sold his purchase of land at forty 
dollars per acre. He next made a purchase of two hundred acres of timber 
land, two miles northeast of Worthington, Ohio, built a frame house and 
barn on the new purchase and made the place his residence for five years, 
when he removed to Worthington, where he maintained his residence for sev- 
eral years. He next went to Delaware, Ohio, in order to send his children 
to the Delaware University. In 1861 he and his son, S. M. Coe, started 
a spoke factory in Hardin county, Oliio, which they conducted until the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 385 

close of the Civil war, but lost fifteen thousand dollars in the venture. Our 
subject returned to Clinton township, Franklin county, built what is now 
the Coe residence on North High street on the Worthington road, and has 
made this his permanent residence. Mr. Coe spends over six months each 
year in shipping and furnishing stock for the Ohio Tool Company, of 
Columbus. 

Mrsi. Sylvia B. Coe, wife of Truman H. Coe, died March 13, 1891. 
Since then Mr. Coe has been practically living a retired life except that he 
is running a small apiary for exercise and to have somxething to do and 
occupy his time and attention. He cast his first presidential vote for Henry 
Clay and has always affiliated with the Whig and Republican parties. His 
religious belief is that of the Presbyterian church. Although eighty-one 
years of age he is still well preserved, is vigorous both in mind and body, 
stands perfectly erect, while his eyes are bright and his voice strong. He 
also possesses a head of hair which many a young man might well envy. 
He is a temperance man of pronounced type, and his saloon bill throughout 
his entire life amounts to but sixteen cents. His life is exemplary in all 
respects and he well merits the high regard in which he is universally held. 

JAMES M. WALKER. 

James M. Walker, who for many years was an active factor in com- 
mercial circles in Columbus, was born July 5, 1835, in Virginia, which was 
the ancestral home of the family. His father, James Walker, died at the 
old residence in that state in 1853, and his widow, long surviving him, passed 
away at the home of her son at Columbus in 1885, at the age of eighty-seven 
years. They were the parents of five children, namely: James M., W^atson, 
John, Mary and Robert. The subject of this review is an own cousin of 
the Hon. Henry Walker, ex-secretary of state of Virginia and a leading 
politician, and during the lifetime of Senator A. G. Thurman he accompanied 
him on campaign tours, making political speeches in behalf of Democracy. 

James M. Walker spent his childhood in the Old Dominion and acquired 
his education there, and in 1854, when nineteen years of age, came to Colum- 
bus. Here he entered the grocery trade, conducting a store on High street 
for many years. His unquestioned probity, his fairness in all trade trans- 
actions, his earnest desire to please his patrons, and his courteous manner 
won for him a constantly growing trade and a continuously increasing pros- 
perity, but in 1893, on account of ill health, he was compelled to retire from 
active business life. He died July 24, 1897, at the age of sixty-two years. 

In 1872 Mr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Waterman, 
a representative of a prominent pioneer family of Franklin county. Her 
father, Joseph Waterman, was born in England in December, 1797, and 
died September 3, 1858, at his old home on Shepherd street, in Columbus. 
The homestead covered an entire block. The land had been entered from the 
government by Lucas Sullivant, March 20, 1800, and in 18 10 was sold by 



386 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the original owner to A. J. McDowell. It was afterward the birthplace of 
General McDowell. He subsequently sold the property to Temperance Backus 
on the i/th of March, 182S, for one thousand dollarsi, ;.nd in March, 1830, 
it was transferred through sale by Mr. Backus to David Ruffner, who con- 
tinued to be the owner until July 31, 1832, when it became the Waterman 
homestead, being purchased by the father of Mrs. Walker. In the family 
of Joseph Waterman were the following children: George A., born Sep- 
tember 14, 1826; Henrietta, who was born December 17, 1828, and died 
May II, 1846; Louisa C., who was born April 23, 1830, and died February 
13, 1855; Augustus F., who was born October 20, 1831, and died in Jan- 
uary, 1899; Emma, born September 17, 1834, and died in 1835; Emma R., 
born February 21, 1837; Henry K., who was; born October 23, 1838, and 
died July 22, 1845; Lucy Jane, born October 19, 1840; and Ellen, bom 
August 20, 1843. 

Mrs. Walker is the youngest of a family of nine children and is a grad- 
uate of the Columbus high school, of the class of 1861. By her marriage 
she became the mother of two children, — Mary K., who was born in 1873, 
was graduated in the high school of Columbus and died June i. 1892; and 
Helen, born in 1879, is also a graduate of the Columbus high school. She 
is now one of the teachers in the Sullivant school where her mother attended 
forty years ago. Mrs. Walker is living with her daughter at No. 194 West 
Ninth avenue. They hold membership in Trinity Episcopal church of Colum- 
bus and have many warm friends in the city where the family has been so 
long both widely and favorably known. 

FRANK S. FOX. 

It has often been remarked that America is a nation of orators. Amer- 
icans are certainly likely to have their "say" upon all questions of public 
moment, and it is undeniable that many of them develop an ability to speak 
forcefully and pointedly, without an undue waste of words. Some of them 
who speak most elegantlv and effectively ow'e their training to such thorough 
institutions as the Capitol School of Oratory, at Columbus, Ohio. That 
efficient educational enterprise was opened October i, 1896, by its projector, 
Professor Frank S. Fox, A. M., who is the principal of the school. 

Professor Fox was born in Ashland county. Ohio, in 1861, a •son of 
Frederick Fox, who settled there in 1832, having emigrated from Bavaria, 
Germany, where the family name is spelled Faux. Frederick Fox was a 
man of education and of a progressive public spirit, a faithful public official, 
active in politics and a wise counselor of his neighbors;. He was a leader 
among the men of his township and county. By trade he was a saddler, 
harnessmaker and carriage trimmer: and was also a farmer, beino- the first 
to introduce new and useful agricultural implements, against which there 
was some prejudice when they were first offered for the consideration of 
farmers. That good and useful citizen died in 1895, aged seventy-two years. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 387 

His. wife was Eliza Jane Blackburn, a native of Bedford county, Pennsyl- 
vania, and a daughter of John W. Blackburn, an early and prominent citizen 
there who fought to gain American independence in the war of the Revolu- 
tion and to preserve it in the war of 1812. "The Blackburns of Bedford and 
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, of Kentucky and of Cincinnati, Ohio, are from 
the same parent stock. 

Professor Fox was graduated first at Savannah Academy, then at the 
Ashland University, of Ohio, in 1890, and took a post-graduate course at 
Waynesburg College, at Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, in 1894. He began his 
career as a teacher in the public 'S-chools of Ashland county and later taught 
in Vermilion Institute, at Hayesville, Ohio, a historic collegiate institution 
under the auspices of the Presbyterian church. He next went to Savannah 
Academy in the same county, teaching other branches besides oratory and 
doing entertainment and lecture work as opportunity presented. He still 
doesi institute and entertainment work and lectures on educational and pop- 
ular subjects throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Kentucky, 
Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and other adjacent states. His methods 
of instruction are founded on scientific principles and are original to a marked 
degree. His plan has been w^armly indorsed by all practical educators who 
have familiarized themselves with it. The Capitol School of Oratory has 
well lighted, well ventilated, commodious and handsomely appointed quar- 
ters, its tuition fees are reasonable and the thorough course of instruction leads 
to graduation and a diploma. Some of the graduates are on the platform, 
others hold important positions in other schools and others, aie prominent in 
the professions. 

Professor Fox w-as married, at Hayesville, Ohio, to Miss Beatrice Arm- 
strong, a daughter of the Hon. \Y. W. Armstrong, who was a candidate for 
congress on the Republican ticket in 1886. The family of Armstrong has 
been prominent in the affairs of Ohio since the Indian wars, when Captain 
Armstrong won fame as an Indian fighter. Professor and Mrs. Fox are 
the parents of three children : Louise, Wallace W. and Pauline. They are 
identified with the Presbvterian church and Professor Fox holds member- 
ship in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 

WRAY THOMAS. 

Among those who have occupied the chair of chief executive of Colum- 
bus was the gentleman whose name introduces this review. He served as 
the mayor of the city during one of the most exciting terms of the period of 
its history, — from 1861 until 1864, — the countr^y being then engaged in civil 
war. He came to Ohio from Richmond, Virgi'iia, having been educated 
in the state university of the Old Dominion. He w^as graduated in that 
institution and then took up the study of law. While there he was a class- 
mate of Edgar Allen Poe, for whom he had a profound regard. He was a 
typical Virginian gentleman of the "old school," having a high sense of 



388 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

honor, unfailing courtesy and kindly dis.position, yet he was also a man of 
strong- force of character. One who knew him long and well said of him : 
"In all my intercourse with him I never knew him to manifest in the slightest 
degree any of the little personal traits that are sometimes shown by the best 
of men ; if he ever had an emotion that was not high and noble and was not 
calculated to make better thosic with whom, he came in contact, those who 
knew him well never observed it. He was a most superior man." 

He was called to the office of mayor and entered upon his duties in the 
year which witnessed the beginning of the Civil war. They were times of 
great disturbance throughout the country, when feeling ran high and when 
it required a man of calm judgment, of superior mental poise, of unfailing 
patriotism and unquestioned justice to conduct safely the affairs of the city; 
but he was amply qualified for the office and discharged his duty in a high- 
minded manner, as is indicated by the fact that the best citizens of Colum- 
bus gave him their hearty support regardless of political affiliations. In 
business he was for many years associated with Lyne Starling as a legal 
adviser and confidential agent. 

Mrs. MARGARET J. VANCE. 

Mrs. Margaret J. Vance was born in Blendon township March 3. 1828, 
on the farm now occupied by Frank Phelps. Her parents were Edward and 
Elizabeth (Jamison) Phelps. Her father was born in Windsor county May 
9, 1790, and was a son of Edward and Zubah (Moore) Phelps. When a 
youth of sixteen years, he came to Franklin county, Ohio, with his parents, the 
journey being made in 1806. The grandfather had the previous year visited 
this section of the state and had purchased five hundred acres of land in 
Blendon township. Wlien the family came to the new possession there was 
not a single house in the township, so they proceeded on their way to Worth- 
ington, then a small hamlet, residing there while the grandfather erected a 
cabin home. Upon the farm which he developed and improved he died at 
an advanced age. 

The father of our subject cut the first tree that was ever felled in Blen- 
don township. He was reared on the old family homestead and at the time of 
the war of 181 2 was called out, but never saw active service. In 181 7 he 
married Elizabeth Jamison and located on a farm of one hundred and fifty 
acres which had been given him by his father, it being the place upon which 
the birth of our subject occurred. There he lived and died, passing away 
on the 22d of February, 1845. Prior to the war he was a stanch anti- 
slavery Whig and was a man of strong convictions, fearless in support of 
wdiatever he believed to be right. He cleared his own farm and the hard 
work undermined his health so that he passed awav at a comparatively early 
age. His wife was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, October 11, 1796, 
and was a daughter of Robert and Margaret (McCutchin) Jamison, who 
with their family came to Franklin county, Ohio, in 18 16, locating in Blendon 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 389 

township, where they spent their remaining days. The grandfather was a 
deacon in the Presbyterian church and was a recognized leader in church 
work. Mrs. Phelps, the mother of Mrs. Vance, lived to the advanced age 
of ninety- four years, passing away October 16, 1890, in the faith of the Pres- 
byterian church, in which she long held membership. Unto Edward and 
Elizabeth Phelps were born nine children, but only three are now living, 
namely : Mrs. Vance ; Timothy, who resides in Kansas City, Missouri ; and 
Loretta, widow of Nathan' Vincent, of Blendon township. 

Mrs. Vance spent her girlhood at home, acquiring a common-school 
education and assisting in the labors of the household. On the 22d of Feb- 
ruary, 1844, she gave her hand in marriage to Joseph C. Vance, a native of 
Blendon township, born July 8, 1818, on the farm where the Ohio State 
University now stacids. He was a son of Joseph and Cynthia (Hart) Vance 
and was one of four children, all of whom have now passed away. His 
father was a native of Martinsburg, Virginia, and in early life removed to 
Franklin county, locating here about 1800. He was a civil engineer and 
did much of the surveying of the land in and around Columbus. His wife 
came with her parents to Ohio from Hartford, Connecticut, when she was 
about eight years of age. Her father was Dr. Josiah Hart, a graduate of 
Yale College, and on coming to the Buckeye state he located in Marietta, 
where he successfully engaged in the practice of medicine. Joseph Vance 
and Cynthia Hart were married in 1805, while the latter was visiting a 
brother in Franklinton. A few years afterward Mr. Vance purchased the 
farm of three hundred acres now known as Ohio State University farm, and 
thereon resided until hisi life's labors were ended in death, in 1824. He was 
a veteran of the war of 181 2 and was a member of the stafif of General 
Genough. Before hostilities were inaugurated he had served as captain of 
the Lig'ht Guards in Franklinton. 

Joseph C. Vance was reared in his parents' home and acquired his edu- 
cation in the public schools. He wais only six years of age at the time of 
his father's death and two years later his mother removed to Columbus, where 
he attained to man's estate. When a youth of fourteen he entered the dry- 
goods store owned by Mr. Casey, one of the pioneer merchants of the capital 
city, and after some years spent as salesman he completed a business educa- 
tion and followed bookkeeping. He was an expert penman, being regarded as 
the best in his line in Columbus at that day. His ability as a mathematician 
was also very great and he was a leading and reliable figure in commercial 
circles in the city. After his marriage he located on a farm, and there 
spent his remaining days. The place had been purchased some time previous 
from his uncle, William Phelps. After four years there passed he went to 
Camp Chase, where he was employed as secretary in the Michael Sullivan 
mills. Two years later, however, he returned to Columbus, and the following 
year his family again took up their abode on the farm, where in the mean- 
time he had erected a commodious brick residence. He remained in the 
city a year longer, however, in the employ of the Gas Company, and then 



390 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

returned to his farm. In 1863 he was employed in the commissary depart- 
ment at Camp Chase as bookkeeper, at a colonel's salary, and held that posi- 
tion until the close of the war. Through the succeeding year he remained 
in Columbus as secretary to a Mr. Abbott, a retail hardware merchant, and 
then returned to the farm, continuing to supervise its operation until his 
death, which occurred June 23, 1882. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Vance were born eleven children, of whom eight 
are now living, namely: Edward P., a druggist of Columbus, Ohio; Julia, 
the wife of Joseph Roberts; Ellen, the wife of William Hutchison, of Dela- 
ware, Ohio; Lizzie, who resides with her mother; Robert, an agriculturist of 
Greene county, Missouri ; Joseph, a slater of Columbus ; Timothy, who resides 
upon the home farm; and Clinton H., who operates the old homestead in 
Blendon township. 

In his political views Mr. Vance was a stanch supporter of the Repub- 
lican party, and, though never a politician in the sense of office seeking, for 
many years he filled the office of township clerk and was also land appraiser. 
He was an active member of the Presbyterian church and did all in his 
power to promote the welfare of his family and his community, being a 
public-spirited and progressive citizen who withheld his aid and assistance 
from no movement for the general good. Mrs. Vance now resides in Colum- 
bus. She is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Franklin 
county and through seventy-three years has resided here. She has there- 
fore witnessed much of its growth and development and is familiar with its 
history from early frontier times. 

ARTHUR L. HAMILTON. 

Among the noted residents of Columbus, Ohio, is Arthur L. Hamilton, 
the subject of this sketch, his long residence and public services as an officer 
of the State Guards making him conspicuous. He was born in Chillicothe, 
Ohio, March 14, 1849, ^^id was a son of William and IMargaret (Lyons- 
McAdoo) Hamilton. The paternal grandfather was a native of the state 
of New York, who w^as one of the first settlers in Ross county, Ohio, where 
our subject's father was born in 181 7. He was actively engaged in several 
lines of business, being a pork-packer, merchant and farmer, building up a 
large business in the shipping of pork, by means of fiatboats on the canal to 
the river, supplying a large southern trade. The grandfather of Arthur L. 
was a native of Lawrence county. New York. The parents of Colonel 
Hamilton died at the old home in Chillicothe. 

Arthur L. Hamilton spent his boyhood in his native place, receiving the 
advantages of both common and high school, engaging later in the study 
of telegraphy in the office of the Western Union, after which he engaged for 
two years in farming. His appointment as the chief of the fire department 
of Chillicothe followed and this responsible position he efficiently filled for 
nine years. Colonel Hamilton ^en became a traveling salesman for the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 39 1 

Gutta Perclia Rubber ]\Ianufacturing Company, of New York city, with terri- 
tory covering the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and a part of Ilhnois, 
remaining with this house until 1892, when he entered the adjutant-general's 
office as clerk. 

Our subject became a member of the Ohio National Guards as a private 
in Company A, Sixth Infantry, June 6, 1873; first corporal December 5, 
1873; fifth sergeant, February 9, 1874; first sergeant, August 20, 1876; sec- 
ond lieutenant, August 20, 1877; first lieutenant, February 4, 1878; captain, 
November 11, 1879; resigned November 4, 1884; commissioned first lieu- 
tenant and regimental adjutant, January 23, 1885; promoted major, July 9, 
1886; captain of Company H, Seventeenth Infantry, July 6, 1892; commis- 
sioned colonel, September 17, 1892; honorably discharged at the expiration 
of the term of commission, November 20, 1897; re-commissioned April 21, 
1898; in the war with Spain, commissioned colonel of the Seventh Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry May 30, 1898, and mustered out November 30, 1898. 

Retiring from the adjutant-general's office. Colonel Hamilton became 
the general agent for the Provident Savings Life Association and has juris- 
diction over sixteen counties of southern Ohio. His extensive acquaint- 
ance, coupled with his ability and energy, renders him a very efficient man 
for this position. 

In 1870 Colonel Hamilton married Miss Adele C. Parker, a daughter of 
Francis S. and Louise J. (Thompson) Parker, old residents of Chillicothe. 
This union has been blessed with three sons and two daughters: Harry W., 
the captain of the United States Forty-ninth Volunteer Infantry in the 
Philippines; Alexander, a clerk in the civil-service department in Washing- 
ton city; and Oma A., Louise M. and Edward F., at home. 

Socially Colonel Hamilton is a Alason of high degree, belonging to blue 
lodge and chapter, and in the Scottish rite having attained the thirty-third 
degree. He is greatly esteemed by his fellow workers and has taken the 
deepest interest in the organization during the many years he has been con- 
nected with it. 

In politics our subject is a Republican of known stability. His long 
connection with the military organization and his constant promotion cemented 
many friendships, and in his withdrawal the state lost an able officer. 

ELIZABETH (WATTS) BORROR. 

One of the well known and highly respected women of Franklin county, 
Ohio, is Mrs. Elizabeth (W^atts) Borror, of Borror's Corners, Jackson town- 
ship. Elizabeth Watts was born in the township just mentioned June 23, 
1837, a daughter of Joseph and Lucinda (Barbee) Watts. Her father was 
born in Franklin county, Ohio, was there reared and educated and was there 
married. He was a successful farmer, was a Whig in politics and later a 
Republican, and was a member of the United Brethren church and active in 
all its work. He died in his forty-second year. His father, also named 



392 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Joseph Watts, came quite early to Ohio from the east and was a pioneer in 
Frankhn county and the first hotel keeper on the west side of Cohimbus. 
He was a prominent man in his time and died rather suddenly as the result 
of a kick of a vicious horse. Lucinda Barbee, the mother of the subject 
of this sketch, was a daughter of Hawes Barbee, an early settler of Franklin 
county, and died when she was about forty-two years old. Hawes Barbee, 
who had the experiences \of a pioneer farmer in the Ohio woods, was a 
native of Virginia, and he had six sons and five daughters, all of whom grew 
to manhood and womanho,od. 

Joseph and Lucinda (Barbee) Watts had seven children, of whom Mrs. 
Borror was the first born. Her brothers and sisters were Mary, Emma and 
Sarah, all of whom are dead; Martha, who married Joseph Lieb and lives 
in Illinois; Joseph, of Greenville, Illinois; and John, of Columbus, Ohio. 
She was reared in Jackson township and can tell many amusing incidents 
connected with her attendance at school in early log schoolhouses. In 1856, 
at the age of nineteen years, she married Lewis Borror, a native of Jackson 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, and a son of Absalom Borror, one of the 
early settlers there. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Borror 
located on the farm in Jackson township, which has been her home for forty- 
four years and which consists of two hundred and forty-three acres, which 
together with another farm of one hundred and forty acres, in Pickaway 
county, she rents advantageously. Mr. Borror, who died in 1869, was a 
progressive farmer, a stanch Democrat and an active member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church. Mrs. Borror has four children, the following facts 
concerning whom will be of interest in this connection : 

William Milton Borror, now a resident of Columbus, Ohio, married 
Lucy Breckinridge and has six children named Chloe, Nellie, Edson, Bessie, 
Edna and Ruth. James Russell Borror married Emma Lane, a member of 
a prominent family of Pickaway county, and has eight children, named 
Clarence, Mabel, Goldin, Irvin, Susan, Evert, Mariette and Carrie E. Wat- 
son A. Borror married Mary Leach, of Shadeville, Franklin county, Ohio, 
and has children named Ola and Leslie and isi living at Columbus. Charles 
H. Borror married Stella Seeds and lives on his mother's farm. He was 
born in this township February 3, 1863, received a good education in local 
schools and is recognized as a progressive and successful farmer. He has 
a son named Dwight C. 

FIENRY T. HENDERSON. 

Henry T. Henderson is one of the venerable citizens of Franklin county, 
now in his ninety-third year. He was born near Martinsburg, Virginia, 
October 22, 1808, and in the fall of 18 14 became a resident of Ohio. The 
ancestry of the family can be traced back to Scotland, where lived the great- 
grandfather of our subject, who crossed the Atlantic to the Virginia colony 
in the interest of Lord Fairfax. He lived to be ninety-five years' of age, 




HEHRY T. HENDERSON. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 393 

while his wife reached the extreme old age of one hundred and ten years. 
John Henderson, the grandfather of our subject, was born and reared in Hali- 
fax county, Virginia, became actively interested in agricultural pursuits and 
operated his land by the slaves that he owned. He married Miss Tole, who 
was born in Virginia. His death occurred when he had passed the eightieth 
milestone on life's journey. His children were as follows: Robert, who at 
an early age went to Kentucky, where he was married; Charles, the father 
of our subject; Samuel, who removed to Logan county, Ohio, where he 
died at the age of ninety-five years; Tarlton, who died in Virginia; Nancy, 
whose death also occurred in the Old Dominion; and Fanny, who was mar- 
ried and lived in Ohio. 

Charles Henderson was' born in Jefferson county, Virginia, and was 
reared upon his father's plantation, while in the subscription schools he 
acquired his education. He married Rebecca Duvall, who was of French 
descent and was born on Carl's manor, Maryland, her parents being Benjamin 
and Anna Duvall. After his marriage Charles Henderson accepted a situa- 
tion as overseer on the plantation owned by INIr. Swirenger. of Jefferson 
county, Virginia. Subsequently he removed to Berkeley county. W^est Vir- 
ginia, where he acted as overseer for Major Begnier, a brother-in-law of 
Governor Worthington, of Ohio. The latter gentleman induced Mr. Hen- 
derson to, come to the Buckeye state, and the journey was made with team 
and wagon in 1814. On the trip they were accompanied by another family, 
from whom they separated at Chillicothe, Ohio. The father of our subject 
located on the Worthington farm in Ross county, where he remained for 
five yearsi, after which he spent a similar period on the McArthur farm, its 
owner being the father-in-law of Governor Allen. Later, however, he returned 
to the Worthington farm, where he again spent five years. During that 
time he had acquired capital sufficient to pay for two hundred acres of land 
in Madison county, near what is now Big Plain, and there he devoted his 
time and attention to agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred 
when he was eighty-six years of age. His wife passed away at the age of 
eighty-one. They were members' of the Methodist Episcopal church and 
j\Ir. Henderson frequently served as one of the officers of the congregation 
with which he was associated. In politics he was first a Whig and later a 
Republican and was a public-spirited man who co-operated with all move- 
ments for the general good. His children were : Henry, of this review ; 
Duvall, who died at the home of his daughter in Pennsylvania ; William, who 
married Priscilla Foster and died in Washington county, Iowa; Sarah, wife 
of John S. Beatty, of Washington, Iowa ; Susan, who became the wife of 
John Bell ; she and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Duvall Henderson, were both 
accidentally killed while crossing the railroad near Morgan, Ohio, at the ages 
respectively of seventy and eighty years ; Mary, who became the wife of 
Thomas Duvall and died at her home in Illinois; and Elizabeth, who married 
Obediah Copeland and died in Union county, Ohio. 

Henry T. Henderson, the honored subject of this review, was only six 



394 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

years of age when he became a resident of Ohio. Few indeed of the citizens 
of the state can claim to have resided here eig'hty-six years. He was reared 
amid wild surroundings, for the work of civilization and progress had hardly 
been begun when the family came to the Buckeye state. There were no schools 
except those conducted on the subscription plan, and as he was the eldest of 
the family he had little opportunity to pursue his studies, for the work of the 
home farm largely devolved upon him. The first school which he attended 
was held in a log house in Ross county and his first teacher was Mr. Dunn. 
He learned the letters of the alphabet while sitting upon a slab bench in a 
log building of primitive structure and equally crude furnishings. From one 
side of the building a log had been removed and the aperture had been filled 
with glass, the schoolroom thus being lighted. Mr. Henderson only attended 
school in the winter months when the work of the farm was practically over, 
for during the siummer season he found it necessary to labor in the fields and 
assist in clearing the land and cultivating the crops. He remained with his 
father until twenty years of age, when he started out in life for himself. 
He was apprenticed to learn the tanner and currier's trade in Chiliicothe, 
Ohio, where he remained for two years, but was then compelled to give up 
his work owing to physical disability. After leaving home he became ac- 
quainted with the chief engineer of a company engaged in making a pike, and 
with whom he began work on the canal as rodsman, being thus employed for 
two years, after which he went to Alabama to work as superintendent in build- 
ing canals. He was superintendent of that work for two years, on the ex- 
piration of which period he went to Huntsville, Alabama, and superintended 
.the construction of a macadamized road, the first of the kind that had ever been 
constructed in that portion of the country. A year later he went to Mis- 
sissippi, where he remained for five years, contracting for and superintending 
the building of railroads. 

In the fall of 1841 Mr. Henderson returned to Ohio and made his w^ay 
into the woods of Pleasant township, Franklin county, where he began the 
development of a farm. He had previously purchased four hundred acres of 
land, to which he afterward added the remainder of the survey, comprising 
one hundred and fifty acres. At first he lived in a log cabin of one room, 
eighteen by twenty-two feet, his home being surrounded by a dense uncut 
forest. He was married, on the 7th of February, 1842, to Miss Mary A. 
Makemson, who was born near Bellefontaine, in Logan county, Ohio, May 
10, 1820. She, too, experienced the usual life of the pioneer settlers, pur- 
suing her education in a log schoolhouse, heated by an immense fireplace and 
lighted by greased paper windows. Her father, John Makemson, was born 
and reared in Kentucky and married Margaret Lindsey, whose birth occurred 
in Cynthiana. that state. They came to Ohio at an early period in the nine- 
teenth century, when the land was w^ild and the Indians roamed in large 
numbers through the forests. Many families had to leave Ohio on account of 
the depredations of the redmen, who stole everything they could secure. John 
Makemson owned a large tract of wild land and developed there a good farm. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 395 

He died in Logan county, Oiiio, in 1843, ^t the age of sixty-three, and his 
wife passed away at the advanced age of ninety-five years. 

After his marriage Mr. Henderson and his bride began their domestic 
life in a little log cabin, where many pleasant years were passed. His wife 
would operate the spinning wheel, for they kept sheep, from the wool of 
which they made the cloth which was used in making their clothing. She 
learned the art from her mother, who was an expert weaver. Mr. Henderson 
worked in the fields, clearing and improving his land. At the time they 
were married he had two small tracts cleared, one of eight, the ether of five 
acres, and on the latter stood the cabin home. He continued the develop- 
ment of his farm and in course of time erected thereon a neat frame cottage, 
built out of valuable walnut timber. Their first three children were born in 
the log cabin, and the family resided in the old homestead until the 31st of 
October, 1856, when Mr, Henderson rented his land and removed to Wester- 
ville in order to give his children better educational privileges and to enjoy 
a well earned rest. When he left the old home he had there a good farm of 
seven hundred and fifty acres, improved with all modern accessories and con- 
veniences. He spent twenty-one years in Westerville, and for thirteen years 
he lived among his children. In the winter of 1887-8 he was ill with typhoid 
fever and w^as taken to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Dr. Moffit, of London, 
Ohio, but is now living in Galloway. He also spent the winter of 1896-7 in 
Washington, D. C, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Florence Moffit, and 
attended the inauguration ceremonies of President McKinley. He also paid 
the president a visit. He sent his card up by a colored servant and was 
ushered into the waiting room and afterward into the president's reception 
room. He found IMcKinley besieged by office seekers, and when Mr. Hen- 
derson introduced himself, saying, "I am a pioneer farmer of Franklin county 
and am not seeking office for myself or others," the president said: 'T am 
mighty glad to meet you," and when Mr. Henderson added that he had voted 
for every Whig and Republican candidate from the time of Henry Clay, in 
1832, McKinley again shook hands and said, "Well, I am indeed glad to see 
you." With a "God bless you," Mr. Henderson then bade him adieu. Mr. 
Henderson has 'served in a number of township offices. For fifty-seven years 
he has been a member of the Methodist cTiurch and has lived a consistent 
Christian life. For nineteen years he served in various church offices in 
Westerville, acting as steward there for nineteen years, while for 'Sixteen years 
prior to that time he had also filled the same office in another church. He 
is yet hale and hearty, and it is the wish of his many friends that he may 
be spared for some years to come. He is the oldest surviving member of his 
church, the oldest living citizen in his township and he receives the honor, 
respect and veneration which should ever be accorded to those of his years. 
The children whom he reared are as follows : Charles^, who enlisted in 
1861 as a member of Company C, Fortieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and 
died in Ashland county from exposure and brought home, his remains being 
interred in Franklin county; Abner B., who was engaged in general mer- 



396 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

chandising in Galloway for seventeen years, is now in the same line of busi- 
ness in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and married Stella Colburn ; Margaret iii now the 
wife of Edward Cummins, of Galloway; Rebecca is the wife of D. B. Peters, 
of Galloway; America is the wife of Thomas Gregory, of Franklin county; 
and Florence is the wife of Dr. Melvin M. Moffit, of Washington, D. C, 

DAVID W. ]\IYERS. 

David W. Myers, one of the most reliable and intelligent farmers of 
Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, was born on the old homestead 
there September 26, 1865, and is a representative of an old Pennsylvania 
family. His grandfather, Christian Myers, was a native of that state, born in 
Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and in early life learned the cooper's trade, 
vx^hich he followed many years, and then turned his attention to farming, 
owning and operating a large farm in Letterkenny township, Franklin county, 
Pennsylvania, eight miles from the city of Chambersburg. He was twice 
married, his first wife being Katy Baslior, who survived her marriage only 
a short time. In Franklin county he subsequently wedded Barbara Cobel, 
also a native of Pennsylvania. He died upon his farm in that county in 1853, 
and his wife, who survived him several years, passed away when more than 
eighty years of age. To them were born the following children : John, who 
died in Franklin county, Pennsylvania; Abraham, who was one of the early 
settlers of Truro township, Franklin county, Ohio, where he died April 26, 
1900; Annie, wife of Christian Wingard, of Franklin county, Pennsyl- 
vania; Jacob, who died in that county; Barbara, who married David Stoner 
and died in Illinois; Susan, who married Daniel Kuntz and died in Franklin 
county, Pennsylvania; Christian, who died in Maryland; David, father^ of 
our subject; and Betsey, who became Mrs. Prettyman and died in Maryland. 

D.avid Myers, the father of our subject, was born in Letterkenny town- 
ship, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, December 26, 1826, and received a 
limited literary education. In early life he followed the shoemaker's trade. 
He was married, on the 9th of August, 1853, to Miss Mary Elizabeth 
Fricker, who was born in Amberson's valley, the same county, June 7, 1831, 
and was three years old when her parents moved to Letterkenny township, 
where she grew to womanhood. She attended school conducted in a log 
house, her first teacher being a Mr. Parks, but she disliked study, preferring 
to remain at home and assist her mother in the household duties. Her 
father, Andrew Fricker, was also a native of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, 
and a shoemaker by trade. He married Rebecca Faust, who was born in 
Lurgan township, the same county, a daughter of Philip and Barbara (Rod- 
derbaugh) Faust, and after his marriage located in Amberson's Valley, but 
later moved to Letterkenny township, where he followed his trade until called 
from this life in the spring of 1848, at the age of forty-two years. He also 
engaged in farming to a limited extent, owning a small tract of thirty-four 
acres of land. His wife survived him about eleven years. In their family 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 397 

were four children, namely : Catherine, who married Abraham Shearer and 
died in Franklin county, Pennsylvania; Mary Elizabeth, mother of cur sub- 
ject; Crissie, who died young; and Andrew P., a resident of Delaware county, 
Ohio. Mrs'. Myers' paternal grandfather was Philip Fricker, an only son 
of Andrew Fricker, a well-to-do farmer and miller, whose farm was hi 
Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and whose mill was. just over the Ime in 
Bedford county. 

Soon after his marriage, in 1853, the father of our subject came to 
Franklin county, Ohio, and purchased a small tract of land in Truro town- 
ship, where he made his home for five and a half years, and then^ came to 
Norwich township, where he purchased over ninety acres, on which stood 
a log cabin and stable. In 1874 he erected the house that isi still standing, 
and later added forty-five acres to the original purchase. Politically he was 
first a Whig and later a Democrat, and religiously was a faithful member of 
the River Brethren church. He died April 23, 1887. His widow then took 
charge of affairs, and her children operated the farm for her until 1895. 
The ^family numbered the following: Margaret, at home; John A., who 
married Laura Smith, of Franklin county, is a resident of Putnam county, 
Ohio; Catherine Naomi, who died in infancy; Maria T., who died young; 
David W., our subject; Ezra F., who married Carrie Rogers and lives at 
home; Eva Ann, wife of Charles Glazer, of Putnam county; and Benjamm 
F., who married Anna Miller, also of that county. 

On the home farm David W. Myers passed the days of his boyhood and 
.youth, attending the Milligan school, where he completed his education at 
the ao-e of twenty-one years. During the summer he assisted in the work 
•of the farm and remained at home until his marriage, in 1887, Mis& Annie 
Burkett becoming his wife. She was born in Prairie township, this county, 
in 1868, a daughter of Thomas and Malinda (Hawke) Burkett. Three 
children bless this union, namely: Edna Hazeltine, Flossie Malmda and 
Norman Lester. Mr. and Mrs. Myers began their domestic life upon his 
present farm of forty-five acres, and he has since successfully engaged in 
general farming. He also owns sixty-one acres just across the road, and 
has converted "his land into a highly improved and well cultivated farm, 
whose neat and thrifty appearance denoted the industry, enterprise and pro- 
gressive spirit of the owner. By his ballot Mr. Myers supports the men 
and measures of the Democratic party. 

ALEXAXDFlR PATTON. 

The life of Alexander Patton, who was the mayor of Columbus from 
1845 to 1849, connected the pioneer days of that city with the period of 
active development which immediately preceded the Civil war. 

Mr. Patton was born in Hanover township, Beaver county. Pennsyl- 
vania, March 27. 1791, and after having served his country in the war of 
181 2 emigrated to Columbus:, Ohio, where he arrived July 17, 1813, and 



398 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

located in a log cabin on the east bank of the Scioto river, just south of 
where the Ohio penitentiary now stands. The city was at that time prac- 
tically a wilderness. He had acquired a good education in the schools of 
Pennsylvania and had familiarized himself with the carpenter's trade, and 
he and his brother Michael, who was a member of the first city council 
elected in Columbus, were contractors and builders and were prominent in 
that line until about 1840. They built the public offices for the state on 
High street, north of the old state-house, and many other prominent struc- 
tures of their time. 

Alexander Patton was a justice of the peace of Montgomery township 
eight years., and was for a time at the head of the old volunteer fire depart- 
ment of Columbus. He was elected mayor in 1845 ^nd served ably and hon- 
orai)ly in that office for four years. In religious faith he was a Universalist. 
He married Miss Nancy Green, of Columbus, and had eleven children, all 
of whom are dead except M. Gustavus Patton, who is at this time a citizen 
of the Ohio capital. 

ISAAC GRISWOLD. 

It is not probable that any of the present residents of Franklin county, 
Ohio, under-rate the honor that belongs, to its pioneers. The name of Gris- 
wold is one of the earliest in the history of the township of Blendon, and 
in that history the memory of Isaac Griswold will be kept green until the 
end of time. 

Isaac Griswold was born in Windsor, Comnecticut, October 27, 1779, 
and died in Blendon township July 14, 1869, aged nearly ninety years. The 
Griswold family in America traces its descent to Edward Griswold, born in 
England in 1607, who came to America in 1639 and settled in Connecticut. 
Isaac Griswold married Ursula Clark, who was born January i, 1783, at 
Windsor, Connecticut, and died April 16, 1854, in Blendon township. Moses 
Clark, her father, was a Revolutionary soldier and her mother was a Phelps. 
Isaac Griswold and Ursula Clark were married in Connecticut and began 
their married life there. In 1805, in company with Colonel Kilbourne and 
Edward Phelps, Isaac Griswold made a horseback journsy to Ohio and Mr. 
Phelps and Mr. Griswold located land in Blendon township and returned to 
Connecticut for their families. They came back in the spring oi 1806, with 
wagons and Mr. Griswold drove three yokes of oxen which drew the mem- 
bers of their household and their belongings. One of the earliest settlers 
in the township, he became one of the most prominent and useful. He 
secured two hundred acres of good land which he improved and on which 
he lived until his death. He saw active service as a soldier in the war of 
181 2. In 1824 he secured the establishment of a postoffice at Blendon, as 
his homestead had become known. The business of the office was transacted 
in his house and he was postmaster through all administrations until 1864, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 399 

when he was succeeded by his son Cicero P., who had charge of the office 
until it was aboUshed a few years ago. 

Isaac and Ursula (Clark) Griswold had six children: Isaac 'M. went 
to Illinois early in life and died there at the age of thirty-eight years. Edwin 
B. spent his entire life on his father's farm and died unmarried in 1834, at 
the ao-e of twenty-eight years. Christiana, born in 1808, was the first white 
o-irl born in Blendon township. She married Thomas Shrock and died in 
her native township in January, 1887. Fredus N. was born in Blendon 
township in 181 1 and died there in July, 1881. Cicero P. was born in 
Blendon township in December, 181 5. He was a good business man and 
financier, and he and his brother Fredus, neither of whom married, carried 
on farming operations in connection with their father until the latter's death, 
and afterward managed their own agricultural interests so successfully that 
they left a large estate and considerable money to their sister IMindwell, the 
youngest of the family, who now lives on the old family homestead. Mind- 
well Griswold was born December 19. 1822, and married George B. Clark, 
a native of Knox county, Ohio. Soon after their marriage they removed 
to Iowa, where INIr. Clark died February 17, 1852. Mrs. Clark returned to 
her childhood home, in which she has lived continuously to the present. She 
bore her husband five children : Louisa is the wife of H. Warren Phelps, 
a biographical sketch of whom appears elsewhere in these pages. Edwin 
E., born in April, 1845, died in October, 1893. George W. is a prominent 
business man of Ohio. Eunice is a member of her mother's household. 
Charles W. is a farmer of Sharon township. 

AUSTIN D. BEASLEY, M. D. 

In no other country are young men found so prominently at the front in 
business and professional life as in America. This is undoubtedly due to 
the fact that the public trust is early reposed in them, so that business judg- 
ment is necessarily developed. They learn' to form their plans readily and 
grasp a situation both in detail and general principles and to control it 
advantageously. In professional life many men not yet in their prime have 
attained lasting fame. Among the younger representatives of the medical 
fraternity in Columbus is Dr. A. D. Beasley, who has already gained a 
creditable position among the followers of the calling. 

He was born in Athens county, Ohio, at Amesville. June 6, 1872, and 
is a son of John J. and Mazeppa (Hill) Beasley. His father, a native of 
Ohio, was born and reared in Athens county and after his marriage settled at 
Amesville, dealing extensively in live stock, and a high degree of prosperity 
attended his efforts. Making judicious investments in land he became the 
owner of valuable property in Athens county, affording him excellent pas- 
turage for his stock. He removed to Columbus in 1899, where he is actively 
engaged in buying and shipping wool besides paying considerable attention 
to live stock. He resides at No. 1084 East Main street. His grandfather, 



400 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

George Beasley, was one of the early settlers of Athens county, married 
Mary A. Gardner, and was among the prosperous farmers of that section 
of the state. 

Austin D. Beasley spent the first seventeen years of his life in Athens 
county, Ohio, where he received the rudiments of a good common-school edu- 
cation. Later he entered Marietta College, where for four years he dili- 
gently pursued his studies, and then, with a good literary knowledge to serve 
as a foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of professional learn- 
ing, he began reading medicine under the direction of Dr. Frank Warner, of 
the capital city, professor of operative surgery in Starling Medical College. 
He completed his studies and was graduated at that institution in 1897, when 
he opened an office on East Main street, where he has already gained a good 
professional clientage. 

JOSEPH CLAPHAM. 

Joseph Clapham, who in an early day w^as identified with educational 
interests in Ohio and through a long period has been interested in farming 
pursuits, now resides in Genoa township, Delaware county, but is so well' 
known in Franklin county that he may well be termed one of the representa- 
tive citizens, of his community. He was born in Welton, Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, October 20. 18 16, and is a son of Joseph and Sarah (Hudson) Clap- 
ham. Of their family of nine children our subject is the only one who now 
survives. He entered Central College in order to pursue his education and 
during that period .boarded at home. After two years spent in that school 
Professor Washburn thought him competent to teach and he secured a school 
in Piqua, Ohio, where he followed his profession for five months. He then 
returned to Central College, continuing one of its students through the suc- 
ceeding season and in the following winter he taught a six-months term of 
school in Piqua. Wishing to add still more to his knowledge, he again 
matriculated in Central College, where he completed his education the fol- 
lowing term, after which he taught two more terms of school in Piqua. 

In 1 84 1 he went to Illinois, where for nine months he engaged in teach- 
ing in the neighborhood of Springfield. The following year he went to 
Iowa, spending eleven months in the city of Dubuque, during wdiich time 
he was connected with various pursuits. In the fall of 1843 he returned 
home and in the succeeding winter he engaged in teaching in his home dis- 
trict. In 1844 he took up his; residence in Columbus and began driving a 
team for A. H. Pinney, a contractor in the prison. After six months here 
passed he was united in marriage to Miss Candace C. Wilcox, a native of 
Franklin county, Ohio, and a daughter of Tracey Wilcox, who came from 
Connecticut, his native state, to Franklin county, Ohio, casting in his lot 
with its early settlers. 

The marriage was celebrated November 2, 1844, and soon afterw^ard 
JMr. Clapham settled on the old Thomas Engle farm, just north of Wester- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 40i 

ville where he engaged in the operation of rented land for three years. 
S bsequently he devoted his time and attention to the cultivation of the Will- 
--m Tarp farm for a year and then removed east of Worthmg on, wheie 
hcarrtd'on agricultural pursuits on the AH. Pinney ^-^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ 
On the expiration of that period he took up his residence on the G W. Hart 

arn in Blendon township, where he carried on the tilling of the soil tor tour 
years' and n 1856 he removed' to his present farm in Delaware tcwnship^ 
\? that time the place comprised one hundred and fifty-three acres, which 
was th pr'pe ty of Mr. Clapham's father. Later it was willed to our sub- 

ec and Ins'brother Thomas, and the former has since resided o. the p ace. 
^ The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Clapham was blessed with six children, 
four of whom are yet living, namely : William, a gardener residing at Marys- 
vill , Umon county, Ohio; John, of Baldwm City, _ Kansas ; Chaun^^y, a 
farmer of Davison county. South Dakota; and Jennie, the wife of Martm 
Rodo-ers of Harlem township, Delaware county. One son. George, now 
deceased', was a twin brother of John. Exercising his. right ot tranchise 
in suDPort of the men and measures of the Republican partv, ^Ir. Clapham 
has always been a stalwart advocate of its principles, and for one term served 
as trustee of his township. He is a member of the Bapti^ church and 
throuo-h several years filled the office of deacon. In 1880 he was called upon 
to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the ist of July of that year, and 
since that time he has never married, but has remained true to her memory 
His residence in Ohio covers, the greater part of the nineteenth century, and 
during the long period he has taken just pride in the development and progress 
of the state and has assisted in many material ways m upbuilding and 
improving the county with which he is associated. 

GUSTAVUS H. OCHS. 

Germany has contributed much in thrift, industry and progressiveness 
to the good citizenship of America. Ohio has shared in this contribution and 
Franklin county has been peculiarly favored in it. The name of Ochs has 
long been known in old Montgomery township and in Marion township^^and is 
worthily represented in Marion township to-day by Gustavus H. Ochs, a 
prominent farmer and citizen whose homestead is on section 22. 

Herman C. Ochs, father of Gustavus H. Ochs, was born m Germany 
in 1798 and came to America and lived for a time in Indiana. From Indi- 
ana he came to Franklin county, Ohio, and took up a half-section of land in 
Montgomery (now" Marion) township, where he died at the age of seventy- 
five years. Settling in the woods he chopped down trees with which to budd 
a cabin, which he erected on the site of the present residence of Gustavus H. 
Ochs and which is a portion of that residence. Matilda Hinsey, who_ mar- 
ried Herman C. Ochs, was also a native of Germany and was reared in the 
"fatherland." She bore her husband a son and a daughter. Gustavus H. 
Ochs, who is the only one of his father's family living, was only two years 



402 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

old when he was brought to the locaHty which has since been his home and 
was only eight years old when his good mother died. He was reared after 
the manner of farmer boys of his day and generation and was educated in 
the public schools of his township and at German and other schools in 
Columbus. After the death of his first wife Herman C. Ochs married her 
sister, who bore him no children, but who, having charge of Gustavus from 
the time he was eight years old, gave to him all the love of a mother and 
was held in affection by him as such. She lived to be eighty-nine years old 
and died regretted by all who had known her. 

Gustavus H. Ochs was married, at the age of twenty-seven to Sophia 
Goebelein, who died a year and a half after their marriage, leaving no chil- 
dren. He is a member of the Lutheran church and in political affiliation 
is a Democrat, but does not adhere strictly to party lines in local elections. 
Born and reared in the county, his life has been like an open book to his 
fellow citizens and he is held in highest esteem by those who know him best. 
His farm consists of one hundred and fifteen acres, twenty acres of which 
lies within the limits of the city of Columbus, the remainder just outside of 
the corporation line. He gives his attention to general farming and is an 
extensive grower of corn, oats and wheat. For about thirty-five years he 
has made a specialty of dairying, but since the year 1887 he has devoted his 
time to farming only, 

RICHARD J. GARDINER. 

One of the prominent business men of Columbus, Ohio, is Richard J. 
Gardiner, who is the efficient secretary of the Builders and Traders Exchang'e, 
of Columbus, and the subject of this review. He was born in Chillicothe, 
Ohio, June 6, 1862, and is the son of Richard J. Gardiner, who was born in 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 18 18. For a number of years he was an 
expert accountant in his native city. Coming to Ohio, he married Mar- 
garet Ryan, of Chillicothe, a daughter of one of the early settlers of that 
city, James Ryan, and remained here until his death, in 1890, his wife having 
passed away in 1872. 

Our subject was educated in the public schools of Chillicothe, passing 
through the high school, later entering into business life in a mercantile 
house in that city. Following his first experience Mr. Gardiner became a 
commercial traveler for the firm of R. H. Patterson & Company. 

In 1895 our subject came to Columbus and engaged in various lines, 
finally accepting the position of secretary for the Columbus Builders and 
Traders' Exchange, holding this responsible post at the present time and effi- 
ciently performing the duties. The position is no sinecure, it requiring a 
comprehensive knowledge of details of the business not only in Columbus 
but all other large cities in other states. Mr. Gardiner has mastered these 
details and his place could not be easily supplied. 

In 1882 our subject was married to Miss Susan E. Roberts, of Chilli- 



""-^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 403 

cothe a daughter of William E. and Susan (Dresbach) Roberts, and four 
children have been born of this union —Margaret A., Lyle J., Katherine M. 
and Fred R. The family possesses the esteem of a large circle of friends. 

JESSE WALTON. 

A prominent farmer and an old settler of Franklin township, Frankbn 
county Ohio, is Jesse Walton, who was born in Moreland township, Mont- 
o-omerv county, Pennsylvania, November 6, 181 2, a son of Gilbert Walton, 
who Was a soldier in the war of 1812. The grandfather was Daniel Wal- 
ton, an early settler in the colonies, and his father, George Walton, was one 
of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The death of Gilbert 
Walton took place in Pennsylvania when he was fifty-six years of age, his 
wife, Mary A. (Rapsher) Walton, surviving him until the age of seventy- . 
six. ' A family of nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Walton, but our 
subject is the only member still living. 

Jesse Walton was taken to Bucks county, Pennsylvania, by his parents 
when he was about twelve years of age, and his early education was acquired 
in that county, where the family remained for four years, later returning 
to Montgomel-y county. At the age of seventeen Mr. Walton began as an 
apprentice to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner, following it for four 
years. He worked as a journeyman four years after finishing his apprentice- 
ship, and then engaged in contracting, which he successfully followed for a 
period of tweLve years. In 1849 he came to Franklin county, buying the 
place where he now resides, although at that time he had to build his cabin of 
logs in the woods. He immediately began clearing it up, fencing and cultivat- 
ing the land until now the tract is one of the finest in Franklin county. 

On the 29th of December, 1836, Mr. Walton married Miss Mary A. 
Puff, a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, born November 7, 18 15, who 
nobly assisted her husband in their pioneer life in Franklin county, and still 
survives, at the age of eighty-five years, a beloved and honored member of a 
most estimable family. 

The sons and daughters who have arisen around the hearth of Mr. and 
Mrs. Walton numbered twelve, and now they and their children make happy 
the declining years of their parents. Their names are : John, who married 
Florence Edwards, has four children,— Zaida, Charles, Ancil and Gertrude; 
Hannah, William and Wesley, deceased; Louisa; Gilbert, who married first 
Flora Julian and had one son named Mark E., and for his second wife married 
Lillian E. Dougherty; Edwin, who married Mary Weatherman and has 
four children,— Wilber, Otto, Dora and Bell ; Elizabeth, who married William 
Keyser and lives at home; Mary A., who married Warren Julian and has two 
children, — Walter and Bertha ; Morris, who married Carrie Sheperd and has 
one daughter, Ruth; and Amanda and Emma, deceased. 

The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the marriage of Mr. and 
Mrs. Jesse Walton at their home near Columbus, Ohio, December 29, 1886, 



404 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. > 

was a very pleasant occasion. A larg^e number of relatives were present, 
and after the letters from absent ones were read and a few remarks were made 
by their pastor, an elegant dinner was served. Mr. and Mrs. Walton are held 
in the highest regard by all who know them and they received loving testi- 
monials from those present. Of their immediate relatives there were with 
them on this occasion a brother and two sisters of Mr. Walton's. — seven 
children and twelve grandchildren. The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Wal- 
ton will be glad to hear of their continued health and happiness. 

When Mr, Walton fiTst exercised his political franchise he voted the 
Democratic ticket, later changing to the Republican party, and his conscien- 
tious scruples against the liquor trade has convinced him that the safety of 
the country rests only in the Prohibition party. Both he and his estimable 
wife are valued and consistent members of the Methodist church, of which 
he has been a member for the long space of sixty-five years, having held all 
of the lay offices and had been ever ready with purse or influence to further the 
cause of Christianity. In his declining years he can look back upon a life of 
honest toil and enjoy the universal respect of those with whom he has lived 
so long. 

LAWRENCE H. COTT. 

That honorable ambition to excel which is everywhere recognized as a 
creditable American characteristic has brought many a man from an humble 
beginning to a place of prominence in private and public affairs. Such ad- 
vancement in life is due to the survival of that which is best in business honor 
and business methods and to the recognition of faithfulness in small things 
by the advancement of men tried and true to have jurisdiction over larger 
ones. These thoughts have been suggested by the successful career of Law- 
rence H. Cott, director of public accounts for the city of Columbus, Ohio. 

Mr. Cott is a son of Christopher and Mary E. (Brown) Cott. His 
father, a native of England, came to the United States, and became a miller 
in Pennsylvania. At the outbreak of our Civil war, though of foreign birth, 
he offered his life in defense of the Union. Lawrence H. Cott was born in 
Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, August 14, 1858, and his mother died 
soon after giving him birth. By the untimely death of his father he was 
fully orphaned, but he was given a home with relatives in Huntingdon 
county, who afforded him opportunities for a good common-school educa- 
tion and with whom he remained until 1872, when he came to Columbusi, 
where he formed a connection with a view to acquiring a practical knowledge 
of the printing trade. It was not long, however, before the condition of 
his health demanded a change of occupation, and he entered the employ of 
the Hocking Valley Railroad Company at Columbus and was soon pro- 
moted to be chief clerk in the office of its auditor, which position he held- 
for twelve years. In 1899 he was appointed, by Mayor Swartz, the director 
of accounts for the city of Columbus for a term of two years. For this 
position hisi long experience in auditing railway accounts peculiarly fitted 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 405 

him and his administration of the office has marked him as distinctively "the 

"^'^r^C^t's^-^-^ influential Repuhlican, who fuhy indorses the 
T^olicv of the present administration and is a firm believer n. the enlai-ged 
^?nrv and usefulness; of American civilization, for he firmly believes that 
n ooTeSve meifc^^ find an adequate field for action only m a thoroughly 
^ oo- ve countrv, and he sees nothing but promise of better thn.gs to the 
down trodden and^mfortunate in the planting of the stars and stripes m any 
part of ?he world. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the 
T^enevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 

In 1888 Mr Cott married Miss Elizabeth Sinclair, daughter of Richard 
Sincla r a prominent and highly respected old resident of Columbus, and 
to m1- and Mrs. Cott have been born four children,-Margaret, Lucile, 
Richard and Elizabeth. 

HON. CHARLES MERION. 

/\mon- the most prominent and influential citizens of Franklin county 
is Charles Slerion, who resides on South High street, Marion township, only 
one mile south of Columbus. At the present time he is ably representing his 
district in the state legislature, and is one of the public-spirited citizens to 
whose energv and foresight Franklin county is indebted for rnany^ improve- 
ments While Mr. Merion, as a prosperous business man, hasi given close 
attention to his private affairs, he has never forgotten or ignored the bond 
of common interest which should unite the people of every community and 
has always been ready to promote progress in every Ime^ 

Mr Merion was born in Columbus, February 24, 1857. and traces his 
ancestry back to Nathaniel Merion, who was born in Massachusetts, and 
married Thankful Withington, in 1749- Their son Nathame was_ married 
in the same state, December 19, 1776, to Lydia Gay. Nathaniel Merion (3d) 
was born in Columbus, Ohio, February 16, 1814, and married Nathlme Wat- 
kins, in November, 1846. The fourth of the family to bear the name of 
Nathaniel is, the son of our subject. William Merion, the grandfather of 
our subject, was born on High street, Columbus, September 10, 1811, and 
was reared upon a farm where the city now stands. • r- 1 t. 

Charles S. Merion, our subject's father, was also born in Columbus, 
on Christmas; day, 18^ q, and almost his entire life has been passed m this 
county. He pursued Ws studies in the schools of Montgomery township, 
now the city of Columbus, and throughout his active business life has fol- 
lowed farming and gardening. Since 1857 he has made his home "pon his 
present farm in what is now Marion township. The year previous; he had 
wedded Miss Marv L. Fisher, who was born in a little log cabin near the 
canal in Marion township, and was reared and educated m the city of Colum- 
bus. By this union there were two children: Charles, our subject; and 
Sarah, now deceased. After the death of his. first wife the father married 



4o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

]\Iiss Mattie Walton, of Pleasant Corners. He is a Republican in politics 
and a man highly respected and esteemed by all who know him. 

The early education which our subject acquired in the district schools 
near his boyhood home hasi been greatly supplemented by more advanced 
study. For one year he attended the Ohio Central Normal School at Worth- 
ington, and later was a student at Baldwin University and the State Univer- 
sity. For five years he successfully engaged in teaching school in Marion 
township, and was then connected with the wholesale dry-goodsi house of 
Green, Joyce & Company for two years. While engaged in that business 
his health failed and he returned to the home farm in 1884. Since then he 
has followed dairy and general farming, and his labors have been crowned 
with success. 

At Columbus, on the 20th of May, 1886, was celebrated the marriage 
of Mr. Merion and Miss Emma Kienzle, a native of that city and a daughter 
of John and Mary Kienzle, old settlers of this county. The father is a re- 
tired shoe dealer of Columbus. Mrs. Merion was graduated at the high 
school of that city in 1880, and by her marriage has become the mother of 
four children : Grace, Harry, Nathaniel and Mary. 

In his social relationsi Mr. Merion is a member of Junia Lodge. No. 
474, I. O. O. F., and the Encampment, and also of Custer Council, J. O. U. 
A. M. For about twelve years he was a member of the Ohio National 
Guards. After serving two years as private he was elected first lieutenant, 
in 1880, of Company F, Fourteenth Regiment, and five years later was made 
captain of his company, in which capacity he served until his retirement in 
1890. Politically he is a stanch Republican, and was the candidate of his 
party for state representative in 1891, but was defeated. Two years later, 
however, he was elected to that office, and in 1899 was re-elected, being the 
present incumbent. As a citizen he meets every requirement and manifests 
a commendable interest in everything calculated to promote the welfare of 
his native county. 

LINUS B. KAUFFMAN. 

The value of the German element in our American citizenship has been 
many times demonstrated in every city in the Union and not less strikingly 
in every village, hamlet and township. Itsi exemplification comes to the 
surface again when we come to consider the antecedents and successful 
career of Linus B. KaufTman, director of public improvements at Columbus, 
Ohio. Mr. Kaufifman was born at Lancaster, Ohio, June 11, 1858, a son of 
George and Henrietta (Beecher) Kauffman. His father, a native of Ger- 
many, came to Ohio in 1818 and settled at Lancaster, where he became a 
prominent and successful business man and was identified with many leading 
interests. He was a druggist by profession and for a number of vears 
conducted one of the leading drug stores at Lancaster, where he died in 
1866. His widow is now a resident of Columbus. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 407 

Linus B. Kauffman acquired his primary education in the pubhc schools 
of Lancaster and was prepared for college in that town. He was graduated 
from the Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, in 1877, and in a special 
course at Amherst, in 1878. He read law with the Hon. William Davidson, 
of Lancaster, Ohio, and then for the benefit of his health sought the climate 
of the mountains of Montana, where he remained for two years. Returning 
to Ohio, he engaged in the wholesale drug trade at Columbus and is a mem- 
ber of the well-known drug firm of The Kauffman-Lattimer Company, 
whose substantial brick store at the northwest corner of Front and Chestnut 
streets, has come to be a landmark of the city. The company is financially 
one of the stanch firms of Columbus and the purity of its goods and its 
honest, accommodating businessi methods have made it popular with the trade. 

Mr. Kauffman is an active and unswerving Republican whose influence 
is respected and whose counsel is sought by the leaders in his; party. In 
1899 he was appointed director of public improvements for the city of Colum- 
bus, and in the performance of the duties of that position controls and directs 
all public works within the city limits. In the administration of his office, 
so important to the taxpayers of the city, the best judgment and highest 
degree of honor are demanded, and he has; brought to bear upon the discharge 
of his duties admirable ability, tact and discretion, which have given him an 
enviable place in the esteem of his fellow citizens. He is a Mason of wide 
acquaintance and influence, having been raised to the sublime degree of 
Master Mason, exalted to the august degree of Royal Arch Mason, con- 
stituted, dubbed and created a Knight Templar and created a member 
of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is 
also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, In 1884* 
he married Miss Clara Norton, of Springfield, Ohio, a daughter of Thomas 
and Clara (Foos) Norton. 

Mr. Kauffman's standing in the business and commercial circles of 
Columbus is deservedly high, his judgment in all public affairs is respected 
and his honesty in official life is as unquestionable as it is in private life. 
Genial, whole-souled and companionable, he makes friends of all with whom 
he comes in contact, and in every relation of life he has proved himself 
reliable and helpful, patriotic and progressive to an admirable degree. 

JOSEPH DAUBEN. 

Among the well known architects residing in the city of Columbus, Ohio, 
is Joseph Dauben, the subject of this sketch, whose ability has been shown 
in some of the most beautiful and imposing structures ever erected in this 
city, noted for its fine buildings. 

Mr. Dauben was born in the city of Cologne, Germany, August 28, 1848, 
and was the son of Joseph and Catherine Dauben, both natives of the same 
country. His father held government positions in Germany for many years, 
dying while in the service. 



408_ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Onr subject received a very liberal education, first in attendance upon the 
schools of his neighborhood, later entering the gymnasiuni, and still later the 
great academy building in Berlin, Germany, at which he graduated in- 1869. 
The bent of Mr. Dauben's mind seemed toward architecture, hence he was 
apprenticed to the profession and studied under the supervision of a noted 
architect at Cologne. 

In 1 871 Mr. Dauben came to America, reaching Chicago just after the 
great devastating fire, and here he found ample opportunity for the exercise 
of his ability, as the work of rebuilding was already under way. He was 
called upon to do much in the line of draughting plans, the result of his 
labors now being displayed in many of the immense structures which adorn the 
city of Chicago. He made that city the scene of his labors for six years, com- 
ing to Columbus in 1877, where he entered the office of George H. Maetzel,with 
whom he remained for three years, after which he formed a partnership with 
Mir. Maetzel, this continuing until the time of the latter's death, in 1892. 
In 1893 Mr. Dauben movedi his business to the Eberly block, and here is 
well prepared for his special line of work, the quarters being spacious and 
well lighted. During the twenty-three years that Mr. Dauben has been a res- 
ident of this city he has drawn plans for many of the notable buildings which 
please and attract the stranger, while they gratify the pride of the citizens. 
Among those where he has had opportunity to display his talent are : the 
Franklin county court-house; the Franklin county jail; the Franklin county 
infirmary; St. Anthony hospital; the Wirthwain block; the John Schmidt 
block; the (residence of L. P. Hoster and brewery of L. Hoster & Company; 
also the Madison county court-house, at London, Ohio; the Shelby county 
court-house, at Sidney, Ohio; the Allen county court-house, at Lima, Ohio, 
and numerous business houses, blocks and dwellings. Following the election 
of Alayor Allen, Mr. Dauben was appointed building inspector of this city, 
an appointment peculiarly suitable and to the satisfaction of the residents of 
Columbus. Also he held the same position under Mayor Black. 

In 1877 Mr. Dauben married Miss Augusta Meyer, of Chicago, Illinois, 
and three children have been born, — Walter H., Hypollite and John W. 

JOHN MURPHY PUGH. 

No biographical work professing to include any considerable number 
of names of men of prominence and influence at Columbus, Ohio, could omit 
the name of John Murphy Pugh, who was born in Truro township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, November 7, 1823, a son of David and Jane (Murphy) Pugh. 
His father was a native of Radnorshire, Wales, and his mother was born in 
Franklin county, Pennsylvania. David Pugh came from Wales to Balti- 
more, Maryland, and after living there went to Ohio and founded the Welsh 
settlement of Radnor in Delaware county, in the midst of a wilderness, and 
the first white child born there was his nephew, who died recently at the 
age of eighty-seven. In 18 14 the family moved to Truro township, where 




JOHN M. PUGH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 409 

Jane (Murphy) Pugh died, in :MarcIi, 1857, and David Pugh in October 
following. 

John M. Pugh received his early education in a typical log schoolhouse 
and was for a time a student at Central College. When he was about twenty 
years old he began teaching school on the Black Lick, east of Columbus^ for 
eio-ht dollars a month and his board, which latter had to be taken around at 
the homes of his pupils. He located in Columbus September 4, 11848, and on 
that date began reading law under the direction of Major Samuel Brush, who 
was a leading lawyer in his day, and was admitted to the bar in 185 1, when 
the oath was administered to him in the old United States courthouse by Hon. 
Peter Hitchcock, judge of the supreme court. He was for two years a clerk 
in the county auditor's office and for the succeeding two years a clerk in the 
office of the county treasurer. This four years' s'ervice covered a period 
before and after his admission to the bar. His first political office was that 
of township clerk, to which he was elected by a majority of one hundred and 
fifty-nine, as a Democrat, in a Whig township whose usual party majority 
was six hundred. In 1853 he was chosen to the office of county auditor, 
which he filled, for four years. 

He then retired from official life to practice law, in association with 
Major Brush, and they were law partners until 1858, when Alajor Brush 
removed to New York. After that he and the Hon. L. J. Critchfield were 
law partners until 1863, when Mr. Pugh was elected judge of the probate 
court of Franklin county. He held this office continuously by re-election until 
1879, when he resumed the practice of his profession. He was a member 
of the state board of agriculture for six years, and during two years of that 
time was its president. He was for eleven years treasurer and for three 
years president of the Franklin County Agricultural Society. He^ was 
appointed by Governor Allen and reappointed by Governors Hayes and Bishop 
trustee of the State Reform School for Boys at Lancaster, Ohio, and per- 
formed the responsible duties of that office for five years. The board con- 
trolling this institution was remodeled by legislative enactment during Mr. 
Pugh's last term, and a new set of trustees was appointed. For two years 
Mr. Pugh was a member of the intermediate penitentiary board. Largely 
through Mr. Pugh's efforts, while he was a member of the county agricult- 
ural society, the present Franklin Park was bought for county fair purposes, 
and to Mr. Pugh as a member of the state board of agriculture is due the 
credit of having secured the permanent location of the Ohio state fair at 
Columbus. 

On Christmas eve, 1851, I^Ir. Pugh married Martha F. Cook, who died 
November 16, 1881. They had eight children, named as follows in the order 
of their nativity: Martha J., who is Mrs'. James P. Curry; William D.. 
John C. L., Serene E., Sarah, Addie E., James and Lovell. July 22. 1885, 
Mr. Pugh married Elizabeth M. Bradley, of Steubenville, Ohio, and they 
have one daughter, Helen C. Mr. Pugh has pas?ed all the chairs in the sub- 
ordinate bodies of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 



4IO CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ALVIN COE. 

This well-known farmer of Clinton township was born there April 17, 
1824, and is a representative of one of the oldest families of Franklin county, 
being a son of Ransom and Elizabeth (Beers) Coe. The father was a na- 
tive of Hartford county, Connecticut, and a son of Denman and Mary (Nor- 
throp) Coe, who were also born in that state and about 1802 came to Ohio 
with teams and wagons. Upon their arrival in Franklin county they took 
up their residence in the village of Worthington. Denman Coe was a schol- 
arly man, being well educated in the schools; of the east, and was a lawyer 
by profession. He became the pioneer attorney of this county, but owing 
to the unsettled condition of the country at that time his practice here was 
limited and he adopted teaching as a supplementary work, being one of the 
first school teachers of this region. He also engaged in civil engineering to 
some extent, and made the survey of the first road between Columbus and 
Cleveland. He owned quite a large body of land and deeded his children 
one hundred acres each. During the Revolutionary war he served faithfully 
and well in a brio-ade of Long Island troops under command of General 
iWashington. He made his home in Worthington until 1826, when he 
started for Pennsylvania, but before reaching that state died. His widow 
spent her last days at the home of her son Ransom in Clinton toAvnship, 
where her death occurred. In their family were fourteen children, four sons 
and ten daughters, all now deceased. 

On reaching man's estate Ransom Coe married Elizabeth Beers, a 
daughter of David and Elizabeth (Schleigal) Beers, who came to this county 
at an early day from Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, where her mother was 
born. Mr. Beersi was a native of Scotland. To Mr. and Mrs. Coe were 
born six children: Henry; Salinda, wife of Robert Stewart; Rachel, wife 
of Leander Stone; Lavillo, wife of John Ackerman; Alvin, our subject; and 
Almon, who is represented on another page of this volume. After his mar- 
riage the father purchased a farm in Clinton township, but after residing 
there for a few years he bought another place one mile west of North Colum- 
bus, where his son Almon F. now resides. Here he spent the remainder 
of his life. As a tiher of the soil he met with success and accumulated a 
handsome property. During the war of 181 2 he served under General Har- 
rison. Although quiet and unassuming in manner, he made many friends;, 
and was highly respected for his sterling qualities of manhood. His death 
occurred in October, 1855, and his wife passed away February i, 1868. 

During his boyhood Alvin Coe attended the common schools then in 
vogue, and was; reared on his father's farm. He married Emily F. Spencer, 
and to them were born four children: Elma M., deceased; George S., a 
farmer of Clinton township; Clementine; and Henry A., also a farmer 
of Clinton township. The wife and mother died February 28, 1894, at the 
age of sixty-seven years. 

Mr. Coe began his married life upon the farm in Clinton township 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 41 1 

where he now resides. It comprises ninety-eight acres of highly cultivated 
and well-improved land, and in its operation he has met with excellent suc- 
cess. He has been able to give his children a good start in life, owning 
before the division of his property four hundred acres of valuable land. 

DAVID S. SEELEY. 

One of the best known insurance men in Eranklin county is David S. 
Seeley, of Westerville, who was born near Saratoga Springs, New York, 
May 20, 1836, a son of Rev. John V. K. Seeley, who is living just across the 
county line in Delaware county, Ohio. John V. K. Seeley was born in 
Schoharie county. New York, February 13, 18 14, a son of David Seeley, 
who was born near Milford, Connecticut, and was brought to Saratoga 
county by his parents when twelve years old. Later the family located near 
Carlisle, in Schoharie county, and there David Seeley lived until his death, 
which occurred wdien he was seventy-five years of age. He was an ofificer 
in the New York state militia before the war of 18 12, but was prevented from 
taking part in that struggle by ill health. He was a self-made man, and his 
life was crowned with a high degree of success. He was a consistent mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. Jesse and Louisa Seeley, his parents, 
removed_ to New York at an early day, and both died there, the father at the 
age of eighty-four years. They were active members of the Baptist church. 
The father of Jesse Seeley was killed in the Revolutionary war under circum- 
stances of peculiar atrocity. Wounded in the leg by a British bullet, he 
found shelter in a barn, only to be murdered by Tories. He was a native of 
Connecticut and of Scotch descent. David Seeley married Ursula Sweetman. 
a native of Saratoga county. New York, who lived to be about seventy-eight 
years of age, dying in the faith of the Presbyterian church, in which she 
was a life-long member. Her twelve children all grew to manhood and 
wom'anhood, and all had families. Rev. J. V. K. Seeley was the fourth 
in order of birth. He remained at home until he was twelve years old, and 
after that lived with his grandfather until his marriage, in 1835, to Miss 
Harriet E. Sanders, a native of Saratoga county, New York, and a life-long 
Baptist. She died in 1869, having borne her husband a family of nine children. 
After his marriage. Rev. John V. K. Seeley removed with his wife to 
Litchfield township, Medina county, Ohio, where he bought fifty acres of 
wood land, which he improved and lived upon for thirty years. He took up 
preaching when well advanced in life, and was duly ordained at the age of 
fifty-one years. He preached in country churches and at Medina for about 
eight years. He afterward preached at Clyde, Sandusky county, for five 
years. In 1885, he bought thirteen acres of land where he now lives, on which 
he erected a house and otherwise improved his land. Now, in his eighty- 
sixth year, he is still active and able to attend to his business interests, which 
comprise the management of his farm and the handling of his modest cap- 
ital, some of wdiich he loans on approved securities. He became a Republican 



4 1 2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

on the organization of the party, and voted with that party for many years, 
but he also gave much time to deHvering lectures on temperance, his tem- 
perance work gradually leading hun into the ranks of the Jb'rohibition party. 
He united with the Baptist church when he was about twenty years of age, and 
now, sixty-six years later, he goes every pleasant Sunday to meetings at Cen- 
tral College. According to the traditions of his family, his grandfather, Eiizur 
Averill, served four years in the Revolutionary war. 

John V. K. and Harriet E. (Sanders) Seeley had nine children, four 
of whom died young. On the 2d of January, 1871, Mr. Seeley married Har- 
riet A. Sheldon, wiho was born near Rochester, New York, and came in 
childhood to Medina county, Ohio. The five of Mr. Seelely's children who 
are living are: David S., Phoebe L., Chester L., Talmage and Ida R. David 
S., the first born, was only three or four months old when his parents brought 
him to Ohio. He was ireared to farm labor and received such educational 
advantages as were available to him in his locality. He had charge of his 
father's farm until he was twenty-seven years old and then became interested 
in insurance. In the fall of 1863 he secured the agency of the Ohio Farmers' 
Insurance Company, for central Ohio. He lived near Litchfield, Medina 
county, Ohio, and many times walked in the night thirteen miles to take the 
train for Columbus in pursuit of his business. In 1873 he moved to- Gahanna, 
Franklin county, where he lived for three years. He removed to Westerville, 
in this county, m 1876, to educate his son, and, made that town the head- 
quarters of his insurance business, gradually becoming identified with other 
business interests there. During the first six years of his work as an insur- 
ance solicitor he walked from village to village and from farm to farm rep- 
resented the claims of his; company and laid the foundation for a business 
which in time afforded better facilities for its prosecution. He now main- 
tains an insurance office at Westerville and another at Columbus, and does a 
very large business. He was one of the organizers and is vice-president of 
the Bank of Westerville and also owns four farms oi" between five hundred 
and six hundred acres, in Medina county, Ohio, which represents his earnings 
as a business man. He is a member of the Ohio Farmers' Insurance Com- 
pany's Agents' Association, and has watched the development of agricultural 
insurance in Ohio closely, being probably as well informed on the subject 
as any other man. His experiences in the days when! he traveled on foot 
through Franklin, Fairfield, Madison, Perry and Pickaway counties, and 
''staged it" before there were any railroads in his territory, are interesting. 

Mr. Seeley married Miss Augusta L. Lefifingwell, a native of Whittlesey, 
Medina county, Ohio, who at the time of their marriage lived in Litchfield. 
They have one son, Leland R., who has charge of his father's insurance 
office at Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Seeley are members of the Baptist church, 
and Mr. Seeley, who is one of the best known men in the county and a 
leading man at Westerville, is an active Republican. Pie has been a member 
of the board of health of Westerville for twenty years and for eighteen years 
has been a member and for several years president of the board of education. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 4 « 3 

He is a man of influence in all public matters, and the value of his practical 
judgment in business affairs has been many times recognized by request for 
advice concerning the business affairs of others. He obtained his knowledge 
of the value of farm property by methods at once laborious and thorough, 
and there are few men in Ohio who are better informed concerning country 
insurance and all the conditions which affect it than is Mr. Seeley. His public 
spirit is always evident and there is no movement promising the benefit of the 
community in which he lives to which he does not give his generous support. 
His interest in public education has been shown in many practical ways and 
has resulted in the elevation of the standard of education in his township. 
He is particularly open-handed in his assistance to church and evangelical 
work. 

CHARLES F. TURKEY, M. D. 

For twenty years Dr. Turney has engaged in the practice of medicine 
in Columbus, and has demonstrated his ability by the success which has 
attended his ministrations. He was born in Mifflin township, Franklin 
county, on the 3d of October, 1856, and is a son of George Ridenour and 
Cynthia (Penney) Turney. His grandfather, Daniel Turney, was a native 
of Pennsylvania, married Susan Ridenour, and in 181 2 came to Franklin 
county, Ohio, erecting a log cabin in the midst of the forest. Here he 
experienced the pleasures and hardships of pioneer life and aided in laying 
the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of the county. His 
son, George R. Turney, was born in this county on the 23d of March, 1812, 
shortly after the arrival of his parents, so that he was reared amid the 
wild scenes of the frontier. He wedded Miss Cynthia Penney, who was 
born in Blendon township, Franklin county, June 17, 1832, a daughter of 
Grove and Mary (Cummings) Penney. The former was an honored pioneer 
of Franklin county, and after his marriage located in Blendon township, 
where he followed the occupation of farming. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Turney 
were born the following named : Lee M. ; Charles Fremont, of this review ; 
Cora, the wife of Dr. H. L. Ayer. of Columbus; Fay, a farmer residing on 
the old homestead; Shirley, wife of Homer P. Dean; and George L., who 
also .carries on agricultural pursuits. 

Dr. Turney was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads, early be- 
coming familiar with the work of developing the fields. For a time he 
attended the district schools and afterward entered Central College, his 
studiesi there being supplemented by several terms of attendance at Otter- 
bein University. Later he engaged in teaching school for a time and subse- 
quently took up the study of medicine in the office and under the direction 
of Dr. Abner Andrews, of Westerville, Ohio. His professional learning 
was further supplemented by a course in the Starling Medical College, where 
he was graduated in 1880, after which he located in Columbus and began 
practice. In the years which have since followed he has by persistent enter- 
prise, close application and as a result of his comprehensive knowledge, 



414 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

worked his way steadily upward until he has left the ranks of the many to 
stand among the successful few. 

In 1880 the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Lorena Ferris, who 
died in March, 1881, leaving a son, Lewelyn, who died at the age of 
eleven years. The Doctor married for his second wife Susan Ada Cook, 
a daughter of John C. Cook, of Delaware county, Ohio, where she was born 
and reared. Their union has been blessed with one daughter, Loa Eola. 

Socially Dr. Turney is connected with Columbus Lodge, No. 30, F. & 
A. M., and professionally he is identified with the Columbus Academy of 
Medicine, the Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Asso- 
ciation. 

JOSEPH HERD. 

At a very early period in the development of Ohio, when the land was 
uncultivated, railroads were unknown, and the work of progress and civili- 
zation seemed scarcely begun, the Herd family was established in Franklin 
county. Joseph Herd took up his abode in Clinton township in the year 
1859. He is a native of England, his birth having occurred in Lincolnshire, 
in the year 1825. He was there reared upon a farm and earlv became 
familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. 
The work of field and meadow continued to occupy his time and attention 
until 1855, when he came to America, locating first in Illinois, where he 
remained for three years. In 1859 he took up his abode in Clinton township, 
and in 1862 purchased ten and a half acres of land, upon which he has since 
lived. He now owns a good farm of thirty-six acres, all of which is well 
improved, being under a high state of cultivation, its productive condition 
being continued through the rotation of crops. 

Mr. Herd was married before he left his native land to Miss; Hannah 
Lill, and they became the parents of seven children, namely : Sophia, Kate 
N., Anna Mary, A\^illiam Eu, Joseph E., Robert E. and Ulysses E. 

WILLIAM HERD. 

William Herd, deceased, was a native of England, born in Lincolnshire, 
in the year 181 2. He was reared in hisi native county, acquiring a practical 
educated in the parish school, which was situated several miles from his 
home, and to which he made the journev on foot. He learned the trade of 
a plumber, a glazier and a painter, serving an apprenticeship of four years, 
and thus well equipped for life's practical duties, he entered upon his business 
career. Believing that he might be benefited by emigration to America, 
where competition was not so great and opportunity was open, he bade adieu 
to home and friends when twenty-three years of age, and in company with his 
brother Robert, sailed for New York, where they arrived in 1835 after a 
voyage of fifty-five days. From the eastern metropolis they made their way 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 4^5 

to Albany and thence to Buffalo and on to Columbus, and along the route he 
worked at whatever he could find to do that would give him a living. His 
brother Robert was a blacksmith by trade and in order to carry on that busi- 
ness he established a shop near where the High street opera house is now 
located. After a short time, however, he returned to England and had been 
tiiere but a brief period when his death occurred. In 1835 William Herd also 
returned to the land of his birth, walking from Columbus to New York. 
He was married there to Miss Mary Goy, of Lincolnshire,, in the late winter 
of 1835 and thence he came with his bride to the new world, arriving in 
Cleveland, Ohio, before the opening up of the canal. He left his wife and 
baggage in Cleveland until the canal transportation could be secured and 
he walked to Columbus, where he entered into partnership with Richard T. 
Jones-, in the painting business, the firm of Jones & Herd thus being organ- 
ized. For many years they carried on business together and prospered in 
the undertaking. At length the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Herd 
continued alone until 1877, when he removed to his farm in Clinton town- 
ship, devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits throughout his remain- 
ing days. He was an enterprising man of good habits and won prosperity 
through his indefatigable efforts and perseverance. He owned a valuable 
farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres besidesi considerable city pr(3perty 
on Broad street. 

Mr. Herd was a member of the old volunteer fire company, "Niagara." 
He also belonged to the Mechanics Beneficial Association, while he and his 
family were members of the Trinity church. By his first wife he had four 
children who reached mature years, namely : Charlotte, deceased ; Mary, 
the wife of Chase Matthews, of Detroit; and Robert, who resides on the old 
homestead. Edward, the eldest son, was a member of the One Hundred 
and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted in the one hundred 
days' service in 1864 and died soon after hisi return from the army from 
disease icontracted at the front. For his second wife William Herd, the 
father, married Miss Catherine Kidd, a native of Ireland, and they also had 
Ithree children who reached adult age. namely: Mrs. Alice L. Hayes, of 
Columbus; Mrs. Catherine Tallant, of Richmond, Indiana; and Charles R., 
who owns a farm in Truro township. The first wafe died in 1849, the second 
wife December 3, 1870, and Mr. Herd passed away on the ist of December, 
1889. He was a man of strong purpose and sterling worth, and in his death 
the community lost a valued and representative citizen. 

Robert H. Herd, the only male representative of the first familv now 
living in Franklin county, was JDorn in Columbus, on the 12th of Alarch,' 1848. 
He acquired his. education in the city schools, being graduated in the high 
school with the class of 1866. He afterward engaged in teaching for one 
term and then joined his father, who was engaged in the painting- business, 
carrying on that work until i875^when he became a member of an engineer- 
ing corps in the construction of t1ie Columbus & Toledo railroad, then called 
the Hocking Valley road. His time was devoted to that work until the com- 



4i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pletion ul the line. 1877 he came with his father to the home farm where 
he has since resided. 

On the nth of July, 1900, Robert Herd was united m marriage to Miss 
Harriet Darrah, of Delaware, Ohio. They -have a pleasant home which 
Mr. Herd has recently erected upon his farm of one hundred and ten acres. 
The house is commodious and is built in modern style of architecture, while 
in all of its appointments it is very complete.- In his political views Mr. 
Herd supports the Republican party on all national issues. He holds mem- 
bership in the Episcopal church and his wafe is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church. Of an honored pioneer family he is a worthy representa- 
tive, and fully sustains the untarnished name which has ever been borne by 
the Herds. He follow's progressive lines of farming and a glance will i'ndi- 
cate to the passer by his careful supervision and his practical methods. 

JOHN KINER. 

\\'hen a man passes from the scenes! of earth's activities it is cus- 
tomary to review his life work, note its salient features and take cognizance 
of the qualities which are deserving of emulation or which should be avoided. 
In the history of Mr. Kiner there is much that furnishes an example that may 
be profitab'ly followed. He was a man of strong character, of sterling worth 
and laudable ambition, his labors at all times being prompted by upright 
principles. 

Mr. Kiner was the fourth son of Casper and Elizabeth (Mock) Kiner, 
early settlers of Franklin county. He was born on the old Kiner home- 
stead, July- 22. 1841, and his education was confined to the privileges afforded 
by the common schools, which in that day were of a very primitive character. 
He had little opportunity for continuing his study except through the' winter 
for he was entirely inured to the hard \vork of developing his father's farm 
from a forest. He shared with the family in all of their trials and hard- 
ships of pioneer life and was familiar with the history of the community 
at an early date. On the 6th of March, 1864, he was united in marriage to 
Miss Pauline A. DeNune. a daughter of Alexander B. and Polly (Agler) 
DeNune. also pioneer settlers of Franklin county. Her father, Alexander B. 
DeNune, was Ijorn in Maryland and during his early boyhood came with the 
family to Ohio, the journey being made with wagons. His father, John 
DeNune, w^as a native of Paris, France, and on emigrating to the Buckeye 
state located in Mifflin township, Franklin county, there gaining the edu- 
cation of his day. He had sixteen children, three sons and thirteen daughters, 
but only tw^o are now living, Mrs. Susanna Stotts and Mrs. Carolinie Silby. 
Alexander B. DeNune, the father of Mrs. Kiner, was married in Franklin 
county to Polly Agler, a irepresentative of a pioneer family of German line- 
age w'ho removed to Ohio from Pennsylvania. Eight children were born 
^ unto Mr. and Mrs. DeNune, as follows : IMrs. Susanna Temple, Mrs. Sarah 
Rankins, Mrs. Margaret Decker, Cyrus P., Mrs. Kiner, Elias A., John B. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 417 

and Mrs. Hulcla W. Horn. The father of the family died in 1886, and the 
mother passed away in 1882. The DeNunes may well be proud of their 
ancestral history, for the grandfather of Mrs. Kiner was a Revolutionary sol- 
dier who loyally aided the colonists in their struggle for independence. 
When he came to America the voyage consumed an entire year, owing to 
adverse winds. He was a musician of considerable note and was connected 
with the band in his military service. His son, Alexander B. DeXune, was. 
also a good musician. 

Mrs. Kiner was born in IMifflin township, December 9, 1845. After their 
marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kiner located upon a part of the old family homestead 
which he inherited. For seven years following he was engaged in supply- 
ing wood to the Columbus market and in furnishing trestle timber for the 
railroad, it being used in constructing the system of trestles in the vicinity 
of the Ohio Penitentiary. Subsequently Mr. Kiner engaged in the manufac- 
ture of brick in partnership with John Lapland, their yard being located on 
his own premises. The business relations between them continued for about 
five years, on the expiration of which time Mr. Kiner purchased his partner's 
interest and continued the enterprise alone, being engaged in brick-making 
altogether for about seventeen years. In addition to this business he dealt 
largely in stock, both buying and selling, and he was considered to be one of 
the best judges of horses in Franklin county. In all of his business enter- 
prises he prospered and during his long and active career he acquired a good 
property. He was a man well liked by all with whom he came in contact and 
no one could say ought against his business reputation. He employed many 
men in his different enterprises and with all his employes was popular. He 
never sought political office, but his fellow townsmen chose him for the posi- 
tion of township assessor, in which capacity he capably served for three 
years. ^ He was a Democrat in his political views, and while not active in 
party interests he always faithfully exercised his duties of citizenship by 
appearing at the polls on election days. 

Mr. and Mrs. Kiner became the parents of four children, of whom all 
are yet living, namely: Alexander B., who was twice married. He first 
married Lottie Rushmer and they have four children: Perry G., Casper B., 
Eva A. and Anna L. For his second wife he chose Geneva McCauley, and 
they have one child, Leonard D. Alma C, the eldest daughter of the family, 
is the wife of Horatio Atcheson, and they have six children: Callie E., Fan- 
nie M., Maude A., Pauline A.. Lucy P. and Windsor K. Arthur H., the 
third of the family, married Georgia M. Bricklinger, and they have four 
children: Alma A., Marguerite D., Louise and Hilda. Aldis J., the young- 
est, married Ida Pinmey, and their two daughters are Ruby L. and Ellen A. 
Mr. Kiner died February 17, 1900, and in his death the community lost one 
of its valued citizens, a man whom to know was to respect and honor. He 
bore an unassailable business reputation and among his neighbors he was 
known as a faithful friend and a kind and indulgent husband and father. 
His wife still resides on the old homestead and she, too, has many friends 



41 8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in Franklin county. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of 
North Columbus and is a consistent Christian woman. Her husl^and left to 
her a valuable property, which now supplies her with all the comforts and 
many of the luxuries of life and with her wealth she delights in doing good. 

CHARLES A. TITUS. 

Charles A. Titus, agent of the United States Express Company, at Co- 
lumbus, is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred on a farm in Jackson 
county on the loth of January, 1869. He is a son of Josiah and Elizabeth 
(McCain) Titus, both of whom were natives of Ohio. His father was for 
many years general agent of the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Com- 
pany, with headquarters at Portsmouth, Ohio, at which place he died in the 
year 1875. His wife died in 1876. 

Charles A. Titus, who is now a well-known and popular citizen of 
Columbus, was educated at Coalton, Jackson county, where he pursued his 
studies in the common schools, after which he learned telegraphy, afterward 
coming to Columbus, where also he was in the employ of the United States 
Express Company as a messenger at the union station. He continued work- 
ing in the city office, holding that and other positions from 1887 until 1899, 
when he was promoted to his present responsible position as agent of the 
company in the capital city. His duties are heavy and responsible owing 
to the immense volume of business transacted, but he is well qualified for 
his duties and has won the commendation of the members of the company. 

In 1889 Mr. Titus was united in marriage to Misis Minnie Mitchell, of 
Jackson county, and they now have one daughter, Nana C. Mr. Titus is 
a member of Goodale Lodge, No. 372, F. & A. M., also the Knights of 
Pythias, the Kniights of the Maccabees and the Improved Order of Hepta- 
sophs. He is a young man of energy, determination and laudable ambition, 
and these qualities have enabled him to gain the confidence and good will of 
the business men and will undoubtedly win him still further advancement in 
the future. 

CHARLES D. DENNIS, M. D. 

Among those who are devoting their lives to the alleviation of human 
suffering through the practice of medicine is Dr. Dennis, of Columbus. His 
parents were the Rev. Isaac and Catherine (Bair) Dennis. The father was 
a United Brethren preacher and devoted the greater part of his life to his 
holy calling. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. 

Dr. Dennis began hisi education in the city schools of Columbus and 
afterward entered Otterbein University, where he prosecuted his studies for 
two years. He then read medicine and at length entered the Ohio Medical 
University, where he was graduated in 1896. the degree of M. D. being then 
conferred upon him. He began practice at Holgate, Henry county, Ohio, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 419 

where he remained for eig'hteen months, when he returned to Columbus and 
has since been an active representative of the medical profession in the capital. 
He is the physician to the Women's Hospital and demonstrator of anatomy 
in the Ohio Medical University. He is particularly well qualified in the line 
of his chosen calling and has won distinction that many an older physician 
might well envy. 

In 1897 was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Dennis and Miss Catherine 
Frass, of Columbus, a daughter of Henry Frass. They had one child, Har- 
old Henry, now deceased. The Doctor and Mrs. Dennis, have a wide ac- 
quaintance in this city and are popular people, enjoying the hospitality of 
many of the best homes. 

THOMAS GRANT YOUMANS, M. D. 

In touching upon the life history of the subject of this review, the 
biographer would aim to give utterance to no fulsome encomium, to indulge 
'in no extravagant statements, — for such will ill comport with the innate and 
sturdy simplicity of his character ; yet it is well to hold up for consideration 
;those points which have shown the distinction of a true, honest and useful 
life, — one characterized by unflagging perseverance, marked native ability, 
high accomplishments and well earned honors in the line of his profession. 
Through his natural talents and efforts he has proved his usefulness in one 
of the most important lines of endeavor to which man directs his energies, 
and has w^on precedence as one of the leading and representative medical 
practitioners of Columbus., 

Thomas Grant Youmans was born in_ Licking county. Ohio, in July, 
1868, a son of Colonel M. and Mary E. (Davis) Youmans. The paternal 
grandfather, William Youmans, was a farmer and banker. He was born 
in New Jersey, in 1805, and was descended from English ancestors who came 
to this country from the merrie isle at an early day and located in New 
Jersey. His father, William Youmans, Sr., was numbered among the prom- 
inent pioneers of that state. The grandfather of the Doctor married a Miss 
Snyder and became a resident of Licking county. Ohio, where their son. 
Colonel M. Youmans, was born. Having attained to man's estate, he mar- 
ried Miss. Mary E. Davis, a native of Juniata county, Pennsylvania, and a 
daughter of Dr. Thomas Jones Davis, a prominent physician, who was born 
in the Keystone state. Her grandfather. General Lewis Evans, served in 
the war of the Revolution and was at one time attorney general of Pennsyl- 
vania. The Evans family was also of English lineage. 

Dr. Youmans, of this review, spent the first fourteen years of his life 
in the place of his nativity and there acquired his preliminary education, 
which was supplemented by a four-years course in the Ohio State University, 
at ColumbuSi. He afterward read medicine with Dr. Rankin, of Columbus, 
and was graduated at the Starling Medical College in the class of 1895. 
Later he went to New York city, where he took a post-graduate hospital 



420 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

course, spending four years in the metropolis and enjoying special advantages 
in the' lines of his chosen profession. His knowledge is indeed comprehen- 
sive and profound and gives him prominence in the ranks of the medical 
fraternity. Returning to Columbus, he has since engaged in general practice 
at No. 112 East Broad street, and is the professor of dermatology and genito- 
urinary surgery in the Ohio Mediical University. He is the dermatologist and 
genito-urinary' surgeon to the Protestant Hospital and Women's Hospital 
and police and fire surgeon of Columbus, Ohio. 

Socially the Doctor is connected with Goodale Lodge, F. & A. M., 
Knights of Pythias and Columbus Club. He also belongs to the Central 
Union Presbyterian church and 4s deeply interested in whatever tends to ad- 
vance the material, intellectual and moral interests of his fellow men. In 
the line of his profession he is connected with the Columbus Academy of 
Medicine, the Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Associa- 
ition. Thorough preparation for the practice of medicine cannot come 
through purchase; the physician's equipment must result from close appli- 
cation, from scientific research and from a retentive memory. It is these 
which have gained for Dr. Youmans his present position of distinction' in 
connection with medical practice in Columbus and have made him one of the 
most successful representatives of the profession in this part of the state. 
His mind is keenly analytical, which enables him to diagnose disease cor- 
rectly and to anticipate complications. He has strict regard for the un- 
written ethics of the professional code and enjoys in an unusual degree the 
high regard of his professional brethren as well as of the general public. 

GEORGE SIMON FEDER. 

This well-known and enterprising farmer of Brown township owns and 
operates one hundred and twelve acres of land, constituting one of the 
valuable and highly improved farms of the locality. His possessions have all 
been acquired through his own efforts, and as the result of his consecutive 
endeavor he has won a place among the substantial citizens of his com- 
munity. 

His father, George Simon Feder, Sr., was a native of Biron, Province 
of Hanover, Germany, and the son of a farmer who spent his entire life in 
ithat county. There the father of our subject attended school until fourteen 
years of age and then learned the weaver's trade. He also served six years 
in the German army. On coming to the United States he w^as accompanied 
by his first wife, who bore him seven children and who died in New York 
city, \Vhere Mr. Feder made his home for thirty years, following various 
occupations. There he married Barbara Gretchen, who was also born in the 
Province of Hanover, Germany, and came to America when a young lady. 

In 185 1 Mr. Feder, with his wife and children, moved to Columbus, 
•OhJio, where he engaged in gardening for a time. Subsequently he bought 
twenty acres of land in Norwich township, this county, now ow^ned by John 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 421 

Koerner, to which he later added a tract of ten acres. His first home here 
was a log house which he remodeled. In the fall of 1866 he located on a 
farm of fifty-six acres in Brown township, now owned by John Hillburner, 
which when it came into possession of Mr. Feder was nearly all wild and 
unimproved. He was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, as he died 
the following July. Hi® wdfe passed away on the home farm in 1887. To 
them were born four children, namely : Margaret, wife of Peter Smith, of 
Columbus ; Caroline, who first married Andrew Hoffman and second Will- 
iam Seeds; George Simon, our subject; and Barbara, who first married Her- 
man Fritz and second Herman Kothler. 

The subject of this review was born in New York city on the 21st of 
December, 1847, and was five years old on the removal of the family to 
Columbus, where he spent his sixth year. As his father had become old and 
crippled, much of the farm work early devolved upon our subject, and he 
Itherefore had no chance to obtain an education. For a little while he recited 
his lessons to a German minister, and also attended an English school below 
the German church for a short time, this constituting about all of his edu- 
cational advantages. After the death of his father the responsibility of 
caring for the family fell upon our subject, who as a boy had paid for the 
greater part of the farm and had cleared most of it. 

In 1872 Mr. Feder married Miss Augusta Carl, and they have become 
the parents of seven children, namely : Simon G., who married Katie Ren- 
ner ; Mary, wife of Henry R. Jones ; Emma, wife of William Smith ; Eliza- 
beth, John, Henry and Rudolph, all at home. After his marriage Mr. Feder 
lived with his mother for a time, and then purchased eighty acres of land 
in Brown township, to whidh he subsequently added a tract of thirty-two 
acres, which now comprises his present fine farm. He has made all the 
improvements on the place, in the way of buildings and fences, and has also 
tilled the land and placed it under a high state of cultivation. He holds 
membership in the Lutheran church and is a stanch supporter of the Demo- 
cratic party. He has served as. school director and in other minor offices. 
His life has been one of industry, and through his own unaided efforts he 
has worked his way upward until he is now one of the well-to-do men of 
his community, as well as one of its honored citizens. 

HENRY T. SIBEL. 

Among the prominent citizens, business men and Freemasons of Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, none takes higher rank than Henry T. Sibel, the well known 
real-estate operator at Westerville. He is a native and practically a life- 
long resident of this county, having been born at Reynoldsburg, July 16, 1842. 
Hiram Sibel, his father, was born in Knox county, Ohio, in 18 17, and was 
there educated and reared to farming, but he afterward learned the tailor's 
trade, and at the age of twenty-seven years went to Fountain county, Indiana, 
where he died at the age of seventy-one years, after a fairly successful career. 



422 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

In early life he was an active Whig and later became a Republican. He 
married Laura Taft, a native of Franklin county, Ohio, and a daughter of 
Daniel Taft, an early settler there and who was prominent among the pioneer 
farmers. Mrs. Sibel died when thirty years of age. She was a Christian 
woman — a member of the Methodist Episcopal church — and a model wife 
and mother. She left four children, as follows: Thomas H., died in 1882; 
Jennie is the wife of Elisha Campbell; Flora is the deceased wife of Clinton 
D. Firestone, of the Columbus Buggy Company, of Columbus, Ohio. 

Henry T. Sibel, the second child of Hiram and Laura (Taft) Sibel, 
was about eight years of age when his mother died, and after that event he 
went to live with his uncle, Harvey E. Miller, of Reynoldsburg, Franklin 
county, Ohio, of whose family he was a member for three years. He then 
w^ent to live with Lewis Goodspeed, a farmer of Delaware county, Ohio, 
W'ith whom he remained until the outbreak of the Civil war. On the 25th 
of July, 1861, when he was little more than nineteen years old, he enlisted 
in Company G, Sixth Regiment of United States Cavalry, with wdiich he 
served for three years with the Army of the Potomac. During that time he 
was incapacitated from service only five days, when he sufYered from measles. 
He was in every engagement in which his regiment participated, and at 
Williamsburg was struck by a spent ball and was made a prisoner by the 
Confederates on Jack's Mountain, hemmed in by the enemy for three days. 
He was discharged from service July 25, 1864, at City Point, Virginia, and in 
the spring of 1865 he came to Westerville. In company with his father-in- 
law he opened a grocery store, and several years later this enterprise gave 
place to a hardware and queensware store, which Mr. Sibel managed until 
he engaged in the coal and grain trade. He disposed of that interest in 1890, 
and since handled real-estate and held the office of notary public. 

Mr. Sibel married Miss Mary E. Goodspeed, a daughter of Lewis R. 
and Rebecca (Westervelt) Goodspeed. Mts. Sibel was born November 
3, 1844, on her father's old homestead, just across the line in Defaware 
county, where Mr. Sibel had found a home from the time he was twelve 
years old until he entered the army. Lewis R. Goodspeed was born near 
Plattsburg, New York, March 24, 18 16, and was brought by his parents 
to Ohio in 1834, when he was eighteen years old. Stephen Goodspeed, his 
father, w^as born in Vermont, October 11, 1788, and was an officer in the 
American service in the war of 181 2. Lewis was brought up on the farm, but 
eventually became a guard in the state penitentiary in Columbus. Ohio, and 
held that position until his marriage. He then returned to his father's farm, 
where he cared for his parents until their death and where he lived until 
1865, when he removed to Westerville and engaged in mercantile business 
in partnership with his son-in-law, as has been stated. He died at the age of 
about eighty years, and there is no one who knew him who does not have a 
good word to say in his memory. He was a self-made man and made a suc- 
cess of life, was a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church 
and a Republican of influence, having held various local offices, among them 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 423 

tliat of township treasurer for eighteen years. He was married in 1842, to 
Rebecca Westervelt, who was born December 23, 1818, and died June 4, 1888, 
after many years of faithful Christian service as a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church. Her father, Peter Westervelt, was born in Dutchess county, 
New York, September 19, 1791, saw service in the war of 1812-14 and came 
to the site of Westerville in 1814, accompanied by his brother, Matthew. 
The brothers each purchased a large tract of land and were the founders of 
Westerville. Peter was an active and successful business man, a well known- 
Freemason and. a useful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
died at Westerville, August 8, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Sibel have had two chil- 
dren : Minnie M., who is the wife of Professor John A. Ward, of Western 
College, of Toledo, Iowa; and In'a, who died at the age of thirteen years. 

Mr, Sibel is a Republican, but without any marked political ambition 
for himself, although an effective worker for his friends in a political cam- 
paign. He was township clerk for Blendon township for eleven years, was 
for ten years a member of the Westerville board of health and was twice mayor 
of that progressive little city. He is a man of public spirit, who favors every 
movement tending to the benefit of his fellow citizens ; a man of alert sympa- 
thies and generous impulses who is known as a friend of the poor ; a man of 
ilne abilities, who has hewn out a path for himself in life and followed it to suc- 
cess and whose friends rejoice with him in his possession of the good things 
of the world because they know that he has earned them and deserves them. 
His good judgment and his integrity have several times been put to the 
test when he has been designated to settle important estates, and he has never 
been found wanting. He has been a Mason for thirty-three years and has 
served six years as master of his lodge. He was raised to the sublime degree 
of Master Mason in Blendon Lodge, No. 339, F. & A. M., of Westerville, 
was exalted to the august degree of Royal Arch Mason in Horeb Chapter, 
No. 3, R. A. M., and is a member of Chapter No. 38, Eastern Star degree. 
' He is a member of Rainbow Lodge, No. 327, Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, of Westerville, and of Twilight Lodge, No. 383, degree of Rebekah, 
and is a comrade of James Price Post, No. 50, G. A. R., of which he is past 
commander, having served as its first commander. 

JOHN WILLCHEUR BARNES, M. D. 

One of Ohio's native sons now practicing medicine in Columbus is Dr. 
Barnes, whose birth occurred in Chillicothe, on the 21st of November, i860, 
his parents being Alfred and Mary (Gates) Barnes. The father was Born 
in Barnesville, Ohio, in 1831, and was a public-spirited and progressive 
citizen. With his family he removed to Arrowsmith, Illinois, where he made 
a permanent settlement. He wedded Mary Gates, a daughter of Henry 
Gates, who was born in Baden, Germany, and died at the advanced age of 
ninety-one years. In her maidenhood his wife was a Miss Coe. 

Dr. John W. Barnes was very young when he accompanied his parents to 



424 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lilinois, and there he pursued his education in the common schools, later 
taking the course of study in the Saybrook Academy, ot that state. Profes- 
sional life seemed to be an attractive field for him, and believmg that he 
would enjoy the practice of medicine he attended lectures in the Cmcmnati 
College of Medicine and Surgery, where he was • graduated ni 1888. He 
then located in Chillicothe, Ohio, in the spring of 1889, and began practice 
there. In 1893 he was appointed demonstrator of anatomy lit the Ohio 
Medical University and in the sp-ring of the same year was raised to a full 
professorship of practical anatomy. He is a graduate of the Polyclinic and 
Post-Graduate Schools of New York city and is a member of the Ohio 
State and Ross County Medical Associations. In 1891 he was appointed to 
the chair of obstetrics, which position he still holds. His knowledge of the 
medical science in its various departments is comprehensive, exact and reliable. 
Close application to his duties has been one of the salient features of his 
career and his labors have been attended with a high degree of professional 
and financial success. 

In 1884 the Doctor was united in marriage to ^liss Leona F. Ferguson, 
of Saybrook, who is a graduate of the Ohio Medical University, of the class 
of 1895. His office and residence are at No. 237 and 239 Schiller street. He 
has a fine medical library, with the contents of which he is largely familiar, 
and through heading and study he is in constant touch with the advanced 
thought and progress of the day bearing upon his professional duties. 

MAURICE EVANS. 

It is appropriate that a place in this volume should be devoted to a brief 
resume of the life of the gentleman whose name appears above, as it is an 
excellent example of how a man may work his way upward through perse- 
verance and determination and how in the end his efforts, may be crowned 
with success. Mr. Evans was born September 18, 1840, on the farm where 
he now resides, his parents being Maurice and Susanna (Thomas) Evans. 
A native of Wales, the father was born in 1790, and was reared to manhood 
in the little rock-ribbed country. After arriving at years of maturity he 
married Miss Thomas, who was born in Wales about 1793. There he fol- 
lowed farming until the spring of 1840, when he crossed the Atlantic to the 
new world, accompanied by his wife and children, all of whom were born 
on the soil of Great Britain save the subject of this review. They landed 
in New York city after a voyage of five weeks, and thence made their way- 
westward to Columbus, where Mr. Evans remained for about a month. He 
then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land constituting the farm 
upon which our subject now resides. The greater part of it was covered 
with a heavy growth of timber, but a small tract had been cleared and the 
stone portion of the present residence was standing there. Upon the farm 
Mr. Evans made his home until 1867, when he removed to Newark, Ohio, 
and retired from active business life, spending the three succeeding years 




MAURICE EYANS. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 425 

in the enjoyment of a well-earned rest. He was called to his final home at 
the advanced age of eighty years. In his political affiliations in early life 
he was an old Ime Whig, and after the dissolution of that party he became 
a Republican. He held membership in the Presbyterian church and his 
Christian belief permeated his upright and honorable career. His wife 
passed away some years previously, dying in 1865. They were the parents 
of nine children, but only three are now living: Joseph, who resides near 
Fort Scott, Kansas; Susan, who is living in Columbus; and Maurice. 

In taking up the personal history of ^Ir. Evans, of this review, we 
present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably 
known in Franklin county. To the district schools he is indebted for his 
education. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted in the Ninety-fifth Ohia 
Volunteer Infantry, in August, 1862, and was discharged for disability in 
March, 1863. He worked upon the farm with his father, receiving a share- 
of the net profits, and the year following his mother's death he purchased 
the old homestead from his father, and has since continued to operate the- 
fields. Early in the '90s he bought an adjoining tract of eighty-nine acres, 
so that the home farm now consists of two hundred and fifty acres, and 
he also owns one hundred and eighty acres of land in Kansas. He is an. 
enterprising and reliable business man, trustworthy in all his dealings, and. 
his industry and capable management has served as the foundation stones 
upon which he has reared the superstructure of his success. 

In 1 87 1 Mr. Evans was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Jones, 
a native of Licking county, Ohio, and a daughter of Thomas Jones, who 
emigrated from Wales, coming to the Buckeye state some years prior to the 
time when the Evans family located here. Six children have been borni 
unto our subject and his wife, and the family circle yet remains unbroken, 
by the hand of death. In order of birth the children are as follows: Eldora 
B., at home; David Willard, a farmer of Jefferson township; Clinton Arthur,, 
Bertha Leota, Thomas Raymond, and Eunice Nellie, who are still with their 
parents. Socially Mr. Evans is connected with Truro Lodge, No. 411.., 
I. O. O. F., and in politics he is a Republican. He belongs to the Presby- 
terian church and for several years has been one of its elders. He belongs 
to that class of representative American men whose interests are not con- 
fined alone to the narrow boundaries of their farm, but extend into other 
fields of labor and activity, especially into those bearing upon the advance- 
ment and progress of the communities with which they are associated. 

EDWARD LIVINGSTON TAYLOR. 

The subject of this review is a well-known and prominent member of 
the legal profession of the city of Columbus, Ohio. He was born in Frank- 
lin county, this state, March 20, 1839, and came from a noble ancestry that 
traces without break as far into the past as the year 16 12. The Taylor fam- 
ily removed from Argyleshire, Scotland, to the north of Irdand about 161 2: 



426 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and settled in Londonderry and its vicinity. More than a century afterward 
some of itii members came to America and located at what was then named 
Londonderry, in New Hampshire, but which now bears the name of Derry. 
At this place Robert Taylor was born, April i6, 1759, he becoming the father 
of David Taylor, and thus the grandfather of our subject, Edward L. Taylor, 
in 1763 this branch of the Taylor family removed to the province of Nova 
Scotia and settled at the town of Truro, at the head of the bay of Fundy, 
and it was there that Robert Taylor was married to Mehitable Wilson, De- 
cember 6, 1 78 1, and there also David Taylor, the fourth son of this union, 
was born, July 24, 1801. In 1806 he came with his family to Ohio, making 
his home for two years at the city of Chillicothe; but in 1808 he built a house 
on the west bank of Walnut creek, in w^hat is now Truro township, Franklin 
county. This w'as the first frame house constructed in that part of the 
county, and there he lived until his death. March 28, 1828. David Taylor, 
his son, continued to live in the same township until 1859, at which time 
he took up his residence on East Broad street, Columbus, where he died July 
29, 1889, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. 

On the maternal side Mr. Taylor is descended from the well-known 
family of Livingston, highly esteemed in many states of the Union where 
its representatives reside. His grandfather was Judge Edward C. Living- 
ston, who came from the state of New York to Ohio in 1804 and settled in 
Franklin county. He was a man of collegiate education, having graduated 
at Union College, New York, before coming to Ohio. He was a man of 
liig'h social and intellectual qualities, but, unlike the majority of his family, 
he had no taste for politics or public office. The tendency of his nature was 
"'toward a quiet home life, and the house which he erected on the west bank 
of Alum creek in 1808 became and remained through his life the center of 
genial hospitality and social enjoyment. He was not able to avoid all public 
life, having been made an associate judge of Franklin county in 1821, and was 
retained until 1829. When the township of Montgomery, which includes 
the city of Columbus, was organized, in 1807, it was named by Judge Liv- 
ingston, in honor of General Richard Montgomery, with whom his father 
had served in the war of the Revolution and with whom he was in service at 
Quebec when Montgomery was killed. 

On the 1 6th of May, 1836, David Taylor was married to Margaret, 
the eldest daughter of Edw^ard C. Livingston, and our subject, Edward Liv- 
ingston Taylor, was the second son of that marriage. He wasi educated in 
the best schools and prepared for a college course, which he took at the Miami 
University, where he graduated in i860 and at once began the study of law 
an the office of the late Chauncey N. Olds at Columbus, Ohio. 

Just at this time the Civil war broke out and his law studies were sus- 
pended, he enlisting in a volunteer company as a private soldier. After the 
termination of his services he resumed his law studies, but in July. 1862, he 
was commissioned to raise a company, which duty he accomplished in a short 
time and was assigned to the Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Regiment. He was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 427 

engaged in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, August 30, 1862, where he 
received a sHght wound and was taken prisoner. A few days later he secured 
his release and served with his regiment in the Army of tlie Tennessee until 
fthe close of the siege of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863. During that siege he 
was seized with fever, which so debilitated him that he was compelled to 
leave the service and resigned his commission July 5, 1863, and was retired 
from the army on account of disability. He was admitted to the bar by the 
supreme court of Ohio in November, 1862, and after the close of the war 
commenced the practice of his profession at Columbus, remaining in this city 
ever since. 

Mr. Taylor was married to Miss Catherine Noble Meyers, a grand- 
daughter of Colonel John Noble, late of Franklin county, on July 14, 1864. 
A family of five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, of whom 
four are living. The entire time of Mr. Taylor has been taken up in the 
practice of his profession, and many of the most important legal battles of 
the day have been those in wdiich he has borne a leading part. He has 
crossed swords in many cases with some of the leaders of the profession and 
has never caused his clients to regret his espousal of their cause. Never 
desirous of public position, he has refused being a candidate for many ofifices, 
but has done service in upholding the principles of the Republican party, 
recognizing the duty of every public man to set a good example to the masses. 
He has made it a rule of life not to vote for or support unworthy or incom- 
petent persons wdien isiich have obtained a place on his party ticket. This 
as a cardinal principle with him, as he deems the right of voting the most 
sacred of the duties imposed on an American citizen. 



ELIAS T. O'HARRA. 

Elias Thompson O'Harra is a dealer in grain and coal in Lockbourne, 
and has long been actively identified with the business interests of that place. 
He was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, November 21, 1847, and is of Irish 
lineage, his great-grandfather having been a native of the Emerald Isle, 
whence he crossed the Atlantic to America. John O'Harra, the grandfather 
of our subject, was one of the pioneer settlers of O^hio, and Hugh O'Harra, 
the father, was born in this state in 1797. Having arrived at years of ma- 
turity, he wedded Ann Corn, who died when their son Elias was only about 
five years of age, so that nothing is known of his maternal ancestry. The 
father's death occurred September 9, 1856. In their family were ten chil- 
dren, and with the exception of two all reached adult age. while those now 
living are John C, of Pickaway county, Ohio; Margaret, w^idow of John 
Markel, of Findlay, Ohio; Mary, who resides with her brother Elias; Jane, 
wife of D. Elliott, of Alton, Franklin county; and Thomas, of Findlay, Ohio. 
William also reached mature years but has now passed away, while Hugh, 
formerly of Decatur, Illinois, is also deceased. 



428 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Elias T. O'Harra was the ninth in order of birth in this family. He 
remained at the place of his nativity until fourteen years of age, and then 
started out to earn his own livelihood. For four years he lived with Joshua 
Hedges and was given his board and clothing in compensation for his 
services. In 1866 he entered the employ of Stephen Cromley, and worked 
by the month for five years. Before leaving home he had attended the com- 
mon schools, but not content with his educational privileges, he pursued his 
studies for a year at Delaware, Ohio, after leaving the employ of Mr. Cromley. 

Mr. O'Harra next went to Pickaway county and purchased a farm, con- 
tinuing its cultivation for ten years. In 1882 he disposed of that property 
and the following year rented a farm. In the spring of 1884 he came to 
Hamilton township, Franklin county, locating at Lockbourne, where he pur- 
chased the site of his present enterprise and embarked in the grain business. 
He remodeled the elevator, putting in new machinery and improving it in 
many ways. He has since been engaged in the grain business here with the 
exception of the years 1891 and 1892. In the former year he sold out, 
but when two years had passed he resumed operations in grain at his old 
place of business. He now buys and ships grain and also handles coal, and 
his sales have reached large proportions, bringing to him an excellent income. 

Mr. O'Harra was married in Franklin county in 1893 to Miss Delphine 
Stimmel, who was born and reared in Hamilton township and is a daughter 
of John and Mary Stimmel, who were early and worthy settlers of that town- 
ship. Mr. and Mrs. O'Harra now have three children: Frances Lucile, 
John Hugh and Mary Esther. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat, 
and for about twelve years served as treasurer of Hamilton townsbip, dis- 
charging his duties in a most prompt and creditable manner. He is a valued 
representative of Lockbourne Lodge, No. 232, F. & A. M., being recognized 
as a loyal follower of its teachings. From the age of fourteen Mr. O'Harra 
has depended entirely upon his own resources, and therefore deserves great 
credit for what he has accomplished. His possessions stand as a monument 
to his enterprise, and his example should serve to encourage others, as it 
shows the opportunities that lie before young men who are ambitious, reso- 
lute and determined. He has a wide acquaintance and his well-spent life has 
gained him the regard of all who know him. 

JOSEPH SAUER. 

The German element in our national commonwealth has been an import- 
ant one. The sons of the fatherland having come to the new world have 
readily adapted themselves to the different conditions, customs and surround- 
ings, and with a resolution so characteristic of the Teutonic race have worked 
their way steadily upward, becoming prominent in commercial circles. One 
of the most successful business men of Columbusi is Joseph Sauer, wbo was 
born in Kurhessen. Germany, May 6, 1846, a son of John and Mary Ann 
(Brehl) Sauer. The father was a prosperous farmer and owned a valuable 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 429 

tract of land of two hundred and forty acres. Both he and his wife spent 
their entire days in Germany. 

The subject of this review pursued his education in the schools of his 
native land between the ages of seven and thirteen years. He afterward 
worked upon the home farm until he had attained his twentieth year, when 
he determined to seek a home and fortune in America, for he had heard very 
favorable reports of the opportunities offered in the land of the free. Bid- 
ding adieu to home and friends, he sailed for New York, where he arrived 
December 21, 1866. Immediately afterward he went tO' Lancaster, Penn- 
sylvania, where he remained for four years, during which time he learned 
the butcher's trade, and after completing his apprenticeship he was employed' 
for a brief period as a farm hand near Lancaster. 

Li 1870 Mr. Sauer came to Columbus, where he was employed by Philip 
Wollner, and afterward by Philip Izels, and others. Li 1872 he began busi- 
ness on his own account, and soon afterward entered into partnership with 
John Schmidt in the butchering and packing business. They also engaged 
in smoking meats and at the same time conducted a retail meat market. This 
partnership was maintained for eighteen years and prosperity attended the 
efforts of the firm. On the expiration of that period Mr. Sauer purchased 
his partner's interest and became the sole owaier of an extensive business, 
which has constantly grown in volume until it has assumed a considerable 
magnitude, making the enterprise one of the most important in this line in 
Ohio. Mr. Sauer owns the meat market at No. 771 South Third street, 
known as the Central Market. He employs a large force of men and gives 
his personal attention to all branches of his business. He is a memebr of the 
German Butchers' Association, of Franklin county, in whicli he has served 
as president and treasurer. 

On the 1 6th of May, 1872, Mr. Sauer was united in marriage to Mag- 
dalena Berger, of Columbus, a daughter of Joseph and Magdalena (Kar- 
ger) Berger. She was born in Germany and when one year old was brought 
by her parents to the' United States. She was reared and educated in 
Columbus and is a lady of superior culture and refinement, taking- a great 
interest, not alone in the management of the family, but also in her husband's 
success. Their union has been blessed with four children : Henry J., John 
Adam. Mag-dalena Louise and Marie Bertha. The parents have provided 
their children with good educational privilegesi, thus fitting them for the 
various duties of life. Their home is located at No. 1381 South High street. 
The family are members of the Holy Cross Catholic church. Mr. Sauer 
owns a small tract of land, of seven acres, in the southern part of the city 
and has erected thereon a fine brick residence. It is built in modern style 
of architecture and supplied with all the latest improvements and con- 
veniences which add to the comfort of the home, and is thus a very attractive 
and desirable property. Mr. Sauer came to America with but little capital, 
yet he has realized the hope which brought him to the new world and to-day- 
he stands foremost among the prominent business men of his adopted city. 



430 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

He has the abihty to control extensive commercial and industrial interests, 
forms his plans readily and carries them forward to the desired culmination. 
As the architect of his. own fortunes he has builded wisely and well and his 
prosperity is certainly justly merited. 

MARTIN A. WINTERS. 

Martin A. Winters is one of the oldest and most reliable and efficient 
passenger engineers on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad and is 
numbered among the representative men in the railway service who resides 
in Columbus. He was born October 31, 1855, in Washington county, Penn- 
sylvania, and his paternal grandfather was a native of Cherry Valley, that 
county. Joseph Winters, the father of out subject, was born in the same 
county in 1820, was a blacksmith by trade and died in 1856 from injuries 
received from the kick of a horse. His wife died soon afterward and they 
left two sons, Martin and Clark. The latter is a very prominent lawyer of 
Los Angeles, California. 

Martin A. Winters spent the Says of his boyhood and youth in his 
native county and there acquired his education. He has an enviable record as 
an engineer. He began work on the railroad- wdien only eleven years of age 
as a water boy on the section. This was in 1866 and he was thus employed 
for three years, after which he began taking care of an engine at McDonald, 
Pennsylvania. After a year's service he came to Dennison, Ohio, and worked 
in the railroad shops for about a year. In 1871 he became fireman on the 
Pan Handle Railroad, running from Columbus to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 
on the pay car, Joshua Griffith serving as engineer. He held that run for 
three years and then came to Columbus, taking charge of an engine at the 
roundhouse in the Pan Handle yards. His service in that capacity continued 
for three and a half years, after which he accepted a position as engineer 
on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad, running a freight engine for 
some time, after wdiich he was promoted to a passenger engine in 1888. He 
has since been in continuous service. and is regarded as a most reliable and 
painstaking employe. On the 15th of November, 1891, he sustained serious 
injuries and at the same time displayed remarkable presence of mind and 
great skill in bringing his train to a stop and preventing a collision with a 
freight train. The train was loaded with 'excursionists from Cleveland, 
bound for Cincinnati. The order was for Engineer Winter's men to make 
Columbus on schedule time. The run was being made at seventy miles an 
hour, down grade. Thev were nearing Homesville when the right side rod 
of the engine broke, tearing away everything in reach. In order to stop the 
train it was necessary to cut the hose between the tender and baggage car 
and Mr. Winters was equal to the emergency, crawling between the tender 
and car and performing the task so that the train was stopped and the col- 
lision avoided. Our subject, however, sustained twenty-six injuries, some of 
which were very serious'. The passengers, on learning' of their narrow escape 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 43 1 

from a frightful disaster, secured a purse and presented it to the engineer. 
Mr. Winters, therefore, is very highly esteemed by the railroad company by 
reason of his faithfulness and fidelity. . 

In 1876 in Columbus, he married Miss May Swartz, who_ died m 
October 1896. leaving the following children: Joseph, Frank, Martm Mary, 
Katie Herbert and Bernard. On the ist of October, 1897, Mr. Winters 
was again married, his second uni'on being with Miss Julia Swartz a s.ster ot 
his former wife. By this union there is one son, Allison A. Her lather, 
Peter Swartz, who was a stonemason by trade, died in 1870. His wife, Mrs. 
Julia Swartz, was born in 1827, in Germany, came to the United States 111 
1850, and in 1852 gave her hand in marriage to Peter Swartz. Since that 
time she resided in Columbus until her death, January 14, 1901- Mr. and .Mrs. 
Swartz became the parents of seven children, the ftrst two bearing the name 
of Georo-e and the others are: Henry, William, Mary, Kate and Julia. 
For a quarter of a century Mr. Winters has resided in Columbus and dwells 
at No. 606 St. Clair avenue, where he located soon after coming to the city. 
He is a man of sterling worth, very faithful in business and among all with 
whom he is acquainteid he enjoys high regard. 

EDWARD S. JOXES. 

Edward S. Jones was born in Mineral Spring, Ohio, April 25 1867, 
an.l is one of the eight children whose parents were Samuel and Sophia 
( Clark) Jones. The father was born near Mineral Spring, in Adams county, 
December 21 1826, and was a son of Mathew and Jane (Thurman) Jones, 
who were natives of New England and came to Ohio from Pennsylvania. 
The father of our subject was reared on the home farm and after his mar- 
riap-e he engaged in farming on his own account. His labors were attended 
^vith a high and commendable degree of success. At one time he w^as the 
owner of three hundred and twenty-seven acres of valuable land near Mineral 
Sin-ing and he continued his active operation of the farm until about 1893, 
when he retired from business life and took up his abode m Mineral Spring, 
where he is still living. His wife was also born on a farm m that locality, 
ti^e Clark homestead adjoining the Jones farm, so that 111 childhood the 
•parents lived as neighbors. The date of her birth was in January, 1838 and 
her parents were Jamesi H. and Jane Clark, natives of New England, whence 
they went to the Keystone state and later came to Ohio. Her father was 
a farmer and merchant. The mother of our subject acquired a good edu- 
cation and for a number of vears prior to her marriage was a teacher m the 
Dublic schools. She was also a fluent and entertaining writer and during 
the Civil war was a correspondent for various publications. Through her 
writing she became one of the well known women of her day. Her death 
occurred in 1868, when^ her son Edward was but ten months old. Of her 
eight children, seven are vet living, namely: Jennie, the wife of J. N. Holt, 
aU'acher in the public schools near Peebles, Ohio; ^lathew J., also a teacher 



432 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

^i Fawcett, Ohio; Sarah, the wife of Henry Juhc, a farmer of Greenfield, 
Ohio; John \\'., who is superintendent of the Deaf and Dumb Institute in 
Columbus; Paul K., an agriculturist living at Peoria, Illinois; Dahlgren, a 
farmer of Peebles, Ohio; and Edward. After the death of hisi first wife the 
father was again married, in November, 1869, his second union being with 
Mrs. W. PI. Calloway, wdio bore the maiden name of Margaret Toler. She 
is still living with her husband at Mineral Springs. They have six children : 
George W., a merchant of Stockport, Ohio; Samuel S., a farmer of Peoria, 
Illinois; Lilly, wife of Arthur Tucker, a carpenter of Peebles, Ohio; Alice, 
wife of Frank Ellison, an agriculturist of Peebles; Agnes, widow of George 
Treftz, of Peoria, Illinois; and Ella, who is with her parents. 

Mr. Jones, of this review^ remained at home until his sixteenth year 
and began his academic education in North Liberty, Ohio, completing his 
studies there in 1886. He began his career as a teacher immediately fol- 
lowing his graduation, but later continued his studies: at the National Nor- 
mal University, at Lebanon, where he was graduated in 1893, with the? 
degree of Bachelor of Science. He holds a common-school life certificate 
granted by the Ohio board of school examiners in December, 1894. Through 
the three succeeding years he was superintendent of schools at West Union, 
Ohio, and for a period of three years held the superintendency of the schools 
of Cofifeyville, Kansas. For one year he occupied a similar position in Nel- 
•sonville, Ohio, and in 1899 was appointed to his present position as super- 
intendent of the Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf. His sympathy, his 
consideration and his obliging manner, as well as his business and .executive 
ability, well qualify him for his duties. 

On the 7th of November, 1895, Mr. Jones was united in marriage 10 Miss 
Louise Blair, of Havana, Kansas, a daughter of John Calvin Blair, a promi- 
nent retired farmer of that place. Mrs. Jones was educated in the public 
schools of Kansas and in her early life finished her academic instruction. 
At the age of sixteen she began to teach, and for five years continued in the 
profession in the township schools of Montgomery comity, Kansas, and 
four years in the city schools of Coff eyville, that state ; she is an accomplished 
Jady of refinement and culture. Their marriage has been, blessed wdth one 
child, Madaline, and her birth occurred March 7, 1899. Little Madaline died 
at Central College, Ohio, July 25, 1900. Mr. Jones supports the Repub- 
lican party by his ballot, and socially he is connected with Star Lodge, No. 
117, I. O. O. F., of Coffeyville, Kansas. He also belongs to Valley Lodge, 
'No. 124, K. P., of Nelsonville, and is a member of the Presbyterian church. 
Por several years he devoted much of his leisure time to reading medicine, 
and on the ist of November, 1899, he entered the Ohio Medical University, 
at Columbus, in wdiich institution he will graduate in April, 1902. He is 
a man of broad humanitarian principles, and it is in harmony with his nature 
that his life has been given to the benefit of his fellow men along educational 
lines and in his present position as it will be after he enters upon the practice 
of medicine. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 433 

THOMAS MOORE HESS. 

Thomas IMoore Hess, deceased, was for a number of years a representa- 
tive farmer and valued citizen of Franklin county. He was born on the 
old Moore homestead in Clinton township July 25, 1825, being the eldest 
son of John Moses and Elizabeth (Moore) Hess. His mother died at his 
birth, and he was left to the care of his maternal grandmother, who also 
died 'when he was yet an infant. He w^as then taken to the home of_ his 
aunt, Mrs. Katy Oiler, of Delaware county, Ohio, with whom he remained 
until' his father's second marriage, which occurred when he was five years 
old. He then remained with his father in Clinton township until he went 
to the home of his grandfather Moore, in Indiana, where he attended the 
public schools until fifteen years of age. 

On the expiration of that period he returned to his father's home and 
began w^ork on the farm, assisting in the cultivation of the fields until the 
spring of 1849, when he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Ruther- 
ford, of Delaware county, Ohio, who died in 1850, leaving a son, Henry R., 
now^ a prominent citizen of Clinton township. After the death of his first 
wife Mr. Hess was again married, his second union being with Amanda Kin- 
near, a daughter of Samuel and Ellen (Hill) Kinnear, pioneers of Franklin 
county. By this marriage there were two children: Ellen, now the wife 
of Charles Woodrow, of Champaign county, Ohio; and Nora Adell, wife of 
Peter Ramlow. 

Throughout his entire life Mr. Hess manifested a deep interest in the 
welfare of orphan children, a fact which probably arose from his own experi- 
ence. He gave to four different orphan children a home from early child- 
hood until they had reached self-sustaining years. He was a man of great 
kindness and broad sympathy and was very popular with his neighbors and 
friends, numbering the latter by the score. His death was therefore uni- 
versally regretted. Whatever was of interest and value to the public he 
.cheerfully espoused, giving liberally of his means to all worthy enterprises. 
He was a very successful farmer, his labors bringing to him a handsome 
competence and he accumulated a large landed estate. He died suddenly 
of heart failure on the 28th of May, 1889, and his remains were interred in 
the Union cemetery opposite North Columbus, where a suitable monument 
has been erected to his memory. 

NELSON GRANT. 

After a long and useful career as a farmer Nelson Grant has laid aside 
all his business cares, and is now living a retired life in Grove City. He 
is a native of Franklin county, born in Jackson township April i. 1826, and 
was reared in that township, pursuing his studies in an old log school house. 
At the age of nineteen years he assisted in taking a drove of stock to Balti- 
more and Washington, driving them across the country, and on his return 



434 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

went from Wheeling, West Virginia, to Cincinnati, and from there to New 
Orleans on a liatboat. He was then on the river during the season of navi- 
gation for about six years, and at the end of that period went to St. Louis. 
Later he spent about a year and a half in Iowa, but in 1849 he returned to 
his old home in this county, traveling across the country by way of Chicago 
and Detroit. 

On the 5th of May, 1850, Mr. Grant was united in marriage with 
Miss Caroline A. Odell, a native of Virginia, who came to Franklin county, 
Ohio, at the age of nineteen years. By this union were born four children : 
Melissa and William N., both deceased; Charles W., a farmer of Jackson 
township; and Edward E., a motorman and conductor on the Grove City 
& Columbus Street Railroad. 

After his marriage Mr. Grant located! on the farm in Jackson township 
which he received from his mother, and was successfully engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits until 1883, when he laid aside active labor and moved to 
Grove City. He owns some property in that city and also twenty acres of 
land east of town. Politically he was a supporter of the Democratic party 
for many yearsi, but is now a Republican, and he has been honored with 
several local offices, including that of constable of his township, and council- 
man for two years. Mr. Grant is an earnest and consistent member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church, and is highly .respected and esteemed by all 
who know him. During almost his entire life he has been identified' with 
the interests of this county, and for thrce-cjuarters of a century has wit- 
nessed the wonderful changes that have occurred here in that time. During 
the war of the Rebellion Mr. Grant served in the One Hundrd and Ninety- 
first Ohio Volunteer Infantry until discharged. He joined the Od'd Fellows 
order in 1848 and has been an active member ever since. 

JAMES V. HARRISON. 

James Virgil Harrison, who follows agricultural pursuits in Clinton 
township and is a prominent citizen of Franklin county, was born in Knox 
county, Ohio, on the 8th of April, 1852. He traces his ancestry back through 
many generations to Richard Harrison, who was the founder of the family 
in America. He took up his abode in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1644, and 
later assisted in establishing the city of Newark. New Jersey. His son, 
Timothy Harrison, married Elizabeth Meeker, and they became the parents 
of Matthew Harrison, the great-grandfather of our subject. David Har- 
rison, the grandfather, was a native of New Jersey, and was there married 
to Mary Searing, of the same state. He was born April 27, 1786, and his 
.wife's birth occurred on the 26th of September, 1793. They came to Ohio 
and their marriage was celebrated in Knox county. The grandfather there 
entered land from the government, made that county his permanent hc^me 
and became a successful farmer. Both he and his wife were members of the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 43 5 

Christian church and were people of the highest respectabihty, enjoying the 
warm regard of all who knew them. 

John L. Harrison, the father of our subject, was born in Knox county, 
Ohio, May 5, 183 1, and throughout his entire life resided in this state, spend- 
ing most of his time in Knox and Licking counties. He, too, gave his atten- 
tion to agricultural pursuits and found that branch of labor a profitable source 
of income, for as the years passed he added to his capital until he found 
himself the possessor of a very desirable competence. He married Phebe 
Jane Thrapp, also a native of Knox county, born near Utica. They became 
the parents of six children, namely: James Virgil, David T., Mary A., 
Warren S., William (who died in infancy), and Emory (who resides in 
Ogden, Utah). Of this family Warren was murdered in Brigham City, 
Utah, on the 19th of September, 1900, by a drunken employe whom he had 
discharged. The father, John L. Harrison, died January 31, 1884, and his 
wife passed aw-ay on the 19th of May, 1882. 

James Virgil Harrison, whose name introduces this record, is the eldest 
in his father's family. He was reared in Licking- county, Ohio, and in the 
common schools near his home acquired his education. In his youth he 
became familiar with farm work in all its departments, for when not occupied 
by the duties of the schoolroom he assisted in the labors of the fields, thus 
gaining a practical experience which now enables him to carry on farming 
on his own account in a practical, progressive and profitable manner. He 
owns fifty-six acres of land in Clinton township, and his well tilled fields 
and many substantial improvements indicate his careful supervision. 

On the 26th of February, 1874, was celebrated the marriage of ]Mr. Har- 
rison and Miss Ida Mock, a daughter of Joseph and Minerva Mock, ncc 
Innis. Unto them have been born four children, of whom two are living. — • 
Frank Edwin and Nellie Elvira. Those deceased are Emory J. and Jessie 
L. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison began their domestic life upon a farm in Clin- 
ton township, Franklin county, where they have resided continuously since, 
wn'th the exception of one year spent in Trumbull county, Ohio. They have 
a pleasant home, where they delight to entertain their many friends. They 
are both Methodists in religious belief, holding membership in what is known 
as the McKendree church, in Clinton township. Politically Mr. Harrison 
is a Democrat and is a stanch supporter of the principles of his party. He 
is numbered among the wide-awake and progressive farmers of his com- 
munity, is accounted a valued and representative citizen, and in the history of 
Franklin county he well deserves mention. 

EDGAR B. KINKEAD. 

Rising above the heads of the mass are many men of sterling worth and 
value, who by sheer perseverance and pluck have conquered fortune, and 
by their own unaided efiforts have risen from the ranks of the commonplace 
to eminence and position of trust and respect; but the brilliant qualities of 



436 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

mind and brain which mark the great lawyer are to a certain extent God- 
given. But while strong mentality and natural ability are inherent, it is 
activity and determination! which awaken them into life and make them 
resultant forces in the profession. It is to his perseverance and indomitable 
energy that Mr. Kinkead owes his success in life, as well as to his keen and 
brilliant mind. He is of a sanguine temperament, large-hearted and a genial 
and polished gentleman. As a lawyer he is noted for his integrity; he prides 
himself upon never urging a client into a suit for the sake of the fees, and 
will not prosecute a case unless he has every reason to believe he will win 
it, but he claims the right to defend any cause in any court. His authorship 
of many valuable works on law has made him a man of note in the profes- 
sion, and prominent among the leading citizens of the capital he now stands. 

Mr. Kinkead was born near Beverly,' Washington county, Ohio, March 
14, 1863, and on the paternal side is of Scotch-Irish lineage. His great- 
grandfather, David Kindead, came to this country from Dungannon, Ireland, 
immediately after the Revolutionary war. He enlisted on board a man of 
war during the period of hostilities, expecting in that way to reach the new 
world, but in this was disappointed and sailed from Belfast to the United 
States oh the first ship that left that port after the conclusion of peace, landing 
at Philadelphia in 1783. The parents of our subject were Isaac Benton and 
Hannah A. (Thornburg) Kinkead, and the former in his business life was a 
lumberman. 

The marked literary trend of Mr. Kinkead's mind was early manifest. 
When a child of only about twelve years he conducted a school where his 
father ^yas temporarily located in the woods of Washington county, instruct- 
ing children of the neighborhood whose advantages had been inferior to his 
own. His boyish ambition pictured to him the happiness of having a large 
library and fine horses, and in later life both ambitions were realized. His 
preliminary education, obtained in the common schools, was supplemented by 
a course in Marietta College, and when his collegiate work was finished he 
spent a few months in taking subscriptions for a book. He commeneed the 
study of law in September, 1881, spending a year's time in an office; he also 
spent six years as deputy clerk of Washington county in the probate judge's 
office. In 1887 he was appointed a deputy. in the office of the clerk of the 
supreme court of the state, and shortly thereafter he was made assistant 
state law librarian, which position he held for five years. While there he 
became a devoted student of the law, was admitted to the bar and wrote 
and published his first legal literary work. Self Preparation for Final Exam- 
ination, which was issued in 1893. The previous year, however, his time 
had been devoted to assisting in the preparation of Booth on Street Rail- 
ways. He is also the author of Kinkead's Code Pleading, which is in two 
volumes and was first published in 1894, while in 1898 a second edition 
was issued. In 1897 Kinkead Instructions and Entries; in 1900 Kinkead's 
Practice and Kinkead's Common Law Pleading were added to the list of 
his publications, and he has still other works in preparation. These volumes 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 437 

are regarded as standard works with the bench and bar upon the subjects of 
which they treat. 

Admitted to the bar Mr. Kinkead at once entered upon the practice and 
from the beginning has been unusually prosperous in every respect. The 
success which he has attained is due to his own efforts and merits. The 
possession of advantages is no guarantee whatever of professional success. 
This comes not of itself, nor can it be secured without integrity, ability and 
industry. Those qualities he possesses to an eminent degree and he is faithful 
to every charge committed to his care. Throughout his whole life whatso- 
ever his hand has found to do, whether in his profession or in his educational 
work, or in any other sphere, he has done with all his might and with a deep 
sense of conscientious obligation. Since 1895 he has been a member of the 
faculty of the law department of the Ohio State University, where his ability 
as a lecturer upon the branches assigned him has won him great reputation 
and popularity among the large classes of students annually graduated at the 
institution. In 1890 he was for a time editor of the Ohio Law Journal. 
His private law practice has been of an important character. He was asso- 
ciated as special counsel for the state in the celebrated Standard Oil litiga- 
tion and other cases of national importance, in which he attracted wide- 
spread attention by his learning and masterly manipulation of the cause 
and facts. 

On the 20th of January, 1883, ^^^.- Kinkead was united in marriage to 
Miss Nellie M. Snyder, a native of Canada, and unto them has been born 
one child, a daughter, INIabel, born October 16, 1883. Socially Mr. Kinkead 
has been connected with several fraternities. In 1888 he became a member 
of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, of Columbus, filled all of its offices, and 
in 1895 was appointed by the grand chancellor of the domain of Ohio as a 
member of the grand tribunal of Ohio for a term of four years, and in May, 
1899, was reappointed for another term of five years. He belongs to the 
Delta Upsilon, a college fraternity, and to the Phi Delta Phi, a law fraternity. 
In politics he is a stalwart Republican and although he has never been a 
candidate for office his personal popularity is so great and his fitness so emi- 
nent that his name is frequently mentioned in connection with the higher 
offices in the line of his profession. He is a member of the Universalist 
church. He believes in doing all the good he can to his fellow men and in 
living as nearly right as possible, without paying close attention to church 
formalities. Faultless in honor, fearless in action and stainless in reputation, 
an enumeration of the leading citizens of Columbus would be incomplete 
without mention of Edgar B. Kinkead. 

THOMAS M. CLARK. 

The gentleman named above, who is one of the leaders in public and semi- 
public affairs in Hamilton township, Franklin county, Ohio, is a native of 
that township. His father, Dr. Jeremiah Qark, was born in Waterbury, 



438 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Cunnecticut, June 4, 1804, and came to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1826. 
Before coming west he devoted some time to the study ot medicnie, and he 
completed his medical education at the Cleveland, Ohio, Medical College. He 
practiced his profession in Hamilton township irom 1826 until 1846, when he 
turned his attention to farming, which he continued until 1865. In that 
year he was called to his final rest, at the age of sixty-one years. He was 
one of the leading physicians in his county in his time, was well known as 
a Whig politician and was one of the organizers of the Republican party in 
Franklm county. He was elected to the general assembly of the state of 
Ohio in 1846. He was prominent also in the Methodist Episcopal church. 
John Clark, Dr. Clark's father, was born May 27, 1765, and married Mary 
Munson, who was born April 22, 1770. John Clark, father of the John Clark 
just mentioned, was descended from Scotch ancestors and was born June 17, 
1727. He married Mabel Lyons, who w^as born June 28, 1732. 

Dr. Jeremiah Clark married Jane C. Morris, October 4, 1826. His 
second wife was Julianna Fox, whom he married September 30, 1833. Miss 
Fox was a native of Hardy county, Virginia, now West Virginia, and was 
born July 29, 1805. She was a lady of education and culture and proved a 
worthy helpmeet to her husband in his career as a physician and pioneer 
farmer. They had nine children, namely: Ann Eliza was born June 18, 
1834, and died the same year; Mary M., born August 10, 1835, married 
John C. Platter, of Hamilton township; Thomas M., the immediate subject 
of this sketch, was born March 9, 1837; John D., born December 27, 1838, 
died June 26, 1842; William F., born August 26, 1840, lives in Hamilton 
township; Henry G., born October 8, 1842, died August 28, 1889; Herman, 
born September 27, 1844, was a federal soldier in the Civil war and died 
February 26, 1865; John F., born December 16, 1846, served in the war of 
the Rebellion in the Sixtieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died 
January 25, 1891 ; a|id Sarah Ann, born February 16, 1849, is the widow of 
F. B. Herr, and lives at Columbus, Ohio. 

Thomas M. Clark is the oldest son and third child of Dr. Jeremiah and 
Julianna (Fox) Clark, and was born in Hamilton township, where he 
received his primary education at district schools taught in a log schoolhouse 
and in a select sdhool at Groveport. After that he was a student for about 
two years at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio. In 1861 
he located on a farm in Hamilton township, which he has since owned and 
is engaged quite extensively in farming and stock-raising, keeping many 
horses and cattle. The farm, which consists of two hundred and forty acres, 
is one of the valuable places of the township. He is also a stockholder and 
director of the Market Exchange Bank, of Columbus. 

On the nth of December, i860, Mr. Clark married Sarah Franck, who 
died September 16, 1867. after having borne him two children. The daugh- 
ter. Ivea D., married F. B. Peters, of Pickaway county, Ohio, and has three 
sons, — Carl T., Curtis A. and Paul E. The son. Edwin F., was graduated 
in medicine from the Starling Medical College in 1891 a':d died in 1894, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 439 

after having practiced his profession for three years at Columbus, Ohio. 
October 24, 1877, Mr. Clark married his present wife, who was Miss Ellen 
Hickman, a native of Hamilton township, Franklin county, Ohio. 

Politically Mr. Clark has been a lifelong Republican. He cast his first 
presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in i860 and has voted for every Repub- 
lican presidential nominee and for every Republican governor of Ohio since 
that time. He has served one term as trustee of his township and he has 
been eighteen times elected to the office of township treasurer, in recogni- 
tion of his high standing as a citizen and of his known fitness for that 
responsible office. He has been a member of the Masonic order since 1866, 
when he was received as an Entered Apprentice, passed the Fellow Craft degree 
and was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. He is a thirty- 
second-degree Scottish Rite Mason, and a member of Mt. Vernon Com- 
mandery, York Rite, of Columbus, Ohio. 

JACOB J. HAMMOND. 

Jacob J. Hammond, one of the old and experienced conductors of the 
Pennsylvania road, who is a general favorite with the patrons of the line, 
resides at No. 443 Mount Vernon avenue, in Columbus. He was born Sep- 
;tember 27, 185 1, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and his father, Will- 
iam H. Hammond, was a native of the same locality, his birth there occurring 
on the 29th of October, 1829. The family is of Scotch-Irish descent and 
was early founded in the Keystone state. The grandparents of our subject 
were both natives of Washington county, and the grandfather died in 1866, 
while his wife, surviving him about twelve years, passed away in 1878. In 
the fall of 1864 William H. Hammond removed with his family to West 
Virginia, locating in Hancock county, where he lived many years, but now 
resides in Steubenville, Ohio. His wife was born in Washington county, 
Pennsylvania, and died in West Virginia in 1872. Their children are: 
Tallman, who was born in 1867 and is cashier in the freight department of 
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Columbus; James M., who was born 
in 1856, has been principal of the public schools in Wheeling, West Vir- 
ginia, for seventeen years, and is known as an eminent educator; and Sam- 
uel, who was born July 4, 1861, and is an engineer on the Pennsylvania 
Railroad. 

In the year 1872 Jacob J. Hammond began his railroad career as a 
brakeman on a freight train on the Pennsylvania line. After twenty-two 
months' service he was promoted to the position of freight conductor and 
six years later he was made passenger conductor. He began his run as a 
passenger conductor in 1880 between Steubenville, Ohio, and Wheeling, 
West Virginia, and daily made the journey over that route for four years. 
Since that time he has been continuously on the route between Pittsburg 
and Columbus, and has always been found at his post of duty, being a most 
trusted and faithful employe of the road. 



440 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

On the i8th of ]\Iay, 1871, in West Virginia, Mr. Hammond was 
united in marriage to Miss Mary Ralston. Her father, Joseph Ralston, died 
September 13, 1880. Her mother, Mrs. Hannah Ralston, died December 
24, 1863. Both were natives of Washington county, Pennsylvania. Unto 
Mr. and Mrs. Hammond have been born the following named : Bessie, who 
is a graduate of the Ohio State University, has been teaching in the public 
schools of Columbus; she was married, June 19, 1901, to Dr. E. S. McBurney, 
a prominent dentist of Delavan, Wisconsin, where her future home wall be; 
Eva M., a graduate of the high school of Columbus, is stenographer for the 
Franklin Insurance Company; and Frank G., who was born in 1885, is now 
a student in the high school. The family are members of the Wesley Chapel 
Methodist Episcopal church and have been residents, of this city for the past 
seventeen years. Mr. Hammond is a stanch Republican in his political views. 
Socially he belongs to Ohio Lodge, No. i, F. & A. M., of Wheeling, West 
Virginia. Many of the men who are now serving as conductors on the 
Pennsylvania road have served as brakemen under him. His long continua- 
tion in the employ of the one company indicates his fidelity to duty and his 
capable service. 

LORENZO D. MYERS. 

In this age of extensive enterprise and marked intellectual energy, tKe 
prominent and successful men are those whose ability, persistence and cour- 
age lead them into large undertakings and to assume the responsibilities and 
labors of leaders in their respective vocations. Success is methodical and 
consecutive, and however much we may indulge in fantastic theorizing as to 
its elements and causation in any isolated instance, yet in the light of sober 
investigation we will find it to be but the result of the determined applica- 
tion of one's abilities and powers along the rigidly defined lines of labor. 
America owes much of her progress and advancement to a position foremost 
among the nations of the world to her newspapers, and in this line of 
advancement Captain Lorenzo Doty Myers was an important factor in his 
section of Ohio. He was long connected with the journalistic interests of 
the state and did much to promote the welfare, progress and upbuilding 
of the commonwealth through the columns of his paper as an advocate of 
measures for the general good. 

Captain Myers was born in Mifflin, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, June 
7, 1838, and when a lad of ten years accompanied his parents on their 
removal to Ashland, Ohio. Soon afterward the family took up their abode 
in Mansfield, and in the latter part of the '50s Captain Myers went to Pitts- 
burg, there to become identified with newspaper work, accepting a position 
on the Pittsburg Post, where he remained until 1859. He then returned 
to Mansfield, and in partnership with his brother began the publication of 
the Mansfield Herald, with which he was associated until 1861. He had 
been a close student of the questions, issues and political differences leading 




LOREHZO D. MYERS. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 44 1 

up to the Civil war, and when the country became involved in the sanguin- 
ary struggle, on the one side for the destruction, on the other for the pro- 
tection of the Union, he joined the Sixty-fourth Ohio Regiment .of Volun- 
teers, which was a portion of the famous Sherman Brigade, recruited near 
Mansfield. In January, 1862, he was assigned to General T. J. Wood's 
division, and for distinguished service was recommended by that officer to 
the war department for promotion to a captaincy, and the honor was con- 
ferred upon him by President Lincoln, and at General Wood's request he 
was assigned to his staff and served as assistant quartermaster until 1864, 
when business interests at home compelled him to resign. He participated 
in some of the most hotly contested battles of the war, and in 1870 was 
recommended for brevet rank by his former general, but unfortunately when 
the recommendation reached the war department the time in wiiich brevet 
rank could be legally conferred had expired. 

In 1866 Captain Myers came to Columbus, and, as a partner, joined the 
firm of Nevins & Myers, controlling the state printing and publishing busi- 
ness. For a time they also published the old Statesman, from which paper 
eventually sprang the Press Post. In 1876 Captain Myers purchased a 
half interest in the Columbus Dispatch, which he edited for six years. He 
was also a recognized leader in public affairs, was honored with several posi- 
tions of public trust and labored untiringly and effectively in support of 
measures which he believed would contribute to the public good. For four 
years he was a member of the board of education of Columbus, and from 
1876 until 1886 was a trustee of Dennison University, at Granville, Ohio. 
In 1879 he was a nominee for the state legislature as representative for 
Franklin county, and in 1882 was appointed postmaster of Columbus by 
President Arthur. It was during his tenure of office that the present gov- 
ernment building was erected in this city, and Captain Myers was disbursing 
'agent of all the funds spent in the erection of the building. 

In March, 1865, the Captain was united in marriage to Miss Harriet 
A. Simmons, of Mansfield, and unto them were born seven children, and 
two sons and a daughter, with the widow, still survive. The elder son is. 
Joseph S. Myers, managing editor of the Pittsburg Post, and the younger,. 
Laurence D.. is now a student in the high school. The daughter, Annie; 
M., is the wife of William A. Sellers, of Pittsburg. 

Captain Myers was a member of McCoy Post, G. A. R., and of the 
Military Order of the Loyal Legion. He also belonged to the Royal Arca- 
num, and had attained the thirty-second degree df Masonry. He was 
closely identified with the First Baptist church from the time of his arrival 
in this city until his death, which occurred on the 12th of January, 1901, 
and he filled the important positions of superintendent of the Sundsy-school 
and deacon of the church, also serving for many years on the general board 
of trustees for the state convention. His labors were of value in church 
work, where he will be greatly missed, for his wise counsel and means were 
given freely. He was kind-hearted, and although he led a busy life, could 



442 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

always find time tO' aid any one in trouble. He was exceedingly charitable, 
and wherever known was respected for his unquestioned fidelity to duty and 
to principle. 

ANDREW C. BIGGS. 

Professor A. C. Biggs, whose reputation extends widely through the 
country in connection with the occult sciences, is a son of William and Martha 
Biggs. He was born on the old family homestead, — Union Grove, — Gam- 
bier, Knox county, Ohio, October 4, 1876. Love of books and industrious 
habits were rich legacies from his parents, asi both were fond of reading 
and investigation. The father's mental trend was and still is in the direc- 
tion of scientific research, and hence he has given much time to the perusal 
of lines of reading treating of the sciencesi, and while he has not enjoyed 
the advantages of a collegiate education yet by a systematic course of gen- 
eral reading, study and investigation pursued he is well informed along the 
lines of his favorite study. 

One of the chief delights of Professor Biggs when he was a small boy 
was to go with his father in the evening out under the open sky and have 
his father tell him about the stars, point out this and that one that was most 
attractive to his childish fancy and then to hear tales concerning the bright 
stellar luminariesi. He delighted, too, in going with his father into the 
fields and finding a stone of queer shape and color from which his father would 
<:hip pieces and explain their geological form and features. Thus, these 
things, little in themselves, served to stimulate the boy's mind and to lay 
the foundation for those habits of speculative thought that have characterized' 
Professor Biggs in later years, and served him so welj in the domain o£ 
philosophic and scientific research. His parents were quick to discern his 
mental trend and determined that he should have the advantages of a college 
education. He was accordingly allowed to study at the colleges he chose 
and he acquired knowledge in various collegiate institutions, of Ohio, mak- 
ing choice from the curriculum of each, of those branches which were best 
suited to his favorite lines of investigation. He completed all of the studies 
comprised in a classical course and then a special course of work in history, 
psychology and philosophy. 

It was Professor Biggs^ intention to study law, but his research in the 
field of history, philosophy and science led him to discern that these pre- 
sented only the phenomena beyond which to lay the noumena. Hence he 
entered upon the study of the occult, in which he has had unusual advantages, 
having pursued his course under the supervision of the best instructors in 
our country. In thisi his chosen line he has attained a proficiency that at 
his age is simply remarkable, for at this writing he is but twenty-four years 
of age. In 1895-6-7 he spent much time in traveling through different parts 
of the country familiarizing himself with the customs of the people and mak- 
ing observations among the different classes along psychological and sociolog- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 443 

ical lines. He has always been a close student of human nature in o-eneral 
and of individual character m particular and as a result of his observation 
maintains that a person's, first impressions of an individual are alwavs cor- 
rect, the chief difficulty being to thoroughly and correctlv analv'ze the 
impressions. 

Professor Biggs has been tendered the professorship of history and 
psychology m various institutions of learning throughout the country but 
has always preferred to continue his own unique line of work 

In the autumn of 1899 Professor Biggs came to Columbus with the 
express purpose of founding a school of philosophy. After a little time he 
associated himself with the Ohio Magnetic Institute and was assigned to the 
duty of superintending the instruction of the educational department He 
was also elected treasurer of the corporation. The institute as then or-an- 
ized was not satisfactory to Professor Biggs. The students- as he believed 
were not made sufficiently familiar with the higher phases of the occult' 
Changes were made m the management and faculty. Professor Biggs and 
Professor A.S. Davis soon became the owners of the institute and then fol- 
lowed other important changes. The name of the American Occult Acad- 
emy was assumed the old name being discarded because it was not expressive 
of the line of work adopted by the school. The course of study was greatly 
extended and as superintendent of the educational department PrSfessor 
Biggs ambition is to attain for the academy a standard that will place it at 
the head of the occult schools of America. The members of the faculty are 
Professor A. S. Davis, practical demonstrator of the science of healing- A 
C. Biggs, protessor of practical psychology and suggestive therapeutics i E.' 
K Anderson, professor of hypnotism, clairvoyance and telepathy: B F 
Martz, attoniey at law, legal and professional jurisprudence, ethics and evolu- 
tion; and R. H. Biggs, M. D., professor of anatomy, physiology and pathology 
ihe institute is incorporated under the laws of Ohio and authorized by 
the state to establish and maintain a school for the purpose of teachino- the 
science of non-medical healing, including all the branches mentioned%nd 
alhed mental sciences and such other branches as the board of trustees may 
deem necessary to the largest practice of the science. To each branch of the 
study is assigned a competent instructor, who by a course of lectures and by 
practical demonstration afford such knowledge as is necessary for the heal- 
ing of any disease. The course includes a full and complete instruction in 
the practice of the famous W-eltmer method of magnetic healing. 

Professor Biggs is intensely practical in all his work and has made use- 
ful and practical application of his knowledge. Added to his other 
accomplishments he has become one of the most successful suggestive 
therapeutists m the land. As such he has many times been called in con- 
sultation and at the time of the writing of this article is in Kentucky, over 

WM r r Vr, ^'°"' ^'^' ^'°"'"' ^^^^^'^ ''''' ^''^■^ b^^^^ ^^"^d i" a special case. 
While out of the state on such visits he is always kept busy diagnosin- and 
directing the treatment of all varieties of disease. He has carr^d Ward 



444 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

his investigation along original lines and has gleaned from the fields of 
knowledge many truths and discoveries that are of practical benefit as well 
as of interest to humanity. Man is more and more learning to understand 
himself and his powers and to take cognizance of the working of the mind, 
and as a leader in, new fields of thought Professor BiggSi has attained a 
reputation scarcely equaled by any one of his years throughout the entire 
country. 

Mrs. HELENA (PARK) HUDDLESON. 

Mrs. Helena (Park) Huddleson is now residing in Miffiin township 
and was reared upon a farm within its borders, born December 3, 1849. 
Her father, Jamesi Park, was a native of Brockport, New York. During 
his boyhood he accompanied his parents on their removal to Ohio, the family 
being early settlers of the county. Their first home was a log cabin, which 
was built in the midst of an almost unbroken forest. The father of our 
subject engaged in the operation of a sawmill in an early day and mianu- 
factured most of the lumber used in the construction of many of the build- 
ings of the capital city. He was well known in Columbus and throughout 
this portion of the state as a prominent business man and a citizen of sterling 
VN-orth. He built what is known as the Sunbury pike and did much toward 
the development of the county along substantial lines of improvement and 
w-as a useful and esteemed citizen. In politics he was a stanch Republican 
and in religious views was a Universalist. He died at the ripe old age of 
eighty-seven years, respected by all who knew him. His wife bore the 
maiden name of Margaret Agkr and was one of the early settlers of Franklin 
county, her people coming tO' this section of the state when the homes of 
the pioneers were built of logs and when the work of progress had scarcely 
begun. The old Agler homestead that was built by her father when she was 
but a child is still standing and in good condition. She lived to be eighty 
years of age and is now survived by five of her six children, namely : Horace, 
Harlow, Horton, Helena and Helen. One child died in infancy. Mrs. 
Huddleson's brothers were all soldiers during the Civil war. Horace was a 
colonel in the Forty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Harlow was a lieutenant 
in a company of the Eighty-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry; and 
Horton was also an officer, serving as captain in an Ohio regiment. 

Mrs. Huddleson was the fourth in order of birth and the eldest daugh- 
ter. She was reared upon the farm where she now lives and in the district 
schools of the neighborhood acquired her early education, which was sup- 
plemented by study in Central College. She afterward' engaged in teaching 
for two years, and in 1871 she gave her hand in marriage to Jasper Huddle- 
son, who was born near Harrisburg. Ohio, and was left an orphan at an 
early age. He served as a soldier in the Civil war, being a member of the 
Tenth Ohio Cavalry. He enlisted twice and was at the front throughout 
the greater part of the struggle which established the supremacy of the' Union. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 445 

Disease contracted in the service terminated his life in May, 1878. He was 
ever as true and loyal to the duties of citizenship as when he followed the 
starry banner through the south. He had many excellent qualities, and he 
left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. 

Mr. and Mrs. Huddleson were the parents of three children: Ada, 
now the wife of Clyde Shull; Robert, a jeweler by trade, living in Colum- 
bus; and Mrs. Maggie Achey, who has a little son, Walter. Mrs. Huddle- 
son now has a farm of forty-five acres, which is operated under her per- 
sonal supervision. She is a lady of excellent business qualifications, and 
her many good qualities win for her the regard and esteem of all with whom 
she comes in contact. 

SAMUEL MAIZE. 

Among the residents of Franklin county who for many years have 
been connected with agricultural interests and have thus in a large measure 
contributed toward the present prosperity and progress of this portion of 
the state, was numbered Samuel Maize, who is now deceased. He was a 
native of county Tyrone, Ireland, born September 26, 1828, and in his life 
he manifested many of the sterling characteristics of the Irish race. He 
was reared in his native land until seventeen years of age, when he came 
with his family to America, a settlement first being made in Delaware county, 
Ohio. Soon afterward, however, he took up his abode in Clinton township, 
Franklin county, and was here united in marriage to Miss Lavina Goodwin. 
They afterward removed to Iowa, taking up their abode in Mahaska county, 
where Mr. Maize purchased land and resided for five years. On the expira- 
tion of that period he returned to Ohio, purchasing one hundred and fifty 
acres of land in Clinton county, which was partially improved. Upon that 
farm the residue of his days were passed and he became one of the success- 
ful agriculturists of the community, being energetic, determined and reliable. 
He enjoyed the confidence of. all who knew him, his life being in harmony 
with the highest moral and religious teachings. He helU membership in the 
Episcopal church, attending religious services in Worthington church. In 
his political views he was a Democrat and took an active interest in public 
affairs. He was small of stature, yet rugged and wiry, and he bore wdth 
much fortitude the inroads made upon his constitution by the long years of 
labor. Indolence and idleness were utterly foreign to his nature, and his dili- 
gence enabled him to win a commanding position among the substantial agri- 
culturists of the county. A friend thus spoke of him : "There is no need 
to apologize for Samuel Maize. He was an upright man, and those who 
quarreled with him were wrong, for he lived by the law of justice. He cast 
no anchor on the shifting sands, but kept his feet upon the rock of ages. 
He_ kept the faith of man and God up to the last day. He met the destiny 
which awaits us all on earth, conforming to nature's law. Among his last 
wordis were : 'Farewell, all ! Content to have had my fleeting day, I now fall 



446 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

asleep without a murmur and a sigh.' " Mr. Maize was always a warm 
friend of the cause of education and gave his children excellent advantages 
in that line and was instrumental in forming the school district in which he 
lived. The children all attended the funeral in a body. The last rites were 
participated in by many friends and neighbors, a very large concourse of 
people assembling to pay the final tribute of respect to one whom they had 
known and honored. There were many beautiful floral offerings, among 
them being a floral pillow, on which was the word "father," given by his 
children; a sheaf of wheat with a sickle, the gift of the widowed wife; a 
wreath by Mrs. George Eeber, and a wreath by the employes of an establish- 
ment. His remains were laid to rest in Greenlawn cemetery, and thus was 
ended the life work of one who made the world better for his having lived. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Maize were born five children, four of whom yet 
survive, namely: William M., Samuel F., Oren D. and Medora I., the last 
named now the wife of Herman Weber, of Clinton township. One daugh- 
ter, Mary Adell, died June i, 1901, at the age of twenty-five years, six months 
and six days. Mrs. Maize, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1828, 
still resides on the old homxestead and is a well preserved old lady both mentally 
and physically. She shared with her husband in his life work, and her 
example has ever been a source of inspiration to her children and is well 
worthy of emulation. 

It will be interesting in this connection to note something of the family 
history of Mrs. Maize. Her father, David Goodwin, was one of the early 
settlers of Franklin county and aided in laying broad and deep the foundation 
for its present prosperity and progress. He was borni in Augusta county, 
Virginia, in 1793, and was there reared and married, being joined in wedlock 
with Elizabeth Kraford, who was also a native of the Old Dominion, born 
in 1798. Hoping to improve their financial condition in the new state of 
Ohio, they journeyed to Fairfield county, casting in their lot with its pioneer 
settlers and remaining residents of that locality until 1834, when they removed 
to Columbus, remaining in the city for a year or two. Subsequently they 
took up their abode in Mifflin township, where Mr. Goodwin purchased an 
unimproved farm in the midst of the woods. The trees were uncut and the 
work of improvement had not yet been begun. In the midst of the forest 
he erected a small cabin and installed his wif€ and children in their new home. 
He then began the arduous task of clearing away the trees and placing the 
fields in a condition for cultivation. As tlie years passed acre after acre was 
cleared and placed under the plow, and in return for his labor he reaped 
golden harvests, which brought to him a good income. Upon the farm he 
spent his remaining days. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin were born nine children, namely : Levi, 
deceased ; Margaret ; Joseph ; Lavina ; Mrs. Samuel Maize ; Zaney, now Mrs. 
Agler; Mrs. Elizabeth Agler; Mrs. Mary Jane Agler; Oren, who resides in 
Mifflin township; and one who died in early life. Mr. Goodwin, the father 
of this family, departed this life on the old homestead farm in Mifflin town- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 447 

ship, December 3, 1856, while his wnio. was called to her final rest on the 
28th of July, 1873. Both were consistent members of the Lutheran church, 
their lives being in harmony with their professions. Mr. Goodwin was a 
valued and enterprising citizen, served in several township offices and was 
always willing to do what he could for general progress and improvement. 
Such men form the strength of their communities, and in the county where 
he resided he was widely and favorably known, proving an important factor 
in its early development. 

RICHARD JAMES. 

Richard James! was born in Circleville, Pickaway county, Ohio, Decem- 
ber 6, 1867, a son of Benjamin and Margaret James. His father was a 
native of England and died in the year 1880, but the mother is still living 
and makes her home in Columbus. In addition to our subject there were 
*two other sons in the family, Frank and Charles, both of whom are resi- 
dents of the capital city. 

Mr. James, of this review, spent his entire life in the Buckeye state. 
No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of his daily life 
in youth. He attended the common schools and enjoyed the sports in which 
boys of the period usually indulged. He was nineteen years of age when 
he entered the railroad service in 1886, as brakeman on the Valley Road, 
remaining in the employ of that corporation for a year. He was afterward 
•with the Miami Railroad in the same capacity for a year and a half, after 
which he accepted a position on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad. 
In 1894 he was promoted to conductor and has been in continuous service 
in that way since that time. He is one of the company's most efficient and 
popular conductors who does not consider it an imposition to do an obliging 
act. He is most faithful to the interests of the company and does all in his 
power for the comfort oi its patrons, and has therefore made many friends 
among those who continually travel over the line. He belongs to Hollings- 
worth Division, No. 11, of the Order of Railway Conductors', of Columbus. 

In May, 1899, Mr. James was united in marriage to Miss Lela Har- 
mon, of Columbus, a daughter of John and Alice Harmon, both of whom 
are living in the capital city. Her brothers and sisters are : Harry, Frank, 
Edward, Ada and Clara, all still under the parental roof. Mr. and Mrs. 
James now reside at their pleasant home at No. 625 Buckingham street, and 
in the city where they have long resided they are both widely and favorabh' 
known. 

WILLIAM HORTON BLAKE. 

The oldest resident physician in any community is usually honored as 
a physician and as a citizen, 'and if, as in the instance of Dr. Wi'lliam Horton 
Blake, the period of his practice covers a third of a century, he is doubly hon- 



448 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 

ored, for any physician who ministers to the same famihcs, sons and sires 
and mothers and daughters, for so long a time is not only a worthy practi- 
tioner but a worthy friend and has many times proven his right to be so 
regarded. 

Dr. William Horton Blake was born at Hibbardsville, Athens county, 
Ohio, February 23, 1846, a son of Samuel B. and Polly C. (Camp) Blake. 
Samuel B. Blake was born in Alexander township, Athens county, Ohio, 
in 1818, where he is now living the tranquil life of a retired farmer who has 
reason to look back with approbation on his active life and its achievements. 
He is a member of the Baptist church and has been a man of influence in 
his township and county, in w'hich he has lived, child, youth and man. for 
eighty-three years. His father, Samuel L. Blake, grandfather of Dr. Blake, 
was a native of Connecticut and emigrated to Ohio in 181 7 and settled in 
Athens county, where he died at the age of eighty-two years and has passed 
anto local history as a pioneer who richly deserved the honor of his fellow 
citizens. Polly C. Camp, who married Samuel B. Blake and became the 
mother of Dr. Blake, was born in Alexander township, Athens county, Ohio, 
in 1825, and was there reared and educated and there she was married and 
is living to this day. John Camp, her father, was one of the earliest set- 
tlers in Athens county — one of those venturesome and thrifty Connecticut 
Yankees who made the forests of Ohio a great garden of the middle west. 

Samuel B. and Polly C. (Camp) Blake w^ere the parents of four sens 
and two daughters, all of whom are living and of whomi Dr. William Hor- 
ton Blake was the first born. The others are Dr. Henry C. Blake, of Lock- 
bourne, Franklin county, Ohio; Hattie, who is the wife of Clark A. Potter, 
of Dallas, Texas; Mary E., who married Charles F. Fedrow% of Middle- 
port, Ohio; John C, of Albany, Ohio; and Dr. Charles F. Blake, a professor 
in the Cqllege of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimiore, Maryland. Dr. 
William Horton Blake was reared as a farmer boy and his primary educa- 
tion was obtained in a somewhat primitive country school near his home. 
Later he w^as a student at Atwood Listitute, Albany, Ohio, and then he 
entered Starling Medical College, at Columbus, Ohio, and was graduated 
from that institution in 1870 and that year located at Shadeville, Franklin 
county, Ohio, wdiere he has practiced his profession continuously to the pres- 
ent time. He is a member of the Central Ohio Medical Society and of the 
Ohio State Medical Society, and is' referred to in terms oif praise by his 
brother physicians. 

Dr. Blake, before he was: eighteen years old. enlisted to serve the federal 
cause in the war of the Rebellion, and has two honorable discharges from 
the government service. He began his experience as a soldier as a member 
of the Fourth Independent Battalion. Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, with which' 
he served six months. Upon the organization of the One Hundred and 
Eighty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, he became a member of 
that organization and participated in all its service until the close of the war. 
In politics he is a Republican, but while active in the work of his party he is 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 449 

not in the ordinary sense a practical politician and has no ambition for polit- 
ical preferment. He was made a Master Mason more than thirty years ago 
and has advanced in the order until he is greeted as a Sublime Prince of the 
Royal Secret Ineffable degrees of the Scottish Rite. He was married, in 
November, 1873, to Ellen Williams, who was born in 1855 in Hamilton 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, a daughter of David Williams, an early 
settler near Lockbourne, where Mrs. Blake was reared. Mr. Williams mar- 
ried Charlotte Dulen and both have passed away. jNlrs. Blake is one of four 
of their children now living. William Horton and Ellen (Williams) Blake 
are the parents of three children. Ola, the eldest, married Orin Huffman, 
a well known farmer at Shadeville and they have a daughter, Helen L. Sam- 
uel D. married Eva McCord, of Jackson township, a daughter of one of the 
prominent farmers of that part of the county, and they have a son named 
William F. Horton R., the youngest of the three, now eleven years old, 
is in school. 

Dr. Blake is not only the oldest medical practitioner in his^ township, 
but one of the loldest in the county in view of continuous practice wnthin 
the county limits and he is held in high esteem as a physician and also as a 
public spirited citizen, who may always be safely depended upon to serve and 
promote the interests of his fellow townsmen to the extent of his ability, 
and his services as a soldier, who risked his life in the cause and defense of 
the Union, are not forgotten when he is referred to by his admiring neigh- 
bors. He is in the best sen^e of the term a self-made man. 

JOHN BAPTIST EIS. 

John Baptist Eis, the rector of the church of the Sacred Heart, of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, was born in the province of the Rhine, Germany, October 10, 
1845. His early youth was spent in his native place, where he attended 
school, later entering the gymnasium, in Germany, from which institution 
he went to France, where he entered the seminary at Blois, remaining until 
graduation. Still ambitious. Father Eis then entered the University of 
Muenster, in Westphalia, and then became the teacher of his Highness, 
Alexander of Solns-Braunsfels. This position he held until he entered the 
army, four years later. He was commissioned a chaplain in the French and 
German war, in charge of sixty-eight hundred men, participated in the bat- 
tle of Sedan and served for a period of six months. Father Eis at this time 
returned to the classic shades of the college, at Blois, France, where he 
remained one year, filling the chair of history. 

In 1872 he came to the United States, joining friends^ in New York 
city, where he remained a few days, and then came to Columbus, Ohio, to 
accept the position of assistant under the Very Rev. Father Hemsteger, of 
the Holy Cross church. So acceptable was the ministry of Father Eis that 
later he was called to serve as secretary for Bishop Rosecrans, and later was 
appointed pastor of the church oi the Sacred Heart, which responsible posi- 



450 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

tioii he has held until the present. On the completion of the church and 
schoolhouse he took entire charge. The church is a beautiful edifice, with 
seating capacity for six hundred and fifty, and four services are conducted 
each Sunday, thus affording instruction to hundreds of people. The school 
numbers five hundred pupils and is conducted by twenty sisters, who give 
their time and services under the care of Father Eis. These buildings were 
erected at a cost of eighty thousand dollars, and the valuation of the ground 
is fully sixty thousand dollars more, making a grand total of one hundred and 
forty thousand dollars. 

Father Eis has not only gained the esteem of his own congregation but 
also that of other denominations. His work in the Sacred Heart is appre- 
ciated, and his influence is felt for good throughout the city of Columbus. 



WILLIAM C. BEAL. 

William C. Beal is one of the most extensive farmers of Franklin county, 
his landed possessions exceeding those of perhaps every other agriculturist 
in this locality. He was born in Columbus September 30, 1847, and is a 
son of John and Jane (Budd) Beal. His; father was a native of Bucks 
county, Pennsylvania, born in 181 2, and when seven years of age he lost his 
father, while four years later he was left an orphan. Some property was 
inherited by him and his sister, and the elder sisters kept the family together 
for some time, but through the dishonesty of the administrator of the estate 
the children were robbed of their property. At the age of eighteen John 
Beal came to Ohio to make his own way in the world. He accompanied 
O. P. Hines, the well known banker of Columbus, now deceased, and on 
his arrival here he entered the 'employ of Dr. Awl, the founder of the Deaf 
and Dumb and the Blind and the Insane Asylums. Mr. Beal was the first man 
that ever slept in and was employed in the old insane asylum on East Broad 
street — an institution afterward destroyed by fire. He had charge of one 
of the halls in the asylum for ten years, and a fact worth remembering at 
the present day is that ninety per cent, of the patiei'its received in the institu- 
tion were discharged cured. Later Mr. Beal became a salesman in the mer- 
cantile establishment of D. T. ^^'oodbury, on High street, and while there 
his health failed. He afterward served for one or more terms as deputy under 
John Greenleaf, the sheriff of the county, and on his retirement from office 
removed to Westerville, where he conducted a hotel. Four years later, with 
the advent of the railroad into the town, he abandoned the hotel business 
and began shipping stock in partnership with Valentine Cox, under the firm 
name of Beal & Cox. Shortly afterward they also established a dry-goods 
store in Westerville, but a year later Mr. Cox withdrew from the dry-goods 
business and was succeeded by John Knox. The latter relation was main- 
tained for about one year, when the firm became Beal & Budd, the partner 
of Mr. Beal being his brother-in-law, Silvanus Budd. Together they car- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 45 1 

riecl on the enterprise for three or four years, and the third year after the 
dissolution of that partnership the firm of Beal & Knox was again formed 
and continued until 1865. In 1866 the subject of this review was admitted 
to a partnership, and the firm of Beal & Son carried on business with excellent 
success for twenty years, when the father withdrew and retired to private 
life. In his early mercantile career he began investing in farming land and 
in 1866 his son, William C, joined him in that business. John Beal and his 
wife were the parents of five children, of whom three are now living : Will- 
iam C. ; Anna M., the widow of J. P. Gantz, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin; and 
Jennie B., wife of Dr. Arthur Good, a dentist of Hamilton, Ohio. 

William C. Beal acquired his education in the common schools and in 
Otterbein University. He was also trained in business methods under his 
father and at the age of twelve became his assistant in the care of the stock 
on the farm. When about eighteen years of age he took his place at the 
desk in his father's dry-goods store, and from that time had charo;e of the 
books and of the finances of the firm. In 1866 he was admitted to a part- 
nership, and twenty years later, when his father withdrew, the firm of Beal 
& Gantz was organized, the partner being Mr. Beal's sister, Mrs. A. M. 
Gantz. Together they conducted the enterprise until March, 1896, when, 
after a prosperous existence of forty years, the business was closed out. 
In the meantime Mr. Beal had carried on his stock-raising interests on quite 
an extensive scale. At the time' of his father's death they w^ere cultivating 
five hundred acres of land, and since his withdrawal from the mercantile 
field Mr. Beal has increased his landed possessions to seven hundred and 
sixty acres, of which he himself farms five hundred and seventy acres, thus 
becoming the most extensive farmer of the county. He is continually improv- 
ing his agricultural methods and everything upon his land indicates his care- 
ful supervision, his thrift and his progressive spirit. He is als'o one of the 
directors of the Bank of Westerville, and is numbered among the influential 
men in this portion of the state. 

In 1876 occurred the marriage of Mr. Beal and Miss Emily A. Phelps. 
of Jamestown, New York, a daughter of James Phelps, a prominent mer- 
chant of that city. They had two children : John Coleman, who is a 
bookkeeper in the employ of Mrs. L. A. Vance, a milliner of Columbus; and 
Harry Carson, who is at home with his father. In 1886 the wife and 
mother died, and Mr. Beal was ag;-ain married, in 1890, his second union being 
v.'ith Miss Jennie M. Marston, of Middleton, Ohio, a daughter of Theodore 
Marston, who for many years was a prominent and successful banker of 
Middleton. Two children were also born of this union, but only one is now 
living. Theodore Marston. 

Mr. Beal exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and 
measures of the Republican party, and 'socially he is a IMaster jMason. He 
also belongs to the Presbyterian church, in which he is serving as an elder, 
and his life has exemplified his belief. For more than half a century he has 
been prominently identified with the business interests of Franklin county. 



452 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 

and this work would be incomplete without a record of his useful and hon- 
oraijle career. He is genial, courteous and kindly and a fast friend to those 
who enjoy his confidence. In all his business enterprises he has been emi- 
nently successful and is regarded by all who know him as exceptionally sure 
and conservative. 

JOHN W. HAMILTON, M. D. 

Dr. John Waterman Hamilton, now deceased, was for many years a lead- 
ing physician and surgeon of Columbus. He was born in Muskingum town- 
ship, Muskingum county, Ohio, June 7, 1823, a son of William and Lydia 
(Springer) Hamilton. The father belonged to the Hamilton family which 
resided in Morgantown, West Virginia. He was born in 1789, and devoted 
his life to the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church, and died in 1867. 
He was, about seventeen years of age when he became a resident of Ohio, 
and his great natural ability and force of character were strengthened by 
the emergencies and privations of the pioneer lif^. His brother,, the Rev. 
Samuel Hamilton, was one of the founders of Methodism in this state. 

John W. Hamilton acquired his literary education in the district schools, 
through private instruction and in Granville, Ohio. The intervals of school 
were devoted to teaching, to study and to the conduct of a newspaper, which 
was owned by his uncle, the Rev. Cornelius Springer, of Zanesville, Ohio. 
This paper was known as the Western Recorder, later as the Methodist 
Protestant. About 1845 Dr. Hamilton began the study of medicine. He 
attended lectures in the Willoughby, now the Starling Medical College, of 
Columbus, and was graduated on the loth of May, 1847, after which he 
entered upon the practice of medicine in Franklin county. This was the 
beginning of a long and useful professional career, arduous devotion to hu- 
manity and science, showing an endurance only possible to one possessing 
a strenuous and indomitable spirit sustained by a robust constitution. Dur- 
ing the winter of 185 1-2 Dr. Hamilton studied in New York under Dr. 
Willard Parker and his contemporaries. 

In 1853 Dr. Hamilton became a member of the faculty of the Starling 
Medical College, and from that time until 1874 occupied the chair of surgery. 
During the Civil war he was a member of the board of army surgeons ap- 
])ointed by Governor Dennison at Columbus. In 1874 he organized the 
Columbus Medical College and held the ofBce of dean and professor of sur- 
gery in that institution until its consolidation with the Starling Medical Col- 
lege in 1892. Through his efforts and liberality the Hawkes Hospital, of 
Mount Carmel, was enabled to erect and equip a large addition to the build- 
ing, thus trebling its original capacity. 

Dr. Hamilton had a very large experience, living as he did in the days 
when the work of the surgeon included many of the operations now belong- 
ing to special fields other than that of general surgery. One of his most 
notable achievements was the removal of a very large "retromaxillary tu- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 453 

mor," a case which had been examined by many of tlie eminent surgeons 
of the country and pronounced inoperable. The operation was performed 
before the Civil war and the patient was living a few years ago. Another 
was the removal from the pleural cavity, in close relation with the pericar- 
dium, of a knife, in the case of a convict in the Ohio Penitentiary, who had 
forced the knife through his neck into the pleural cavity in attempting to 
end his life. While the operation was unsuccessful so far as the life of the 
convict was concerned, it furnished a striking example of what was, at that 
time, 185 1, very brilliant and daring surgery. Dr. Hamilton was also wndely 
known throughout the state among lawyers, as an expert medical witness 
who had an extraordinary inliuence upon juries. This power was due to 
his sincerity, simplicity and his very evident mastery of his profession. He 
died January i, 1891. 

JOHN W. BOYD. 

For long years a resident of Franklin county, John Wesley Boyd was 
classed among the best representatives of the farming interests of Ohio, 
and by his many friends who still survive him this record wall be gratefully 
received. He resided in Pleasant township, having come to the Buckeye 
istate from Pennsylvania, his birth having there occurred in Allegheny, in 
July, 1822. His grandfather, William Boyd, died in Allegheny, Pennsyl- 
vania, where through many years he had followed the tailor's trade. He 
was of Irish lineage, the family having been founded in the new world at an 
early epoch in the history of this republic. His son, William Boyd, Sr., the 
father of our subject, was born and reared in Allegheny, and when he had 
reached man's estate he married' Eleanor Watson. By trade he was a black- 
smith, but ill health prevented him from following that pursuit, and as he 
was a man of superior education he engaged in teaching school, being em- 
ployed as an instructor in high schools. He died in his native city about 
1834, his widow long surviving him. She reached a very advanced age, 
departing this life in Pittsburg. 

John Wesley Boyd was only twelve years of age at the time of his 
father's death. He remained with his widowed mother, assisting her in all 
possible ways. He acquired a good education, and then learned the car- 
penter's trade in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, in order to be prepared for the 
practical and responsible duties of a business career. When he had mas- 
tered his chosen occupation he became identified with the building interests 
of Brownsville and afterward engaged in contracting and building in the state 
of Missouri for fifteen years. Prior to his removal to the west he was mar- 
ried, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Eveline Chalfant, who died in northern 
Missouri. Prior to the Civil war, in connection with a Mr. Smith, he pur- 
chased and sold much land in the south, and afterward came to Ohio to visit 
his sister, Mrs. Rachel Brubaker, of Pleasant township. Here he formed 
the acquaintance of Miss Sarah Ann Havs, whom he made his w^ife. She 



454 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, fourteen miles from Phila- 
delphia, and was of Irish lineage, her paternal grandfather, Edward Hays, 
having been a native of the Emerald Isle. Crossing the briny deep to the 
new world, he located in Philadelphia, and there married Martha Tuston. 
To some extent he followed farming, but gave the greater part of his atten- 
tion to shoemaking. He and his wife both died in Philadelphia, his demise 
occurring when he had reached the age of more than ninety years. Edward 
Hays, the father of Mrs. Boyd, was born in Philadelphia hi 1800, and there 
learned and followed biacksmithing. He wedded Hester Lightcap, of Bucks 
county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Solomon and Anna Mary Lightcap, who 
resided about fourteen miles from Easton, Pennsylvania. In 1834 or 1835 
Mr. Hays with his wife and children came to Ohio, making the journey by 
wagon. They crossed the mountains and proceeded on their way to Colum- 
bus, at length reaching the home of Mr. Lukens, in Pleasant township, that 
gentleman having been an old friend of the family. Mr. Hays purchased 
one hundred acres of land in the Pennsylvania settlement — a timber tract — 
in the midst of which he cleared a small portion in order to erect a round-log 
cabin. Each year he cut away more timber until his farm was all cleared and 
improved. There he made his home until his death, in September, 1873. 
His wife, Hester, died within a few hours of her husband's death, and they 
were buried in the same grave. Their children were : James, who resided 
in Pleasant township, but died in Circleville, whither he had gone on business ; 
Abraham, who died in Burlington, Iowa; George, who died in this town- 
ship; Mrs. Boyd; and Emily, who became the wife of Isaac Hays, and passed 
away in 1874. 

After their marriage Mr. Boyd and his wife removed to southern Mis- 
souri, and while there he enlisted in Company K, which afterward became 
Company G, of a, Missouri cavalry, of which he was made first lieutenant. 
He had formerly served as captain of militia in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 
and he intended to enter the service in the war with Mexico. His training 
at that time was a good preparation for his duty as a soldier in the Civil war. 
He remained at the front until the close of hostilities, but in order to remove 
his wife and family from the contested territory he desired them to return 
to Iowa, Mrs. Boyd with her little sons starting from Dixon, Shannon county, 
Missouri, and made their way to Rolla, a distance of seventy-five miles, 
where she rented a farm for one year. The government had one thousand 
troops at Rolla, and the bushwhackers made many raids upon the farms in 
that locality, so that Mrs. Boyd thus lost everything which she possessed. 
She then left that farm for another, five miles north of -Rolla, and w-hen a 
second year had passed she gave up in despair and started for Ohio. While 
living at Dixon her home was visited by sixteen different companies of bush- 
whackers, who took everything they could utilize in their way. With a 
wagon drawn by ox-teams Mrs. Boyd and her children started for Ohio 
just one day in advance of Price's army, and were upon the road for thirty^ 
five days. They brought with them three cows and two horses, and at night 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 455 

they would camp by the wayside and prepare their meals over a fire which 
they would build near the wagon. 

At the close of the war Mr. Boyd rejoined his family in Pleasant town- 
ship, Franklin county, and soon afterward purchased a farm near Alton, 
in Madison county, Illinois, where he spent seven years, and then returned 
to the old homestead in Pleasant township where his wife's people had for- 
merly resided. He purchased the interest of the other heirs in the place, 
and there continued agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred 
March 4, 1896. He was a stanch Republican in politics, and from early 
youth was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His loy- 
alty as a soldier was simply an index to his character in every relation of life, 
and his trustworthiness, kindliness and many excellent qualities won him the 
respect and high regard of all. 

Unto Mr. Boyd by his first marriage were born three children, namely : 
William Hamlet, of St. Louis, Missouri; Lewis Frank, of Plattsmouth, Ne- 
braska; Ophelia, who became the wife of John Curran, and died at Jamestown, 
Missouri. By the second marriage there were two children, — Samuel Ed- 
ward, of Columbus, and Hester Eleanor, who is now the wife of Thomas 
Green. 

HENRY C. FERRIS. 

H. C. Ferris, the superintendent of the western division of the Toledo 
& Ohio Central Railway, residing at Columbus, was born in Sandusky on 
the 1st of March, 1865, and is a son of James M. and Mary (Dickinson) 
Ferris. His father was a son of William Ferris, who was born in North- 
umberland county, Pennsylvania. He married Miss Clafflin, and in 1832 
they removed to Cuyahoga county, Ohio, where they reared their family. 
James M. Ferris was born in this state in 1839, and for many years has been 
a railway official. He is now general manager of the Toledo & Ohio Central 
Railway, his home being in Toledo, Ohio. 

Henry C. Ferris, whose name introduces this record, spent his early 
boyhood days in Cleveland and pursued his preliminary education in the 
public schools there. Subsequently he continued his studies in Stevens' In- 
stitute of Technology, and was graduated in 1888. winning the degree of 
mechanical engineer. Being thus well fitted by thorough preparation for 
engineering duties, he then entered the employ of the Massillon Bridge Com- 
pany, with headquarters at Massillon. Later he became connected with the 
Toledo, Columbus & Cincinnati Railway Company, being made superintend- 
ent and engineer of maintenance of way, which position he held until he be- 
came superintendent of the western division for the Toledo & Ohio Central 
Railway Company. He was then stationed at Columbus, and in his position 
has proved himself a very efficient officer. He has the entire confidence of 
the corporation which he serves and is well qualified for the position. His 
close application, thorough understanding of the duties, combined with his 



456 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

comprehensive knowledge of railroading, have made him one of the trusted 

''^'T%'ul Ptrris'tas joined n, wedlock to M.ss Clara Shingle, of 
Kenton Ohl a dauglvter of Henry M. Shingle. In- h.s polmcal v.ews he 
?a stalwa RepnbliJan. but has never been an aspirant for office, his atten- 
on betl fully 'occupied by his business duties. A genial manner, pleasant 
'ddress mid unfailing courtesy have made for him many friends, and he ha» 
The happy faculty of Rawing them closer to him as the years pass by. 

GEORGE NELSON TUSING. 

The predominance of Pennsylvania stock in the eaidy settlement of 
some portfons of Ohio has been of incalculable value to '- eit.zen h,p of 
the state in all generations since the pioneer days foi it is a thutty ana 
ndusrious stock law-abiding, and has set the pace for progress and pros- 
per tywhrever t has gained a foothold. The Tusings, of «>"^'^,„^™* ^ 
fhe Rev. George Nelson Tusing, of Marion township, F^jf l'" ^ ^i,; ! 
a renresentative, are of such ancestry as has been referred to, and then h.s 
?o?v s one of enlightenment, development and advancement vvherever the 
name is known Nicholas Tusing, father of Rev. George Nelson Tusing 
waTbon in Pennsylvania March 4, 1779, and at the age of twenty- wo year 
came to Franklin county, Ohio, and stopped for a short t'meon the preset 
site of Winchester, but soon took up one hundred and sixty acre». of lana 
between Grovepor and Winchester, now in Madison township, and was 
one of the eariy settlers there. He brought with him' apple seeds, with 
which he planted the first orchard in that part of .*f ^°"".'>Y^O"-;f^*e 
trees of which are standing to this day. He married Fannie Clifford, who 
died wtht a year, and later he married Anna M^ Switzer, a naUve o 
Switzerland, born February 22, 179S, who came to Ame"ca when s e wa^ 
eleven years old, and who died September 14, i855> nearly ^0"^ ^ff = ^"^ 
their wedding and about five years after the death o^^f/^t" , „;,'h'' 
occurred September 25, 1850. They were members °f. ^'^/j'J' *"*! 
and in politics Mr. Tusing was a Democrat, and as a "^"^^^"/^^^^^ P™^^ 
nent and influential, and was well known throughout the co n y H^s 
father Phillip Tusing, of German descent, was a native of Pennsylvania, 
and died there after a successful career as a farmer uucerond 

Nicholas Tusing had no children by his first ■™'"™8^- , ?^J,, "Td 
wife bore him one daughter and eight sons. Two of these ch Wren died 
in infancy, while the others lived to marry and rear families, and *°ur ot 
them are living. Rev. George Nelson Tusing, born ■" Mf f °" '°X ^in ' 
Franklin county, Ohio, December 6, 1821 was the third *.ld of the mne 
in order of birth. He was brought up to the hard he of a boy on a pioneer 
farm, with no early educational advantages except those afforded by primi- 
tive schools kept in a little log house, with split logs for seats and slab-like 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 457 

projections from the walls for writing desks. When he was tw^enty-one 
years old he began life for himself, working at anything his hands fomid 
to do in a new country. When he was employed by the month he was paid 
eight dollars for what he could do in a month of very long days. When 
he was not busying himself at farm work or in a sawmill, he split rails, at 
fifty cents a hundred, or chopped cord wood, at twenty-hve cents a cord. 
He was married February i8, 1847, to Elizabeth Harman, who was born 
in Fairfield county, Ohio, December 29, 1829, a daughter of Thomas and 
Elizabeth Harmon, who were early settlers there. After his marriage he 
located on a farm which he bought on time and which was located two miles 
north of Pickerington, Fairfield county, where he built a rude log house,, 
which was none the more complete for having been erected in great haste. 
There he lived for twenty-two years, not only paying for the farm, but add- 
ing tw^o other farms to it. In 1869 he sold this property and removed to 
Franklin county and bought the farm of James Watson, near where the 
village of Brice has since grown up. The place consisted of three hundred 
and eighty-five acres, and he began farming on a large scale, with such suc- 
cess that within five years he had increased his acreage to five hundred. 
He sold one hundred and fifty acres surrounding his house, and paid tw'elve 
thousand dollars for a residence property on High street, Columbus, which, 
. after living there for about seven months, he traded for a farm in Delaw^are 
county, and about the same time paid about five thousand dollars for four 
and a half acres of land upon which he now lives and upon which he built 
his present residence in 1875. 

Mr. Tusing joined the Primitive Baptist church in 185 1, was licensed 
to preach in 1852, and was duly ordained later in the year last mentioned. 
He preached at Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 185 1-5, and after that for thirteen years 
at Laurel, Hocking county. Then he served four years as pastor of the 
Groveport Baptist church at Groveport, Franklin county. He was called' 
to other fields of labor later, and now has four preaching places under his 
charge. The first of these is at Turkey Run church, in Fairfield county, of 
which he has been pastor twenty-three years ; the second is at Scott's Creek, 
where he has preached for twenty years ; the third is at Laurel, Hocking 
county, the scene of his first ministerial labors, where he has preached this 
time for eight years; and the fourth is Union church, near Thornville. Perry 
county, among wdiose people he has labored for fifteen years. ]\Ir. Tusing 
has given nearly all his active years to the w^ork of the church, and his labors 
have been crowned with success. Li politics he is independent, supporting 
such men for office as he believes are best fitted for public responsibility. 
He has been a trustee of his township, and has ably served his fellow citizens 
as justice of the peace. 

Rev. George Nelson and Elizabeth (Harmon) Tusing have had nine 
children. His sous, Leroy W. and Clinton W., are prominent farmers of 
Franklin county, Ohio. Sarah Jane married Silas F. ^^'hite, a well-known 
f.irmer near Pataskala, Ohio. Mary Ellen married Dr. F. G. Taylor, of 



458 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Reynoldsburg", Ohio. Georg-e S. and Urah Ann are now deceased. Laura 
Elva married William A. Donelson, a successful lawyer of Columbus, Ohio. 
Lewis B. Benton is a well-known lawyer at Columbus, Margaret E. is a 
member of her father's household. 

OTIS K. ELLIS. 

Character has come to play a more important part in public life than it 
ever did before. It may be safely assumed that a man who is continued in 
public office is kept tBere because he is honest and efficient and administers the 
office in a manner that has the approbation not alone of politicians but of the 
general public. The same may be said of officials who are advanced from 
one public trust to another. Such a straightforward, thorough-going official 
as has been suggested is Otis K. Ellis, of Marion township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, superintendent of the county infirmary. 

Otis K. Ellis was born at Newark, Licking county, Ohio, June 26, 1864, 
a son of Alva J. Ellis, who was born, reared and educated in the same county, 
while his grandfather, Joel Ellis, was a native of Virginia. Alva J. Ellis 
early became identified with railway interests. He was one of the pioneer 
employes of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and for the past twenty years 
has been in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad, being now an engine 
inspector for the company last referred to, and though he has reached the age 
of seventy-two years, he is active and efficient and his work is valued by his 
superiors. He is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Brotherhood of Lo- 
comotive Engineers. Joel Ellis, father of Alva J. Ellis and grandfather of 
Oti'si K. Ellis, was a native of Virginia. Alva J. Ellis married Rachel Ken- 
non, a native of Perry county, Ohio, who was reared in Perry and Muskingum 
counties and has now attained the age of sixty-two years. Her father was 
also a native of Ohio. Alva J. and Rachel (Kennon) Ellis have had six 
children, five of whom^ are living, as follows : Frank F., who lives at Colum- 
bus, Ohio; Leah, who became the wife of Frederick Smith, and also lives 
at Columbus; Minnie B., wife of John Edward Orr, of Columbus; Lottie F., 
who lives at the infirmary with her brother Otis K., who is the third child 
and second son of his parents. 

When Otis K. Ellis was four years old he was taken by his parents to 
Pataskala, Licking county, where he was reared, and educated in the public 
schools. In 1877, when he was fourteen years of age, the family removed 
to Columbus, where he began his business life in the tobacco establishment 
of Patrick Sweeney, with whom he remained about a year. During the 
succeeding year he was employed in the Hayden Rolling Mills, and from 
that time until 1883 he was employed in the trimming department of the 
Tuller Buggy Company. From 1883 to 1896 he was connected with the 
Columbus Buggy Company.. He was then employed in the coroner's office 
for about six months, until that office was abolished by law, and April i, 
1898, he was elected by the board of directors of the Franklin county infirm- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 459 

ary superintendent of that institution, and lie has been twice re-elected to the 
same responsible position. The mere statement of that fact is more ex- 
pressive declaration of his integrity and efticxency m office than could be for- 
mulated in any other combination of words, however strong. 

Mt. Ellis is a Republican in every legitimate sense of the name, he 
reveres the history of the party, is proud of what it has done, is fully in 
accord with its present policy and firmly believes that all its great promises 
will be fulfilled. He is a Knight Templar Mason and has been greeted a 
Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret Ineffable degrees of the Scottish Rite, 
and his connection with the order dates from 1891, when he was made a 
Master Mason. He was for some years an active member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. He has been an important factor in the development 
of his township. Hardly an important public improvement has been made 
in his time without his sanction and many have been started at his suggestion. 
He is a good organizer, a man not afraid of responsibility, and a 'reliable, 
cautious handler of his own money and other men's. 

ALBERT GALLATIN BYERS. 

Much is written in these days of the widening of individual opportunity, 
but examples are sometimes given us where the individual finds his oppor- 
tunity by seeking properly for it. In the life record of that good man, Albert 
Gallatin Byers, the subject of the present sketch, may be discovered an in- 
stance of this kind. 

He was born in Uniontown, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1826, and 
died, after a life dedicated to the noble work of helping the helpless, on 
November 10, 1890, at the age of sixty-four years. He received his edu- 
cation in Madison College, Pennsylvania. Bereft of a father's care in 1847, 
he removed with his mother to Portsmouth, Ohio, and two years later, when 
the gold excitement was at its height, he joined a party and crossed the plains 
to California, where he remained until 185 1. While there he received the 
sad news of his mother's death, which occurred in 1850, and this was a severe 
blow, as he was a devoted son. 

Returning from California, Mr. Byers engaged in the practice of medi- 
cine at Ironton, Ohio, for two years, but did not have his heart in the work, 
feeling a call to "doctor" the soul rather than the body. He had been reared 
a Presbyterian, but his tender heart could never quite accept the Calvinistic 
doctrine, and upon his mother's grave he consecrated himself to the life of a 
minister, choosing the tenets of the Methodist church, though his religion 
was so true that it required no name to associate with it. Dr. Byers delighted 
in his ministry, and his success in persuading young men to turn from their 
evil ways was remarkable. Until the breaking out of the Civil war Dr. 
Byers was constantly busy about his Master's business, and at that time he 
found a place among the first volunteers of his state. He was made the 
chaplain of the Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for eight- 



460 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

een months; but the hardships proved too much f(jr his delicate constitution 
and he was reluctantly comipelled to return to his home in Circleville. Re- 
cuperating for a year, he accepted a call to what is now the Third Street 
church in Columbus and served one year and a half, when he was elected, 
in 1865, to serve as the chaplain at the Ohio Penitentiary, and here his real 
life work began. For six years he faithfully filled this trying position, dur- 
ing a year or two of which time, at the earnest solicitation of the members 
of the board of state charities, organized in 1867, he served as secretary of 
the board, without salary, in addition to his work as chaplain of the peni- 
tentiary. At the end of this period he became convinced that he could better 
assist in prison and charity work on the outside than upon the inside of the 
prison walls, and accordingly resigned his position as chaplain of the Ohio 
Penitentiary. 

Now began a time of stress for Dr. Byers, for he devoted his whole 
time to the work of the board of charities and his whole soul and strength 
to the unfortunates of every class, his constantly expressed regret being 
that he could accomplish so little. Never consulting his own comfort, he 
labored unceasingly until at last his friends began to realize that his strength 
was becoming exhausted in his care for others. His last public w^ork, which 
was the crowning act in a long series of exacting duties, was at the National 
Conference of Charities and Correction in the city of Baltimore, of which 
conference he was the president. ' His enfeebled condition was apparent to 
all, and a quotation from his last add'ress gave pain to his hearers, as they 
could not but realize the probable truth of his Avords. Dr. Byers said : 
"I do not know that I shall ever meet you again, that is, in our earthly con- 
ference. I have been unwell for some time and it is probable that when the 
next meeting comes I shall not be there. H so, I rejoice tO' know that it will 
not in any way affect the work. There was a time when one dropping out 
might have made a difference; not now." From this conference Dr. Byers 
came home exhausted and never recovered from the nervous prostration 
which followed, and from that time gradually failed. Many times during 
the years of toil and discouragement Dr. Byers seemed to see the hand of 
Providence manifested so clearly that he would go forward encouraged, 
assured that he was doing right. In testimony to the value of his work 
we may quote a few of the many tributes that have been written by those 
who were acquainted with the conditions existing in the benevolent and the 
penal institutions of the state and with his work in connection with them. 

H. S. Fullerton wrote: "What Dr. A. G. Byers does not know about the 
unfortunates of Ohio is not worth relating. An intimate acquaintance of 
twenty-four years justifies me in saying here that the people of Ohio can 
never realize the efforts nor appreciate the work of Dr. Byers in his labors 
to better the conditions prevailing among Ohio's insane, poor and criminal 
class." 

Rev. Fred H. Wines said: "Dr. Byers was a man of the same mental 
constitution as the martyr president; and every amusing anecdote, every 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 461 

original joke in which he indulged himself, was the outward sign of his 
profound sense of the intolerable burden of human wretchedness, and his 
anxiety to lighten the gloom with which the thought of it overwhelms the 
soul. This very quality endeared him to his friends. In his home, in his 
state and in this conference he was loved as few men are ever loved, admired 
as few men are ever admired, and trusted as few men are ever trusted." 

"There's not a string attuned to mirth 
But has its chord in melancholy." — Hood. 

Hon. W. P. Letcliworth writes of the Doctor: "It was his svmpathy 
with the erring and his elevating influence over them that made hini so suc- 
cessful in reform work and added to his great usefulness in connection with 
the Ohio State Board of Charities." 

Extract from an address by General R. Brinkerhoff: "I want to say 
that Ohio, which, I think you will agree, stands abreast of any state in the 
Union in connection with her benevolent and penal institutions, owes more 
of that advance to him than to any other one man, or any other' ten men, or 
any other hundred men !" 

Dr. Byers w^as married December 7, 1852, to Miss Mary A. Rathbun, 
of Cheshire, Gallia county, Ohio, who, with seven children, five sons and 
two daughters, survives him. After his death, in 1890, one of the sons, 
Joseph Perkins Byers, took up and has since continued his father's work as 
secretary of the Ohio Board of State Charities. He had been associated 
with his father in the office for several years before his death. 

TRACEY WILCOX. 

Tracey Wilcox was born in Connecticut, and during his boyhood was 
brought by his parents to Ohio. He is a son of Simeon Wilcox, who was 
the founder of the family in Franklin county, having come from Connecticut 
to the Buckeye state with an overland company in 1803. He settled in 
Sharon township, w^here he established a home for his wife and children, 
who had accompanied him from the east. Here he entered a tract of wild 
land, upon which he built a cabin, and after thus providing shelter for those 
dependent upon him, he began the arduous task of clearing and improving a 
farm. As the years passed, however, the wild forest land was cleared and 
was transformed into richly productive fields. He also extended the boun- ' 
daries of his property until he was the owner of valuable real-estate holdings 
By his first marriage he had six children, namely: Warren, Tracey Gideon 
Violet, Harriet and Cena. His second wife was Mrs. Hannah Wilcox Bv 
this marriage he had one child, Seeley. 

Tracey Wilcox, whose name introduces this record, was reared amid the 
wild scenes of frontier life. The family removed to Franklin county when 
2t was almost an unbroken forest, the sound of the woodman's ax as wielded 



462 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

by the pioneer being an indication of future prosperity, wlien tlie forest trees 
would be replaced by waving fields of gram. He assisted in the arduous 
labor of clearing the land and developing the fields, and thus gained a practical 
experience in farming, so that he was well equipped for carrying on business 
along that line on his own account. After arriving at years of maturity he 
was joined in wedlock to Miss Chestina Taylor, and they became the parents 
of three children, namely : James M., Candice and Sophia. After the death 
of his first wife Mr. Wilcox married Mrs. Priscilla Malbone, and they be- 
came the parents of six children: Chestina, John, Sophrona, Ann, Tracey 
and Washington W., all of whom are now deceased with the exception of 
W. W. and Chestina, the last named being the wife of John L. Wiswell. 

Mr. Wilcox was a representative citizen, prominent in public affairs, 
his opinions carrying ..much weight among his fellow men. For many years 
he served as justice of the peace, discharging his duties with marked fairness 
and impartiality. In his business aft'airs he was energetic, determined and 
accumulated a good property, becoming one of the well-to-do citizens of his 
community. His wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and in politics he was first an old-line Whig, but afterward became a Repub- 
lican. His death occurred in 1841, while his second wife passed away 
in 1853. 

BENJAMIN S. BOWSER. 

A representative farmer of Norwich township and an honored veteran 
of the Civil war who loyally defended the Union in her hour of danger, 
Benjamin S. Bowser, well deserves ^representation in this volume. His 
grandfather, Jacob Bowser, was probably a native of Pennsylvania, and re- 
moved to Perry county, Ohio, where both he and his wife died. They had 
four sons and three daughters: Henry, who died in Perry county, Ohio; 
Jacob; Daniel, who died in Montgomery county, Illinois; John, of Montgom- 
ery county, Illinois ; Mrs. Polly Wilkins, who died in Perry county, Ohio ; 
Catherine, who became the wife of James Hamilton, and died in Marion 
county, Ohio; and Eliza, who became the wife of James Craig, and died in 
Franklin county, Ohio. 

Jacob Bowser, the father of our subject, was born in Perry county, Ohio, 
in 1808, and was. there reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life. The 
nearest school was three miles from his home, and he received but a limited 
education. He married Rachael Hamilton, who was born on Jonathan creek, 
in Perry county, Ohio, in 1808, and'- for a few years thereafter they resided 
in their native county, coming thence to Brown township, Franklin county, 
where the father purcliased a farm, upon which he resided until his death, 
in 1847. His wife died June i, 1881. They were members of the Camp- 
bellite or Christian church, and Mr. Bowser was an old-line Whig in his 
political affiliations. They had six children : Henry, who died in Colum- 
bus, went to California at the time of the gold excitement there, enlisted in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 463 

the Second California Cavalry during the Civil war, served for three years, 
and was wounded by the Indians on the frontier. Edward, who spent seven 
years in California during the early mining days, is now living near Marion, 
Ohio. Elizabeth became the wife of David Lattimer, and died in Columbus. 
Alvina, w4fe of Charles Dautel, died in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1866. Ben- 
jamin is the next younger. John, who served for more than two years in 
the Twelfth Ohio Cavalry during the Civil war, died in Norwich township. 

Benjamin S. Bowser was born in Brown township, Franklin county, 
July 6, 1844, and the days of his boyhood and youth w^ere spent on the home 
farm, while to the district schools he is indebted for his educational privi- 
leges. At the age of seventeen he enlisted, in August, 1862, as a member 
of Company A, Ninety-fifth Ohio Infantry, under Captain Stewart and 
Colonel McMillan. He served four months, was in the battle of Richmond, 
Kentucky, and was honorably discharged at Columbus. He then returned 
home, remaining for a year, but on the 2d of February, 1864. re-enlistecl 
as a member of Company D, Twelfth Ohio Cavalry, under Captain Sells 
and Colonel Ratlifif, serving until honorably discharged, November 14, 1865. 
His regiment was attached to the Fourth Corps and participated in the bat- 
tles of Mount Sterling, Cynthiana, Marion, Salisbury, North Carolina, Wythe- 
ville and Saltville. At the latter place he was for four days and four nights 
without anything to eat. He aided in carrying from the field his captain, 
who had been wounded. At Mount Sterling the regiment lost forty men 
ni killed and wounded in eight minutes' fighting. 

When the country no longer needed his services Mr. Bowser returned 
home and resumed farming. After his marriage he resided for three years 
on the home farm in Brown township, and then located on his present farm 
of fifty-three acres, where he has a comfortable residence, substantial barns 
and outbuildings, a good orchard and all modern improvements. He was 
married December 29, 1869, in Norwich township, to Miss Mary E. Scho- 
field, who was born in that township December 26, 1847, a daughter of Jesse 
and Mary (Winegardner) Schofield. Their children are Laura A., now^ the 
wife of William Carroll, of Zanesville, Ohio; Margaret, who died in infancy; 
Elizabeth, wife of Lewis I. Perry; Stella, who died in infancy; Elnora, who 
is teaching school at Hilliard ; Walter R. ; and B. Otis. 

Mr. Bowser is a charter member of John A. Spellman Post, G. A. R.. 
of Hilliard, and formerly served as its commander. In politics he is an ear- 
nest Republican, and for seventeen years he served on the school board, 
efihciently promoting the cause of education. 

JOHN S. HENDERSON. 

The name of J^ohn Stewart Henderson is deeply engraved on the pages 
of the history of Franklin county in connection wath educational interests. 
He did much to advance school work, and many men w'ho have attained 
state and national prominence acknowledge their indebtedness to him for 



464 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

what he did when they were under his instruction in the school room. He 
represents one of the pioneer famiHes of Franklin county, being a son of 
Robert Cooper Henderson, who came to Ohio at a very early period in the 
development of this portion of the state. The grandfather, Matthew Hender- 
son, was of Scotch-Irish descent, the family having been founded in America 
during the colonial days. Matthew Henderson married a Miss Kearsley, 
who was of Scotch lineage. Their son, Robert C. Henderson, was born in 
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and prior to his marriage came to Ohio, locat- 
ing in Franklinton, now a part of Columbus. He was a cabinet-maker and 
followed his trade after coming to Franklin county until his marriage. After 
that event his time and energies were devoted to agricultural pursuits upon 
their farm three miles south of the court house. He arrived here about 
181 5. He was married in Franklinton to Miss Mary Stewart, a daughter of 
John and Ann (Heer) Stewart, of a pioneer family. Three children were 
born of this union: Margaret, born September 26, 1820, and died on the 
8th of July, 1845, ii'^ the twenty-fifth year of her age; John S., of this review; 
and Joseph, born November 29, 1824. . The mother passed away about ten 
years after her marriage, on the 27th of July, 1828, and for his second wife 
Mr. Henderson chose Miss Sarah McComb, of Truro township, by whom he 
had seven children, namely: Rebecca, who died in 1850, at the age of eight- 
een years; Mary, who died in 1895, at the age of sixty-three; Jonathan, who 
died in childhood ; William, who died in the army, at the age of twenty- 
eight years ; Matthew^ who resides in Columl^us, Ohio ; Ellen, who died at 
the age of thirty-five years; Daniel, who was born in 1841 and died in 1885. 
Robert C. Henderson was a Presbyterian in religious belief and took an 
active part in the work of the church. He was "a strict disciplinarian and 
closely followed the teachings of his denomination. His membership was 
in Dr. Hoge's church, of Columbus. Both his first and secoiid waves were 
also identified with the same organization. In his political views he was a 
Republican, and he died on the old homestead in March, 1858, when about 
seventy-four years of age, while his second wife passed away in 1846, at 
the age of thirty-eight. In his business afifairs he was very prosperous. 
The cause of education found in him a warm friend, and he gave to his chil- 
dren good advantages in that direction, that they might be fitted for life's 
practical duties. He \vas a pioneer in the temperance movement, being one 
of the first to refuse to permit the use of liquor in the harvest field and at 
log rollings. He was strong and fearless in what he believed to be tight, 
was Avell informed on the questions and issues of the day, and wherever he 
went he commanded the respect and confidence of those with wdiom he w^as 
associated. 

John Stewart Henderson, his second child, was born on the old family 
homestead, February 12, 1823. He was reared upon the home farm and his 
education was acquired in the district schools of the neighborhood and sup- 
plemented by a course of study in the select school in Columbus. Thus he 
prepared himself for teaching, which profession he followed for a number 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 465 

of years in the pul)lic and normal schools, after which he filled the chair of 
mathematics in Central College, accepting- the position in 1846 and continuing 
therein for three years. About 1849 ^^ '^'^'^s called to the chair of mathematics 
and philosophy in what was then known as the Farmers' College, but is now 
Belmont College, at College Hill, near Cincinnati, and for seven years he ac- 
ceptably discharged the duties of that position until ill health forced him to 
resign. He was honored with the degree of master of arts. He was a most 
capable educator, having the ability to impart readily, accurately and con- 
cisely to others the knowledge he had acquired. He had strong sympathy 
with and for his pupils and always retained their confidence and regard. 
Among those who were under his instruction and have since attained promi- 
nence were Benjamin Harrison, president of the United States; Bishop 
John M. Walden, of the Methodist Episcopal church; Rev. George Dart; 
and George L. Converse. On account of ill health, he gave up his educa- 
tional work and returned to Franklin county, settling on a farm in Perry town- 
ship, which he had inherited from his mother. There he made his perma- 
nent home. On the 29th of December, 1847, Pi'ofessor Henderson was 
married to Miss Mary E. Johnson, a daughter of \Villiam and Roxey John- 
son, natives of North Mansfield, Connecticut. To them were born six chil- 
dren, but only two are now living, namely : Estella May, the wife of Robert 
J. Shoemaker, of Perry township; and Glennie Olive. Those who have 
passed away are Ervin S. ; Estin H. ; Mary Emma, who died at the age of 
eighteen years; and one who died in infancy. The elder daughter, Estella 
May, was married October 10, 1889, to R. J. Shoemaker, and they now 
have five children. — Florence J., Earl H., Ross W.. Ralph M. and Carroll B. 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker hold membership in the Methodist Episco- 
pal church. 

Mr. Henderson was a prominent and influential citizen of Franklin 
county during the years of his residence in the same. For a number of years 
he served as township clerk, and was ever in sympathy with the movements 
and measures which contributed to the general good. He was a ripe scholar, 
a close student and kept in touch with the best thonghts of the day. He had 
been reared in the Presbyterian faith, but after locating in Perry township 
he joined the Methodist Episcopal church, and for many years was superin- 
tendent of the Sunday-school and teacher of the Bible class. After his death 
he was succeeded in his church positions and services by his daughter Glennie. 
He was also an indefatigable worker in the Sunday-school, believing thor- 
oughly in Christian education as a preparation for life's duties. Benevolent 
and kind, he gave freely of his means to the cause he loved so well and to 
charitable work, and the poor and needy were never turned from his door 
empty-handed. A good citizen, a kind neighbor, a loving and affectionate 
husband and father, in him were harmoniously blended all those qualities of 
mind and heart which constitute a highly developed and commendable man- 
hood. He was strictly temperate and his influence was ever on the side of 
right, the true, the good and the beautiful. He passed away November 20, 



466 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1892, and his deatli was the occasion of deep regret throughout the com- 
munity. Mrs. Henderson still survives her husband. She was born in 
North Mansfield, Connecticut, January 16, 1829, and when fifteen years of 
age came to Ohio with her brothers and sister. When a maiden of twelve 
siie became identified with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which she has 
ever been a loyal and consistent member, and her Christian life has been a 
source of influence as well as a benediction to her family and friends. vShe 
devoted many years as a teaclier in the Sunday-school, beginning when only 
fifteen years of age, and continuing until a short time ago. 

This running review of the history of the Henderson family affords 
but a slight indication of their moral worth and social influence, but, such 
as it is, it is submitted to the candid consideration of the future. 

JOHN STELZER. 

Long years have passed since Mr. Stelzer became a resident of Franklin 
county, and his home was on the old Selzer road in Mifflin township. He 
was born In Columbus on the 15th of October, 1834, and was of German 
lineage, for his father, Andrew Stelzer, was born in that country, whence in 
early manhood he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, taking up his abode 
in Ohio's capital. Here he married his second wife. He was a farmer by 
occupation, and his home was upon a forty-acre tract of land in Crawford 
county, Ohio, where he carried on agricultural pursuits for twelve years, 
then returning to Franklin county, where he located in JMifilin township. On 
the farm which he there improved he made his home until his death, which 
occurred in 1871, and he was then laid to rest on the old homestead. He 
held membership in the Lutheran church at Columbus, and in politics w^as a 
Republican from the organization of the party. He was w-ell known and 
his sterling qualities gained for him the respect and good will of his fellow 
men. He wedded Mary Ann Fichtner, a native of Germany, but when thirty 
years of age she came to America, making her home in Crawford county, 
Ohio, where she was married. She was called to her final rest at the age of 
sixty-eight years. Andrew Stelzer became the father of five children, of 
whom John is the eldest by the second marriage. There was one child, Mary 
F., by his first marriage, wdiich was celebrated in Germany. 

When the subject of this review was two and a half years old his par- 
ents removed to Crawford county, and when he was a youth of fourteen 
he returned to Franklin county, here remaining until the time of his death. 
Fie pursued his education in the old-time log schoolhouses of pioneer days, 
and during the summer months assisted in the work of the home farm, re- 
maining under the parental roof until his marriage, December 9, 1858, Miss 
Barbara Krumm becoming his wife. They first located upon the farm where 
he spent his remaining days, their home being in a log cabin, in which they 
resided for eighteen years, when Mr. Stelzer erected a fine brick residence. 
He made many other substantial improvements upon the place, so that it 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 467 

became one of the most valuable farms in that section. In addit'on to farm- 
ing he engaged in the coal business and the sale of that mineral greatlyi 
increased his income. His landed possessions aggregated forty acres, all 
of which he placed under a high state of cultivation, and the well-tilled fields 
yielded to him a good return. 

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Stelzer w^as blessed with ten children. Emma 
M. and Clara died in early childhood, and Henry died at the age of five years. 
The others are Frank, Anna F., M. Elizabeth, Julietta, Flora A., Martin 
and Amelia. 

In his; political views Mr. Stelzer was a Republican, and throughout his 
career he supported that party. He voted for John C. Fremont, its first 
candidate, and that was his first presidential vote. He was school director 
in 1890 in Mifflin township, and the cause of education found in him a warm 
friend, his labors being earnestly given to the advancement of the schools. 
During the time of the Civil war he was a member of the home guards of 
the Third Ohio Regiment, and during the period of hostilities he was trans- 
ferred to Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-third Infantry, being in the 
service for one hundred days, when he received an honorable discharge. He 
was a member of John A. Miller Post, No. 192, G. A. R. Mr. Stelzer 
spent almost his entire life in Franklin county, and had a wide acquaintance 
And many warm friends, for his industry and honesty, his genial manner 
and his- sterling worth gained him the high regard of all who knew him. 
He was called to his final rest on the 29th of March, 1901. 



FRANCIS E. DUTOIT. 

Francis E. Dutoit, who resides at No. 183 Lexington avenue, is a well- 
known and popular traveling salesman. He has made many friends through 
his business connections, and wherever he goes he has the high regard and 
confidence of those with whom he is associated. He was born in Spring- 
field November 29, 1846, and is a son of Philip Dutoit, and a grandson of 
Eugene Dutoit, both of whom were natives of France. During his early 
boyhood our subject resided with his grandfather, in Dayton, Ohio, and 
remembers distinctly many interesting incidents which were related to him by 
his grandfather concerning the history of early days in Ohio. He acquired 
much of his education in the schools near Columbus. 

In 1 866 Mr. Dutoit was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Korn, 
at her home in Columbus. She was born in Pittsburg, Pennsvlvania. and 
was the youngest child of John Adam and Elizabeth Korn. "The father 
was a native of Germany, and during his boyhood came to the United States, 
where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 185 1, when he 
was forty- four years of age. His wife was a native of Pennsylvania, and 
died in 1895, at the age of eighty-six years. Mr. Korn engaged in business 
as a boot and shoe merchant. Mrs. Dutoit is the only member of the family 



468 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

who came to Ohio, save her half-sister, with whom she was hving in Cohim- 
bus at the time of her marriage. 

For thirty-three years Mr. Dutoit has been a commercial traveler, rep- 
resenting reliable houses and enjoying a liberal patronage. He is a member 
of the Commercial Travelers' Association, and is a wide-aw^ake, enterprising- 
business man, quick to note and improve opportunities. He is known through- 
out Ohio for his genial manner and trustworthy business methods, which 
have gained him the respect and good will of all with whom he has been 
associated. 

HENRY GARST. 

Westerville, Franklin county, Ohio, has been well known as a seat of 
learning, and it has been made so by those who have had in charge the des- 
tinies of Otterbein University. It is the purpose of the writer of this sketch 
to give some account not only of Professor Garst's connection with this insti- 
tution, but of his life as well. He was born at Germantowm, Montgomery 
county, Ohio, January 30, 1836, a son of Jacob Garst, who was a native of 
Pennsylvania and who settled in Ohio in 18 10. Jacob Garst married Clara 
Troup, a native of Canada. He secured government land and entered upon 
a career as a farmer, which was cut short byliis untimely death in 1845, ^^ 
the age of fifty-eight years, as the result of a fall from a scaffold while he 
was building a house. He was a Whig and a prominent member of the 
United Brethren church. The Miami annual conference of that body was 
held in his house in 1829. His farm in Montgomery county adjoined that 
of Bishop Andrew Zeller. Nicholas Garst, father of Jacob Garst and grand- 
father of Henry Garst, was born in Germany, was a Dunkard preacher, and 
lived to the age of eighty-eight years. Clara (Troup) Gars't, Professor Garst's 
mother, died in 1877, at the age of sixty-eight years, having lived nearly all 
her life in the communion of the United Brethren church. 

Professor Garst passed his boyhood days on the home farm, and at the 
age of sixteen became clerk in a store in Dayton, Ohio. In 1853 he entered 
Otterbein University, where he was graduated in 1861, having during his 
college days taught several terms of school in Fairfield county, Ohio. In 
1864 he entered Lane Theological Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, at which he 
graduated in 1867. Beginning in 1861, he was a preacher at Dayton and at 
Cincinnati, and in Butler county, Ohio, until 1869, when he was called to 
Otterbein University as professor of the Latin language and literature, a posi- 
tion which he filled with great success for seventeen years. In 1886 he was 
elected president of the college, but resigned that position in 1889. and was 
elected professor of mental and moral science, continuing a member of the 
faculty until commencement, 1900. During all his career as a teacher he 
had never missed a class on account of ill health or other personal disability. 

Professor Garst married Mellie Catherine Flickinger, whose father was 
a member of the Applegate Book Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 469 

has borne him six children, three of whom are deceased. Wihiam Augustus 
is a lawyer of Columbus, Ohio, and Mira Louise and Minnie Pauline are 
members of their father's household. Professor Garst is a stanch Repub- 
lican, taking an active interest in public affairs, but, having the financial man- 
ao-ement of Otterbein University on his hands, he has no time to devote to 
political work, but his interest in education has led him to consent tO' be a 
member of the school board of his township, with which he was connected for 
some years. He has been identified with the United Brethren church since 
he was fifteen years old. 

WINSLOW FULLER SANDERSON. 

A brave soldier and an efficient ofhcer during the Mexican war and the 
uprisings among the Lidian tribes in 1852-3, ]\Iajor Winslow Fuller San- 
derson, deceased, deserves more extended biography than can be given here. 
He was a native of Massachusetts, and was about eighteen years old w»hen 
he first came to Columbus, Ohio, and entered the boot and shoe trade. 
Possessing the qualities that made him so efficient a commander in later years, 
he took great interest in military affairs and was made captain of the Colum- 
bus Guards, an independent organization. About 1845 the United States 
government organized in this locality a mounted rifle regiment, called the 
United' States Mounted Rifles, and of this regiment our subject was made 
captain, later being promoted to the position of major, having as his lieuten- 
ant John Kerr, a son of Congressman Kerr, well remembered by citizens of 
this locality. 

This regiment was intended for service in exploring Oregon, but when 
it reached St. Louis, Missouri, the Mexican war had been declared and the 
regiment was sent to that war. During the progress of this struggle our 
subject was in all of the principal 'engagements, beginning with Palo Alto, 
making a brilliant record which the history of the time did not fail to record. 
Following the close of this war Major Sanderson was stationed at Fort Lar- 
amie, in Wyoming, and at Fort Leavenworth, in Kansas, trouble being appre- 
hended in both places from the Indians. In 1852 Major Sanderson was 
ordered to take command of a moving column composed of mounted rifles 
and patrol the road from Fort Leavenworth, on the Oregon route, to the South 
Pass in the Rocky mountains, in order to make a show of strength great 
enough to intimidate the Indians. Heavily loaded trains were then traveling 
overland to California and these were being constantly subjected to violence 
by the Indian bands. 

Returning from the satisfactory discharge of this dangerous duty. Major 
Sanderson was intrusted to take his men through the Indian tribes, and in 
the performance of the duties of this trust he visited the Osage, Comanche, 
Kiowa, Arapahoe. North and South Cheyenne, Pawnee and some of the Sioux 
tribes, intimidating these savages and making possible the peaceful days which 
later followed. In 1853 our subject was ordered to Texas and two years 



470 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

later, in the city of Galveston, he died of yellow fever when about fifty-five 
years old. So passed away one of the brave olificers of border warfare. His 
memory is still cherished and his example of bravery descends as an honor- 
able gift to his descendants. 

Major Sanderson was married, in 1833, to Miss Martha Nelson, a resi- 
dent of Columbus and a member of an old pioneer family. Her father and 
uncle located here in 1802, buying six hundred acres each of city land, the 
property being that now contained in Franklin I'ark. Her death occurred 
in 1895, when she was seventy-nine years old. Her sisters became the wives 
of four distinguished residents of the city, marrying David Taylor, ex-Gov- 
ernor Brough. Joseph Armstrong and Dr. James McConnell, now of Upper 
Sandusky. The children of Major Sanderson were: Frances, the wife of 
A. G. Wdllard, of Indianapolis, Indiana; Julia; Amelia; Henry, who died 
when young; Winnie, who died at the age of seventeen; and William Allen, 
now an employe of the Pennsylvania Railroad, having been with that road 
since 1868. His uncle, Governor John Brough, was part owner and built 
(the Bellefontaine Railroad, now the Big Four, and William Allen was con- 
nected with that road from 1863 until 1868, since which time he has been in 
his present position. He married Miss Frances Cotton, a daughter of Dr. 
Smith Cotton, of Cleveland, and has one daughter, Grace, now Mrs. F. C. 
Baker, of Columbus. During life Major Sanderson was a valued member 
of both the Masonic and I. O. O. F. fraternities, and in every relation of life 
proved himself a m'an of honor and unimpeachable integrity. 

REUBEN H. COLLINS. 

Reuben H. Collins, one of the oldest engineers now on any of the lines 
running out of Columbus, was born July 11, 1843, '^^ Baltimore. Maryland. 
His father, Elijah Collins, was one of the first engineers of the Baltimore & 
Ohio Railroad. He was born in Carroll county, Maryland, in 182 1, and 
throughout the greater part of his business career was connected with rail- 
road service. After a long period spent as fireman on the Baltimore & Ohio 
and as engineer he was killed while serving in the latter capacity, on engine 
No. 27, October 14, 1863, the train at that time going w^estward. He was 
killed by Colonel Mosby's troops nine miles east of Martinsburg, Virginia, 
for the Rebels' wished to stop the train. His widow is still living, in her 
seventy-ninth year, and makes her home with a son in Washington. D. C. 
She is a native of Virginia. In the family were the following named : Jo- 
seph T., who served as a corporal in a companv of the Thirteenth IMiryland 
Federal troops in the Civil war and is now conductor on the Chicao-o & Alton 
Railroad; Frank S., who is engaged in the real estate business in ^^^ashington ; 
Clara, wife of J. Tallifaero, also of Washington; and Reuben H.. of this 
review. 

The latter began railroading in i8c;q and has sinre been in the service, 
with the exception of two years which he spent at the front during the Civil 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. An 

war. He began as fireman on an old wood engine, and was thus employed 
for a year, when he began working at a trade, but put aside his labors in April, 
1861, to join the army as a defender of the Confederacy. He was then in 
Virginia and was commissioned sergeant in Kemper's Virginia troops. He 
participated in both engagements at Bull Run and in other battles of 186 1-2 
in Virginia. In the fall of the latter year, while carrying some choice 
peaches to his "best girl" near Gainesville, Virginia, he was taken prisoner 
and sent to Fairfax Court House and thence to the old capital prison in Wash- 
'ington. After some months he was exchanged and made the trip down the 
Potomac and up the James river on the steamer Charles A. Warner. In 
1863 he was with Colonel Mbsby's famous' troopers. After being dis- 
charged from the Confederate service he returned to Maryland and became 
fireman on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, making the run with his father. 
He was placed in charge of engine No. 183 on that road in the fall of 1865, 
and in 1869 he ran a passenger engine from Cumberland to Wheeling, West 
Virginia. He then went on the old Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad, but after- 
ward retyjned to the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and was again 
in the passenger service. In 1873 he was on the Louisville & Nashville Rail- 
road in Tennessee, but left the south on_ account of the cholera epidemic, 
returning to Pittsburg, and again entered the service of the Baltimore & Ohio. 
In 1885 he was conductor 011 the Norfolk & Western Railroad, and in 1893, 
while serving as a conductor on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad, 
he lost two of his fingers in coupling cars. When again able to work he 
secured his present position as engineer on the Columbus, Sandusky & Hock- 
ing Railroad, and is a most trustworthy and reliable man for the position. 

On the 6th of July, 1869, Mr. Collins was united in marriage to Miss 
M. E. Brosius, of Piedmont, West Virginia. Her father, John Brosius, was 
born in Hancock, Maryland, October 9. 1806, and died in Grafton, West 
Virginia, October i, 1896. His wife was a native of Woodstock, Virginia, 
born in 1805, and died at their Grafton home February 6, 1870. The chil- 
dren in their family, in addition to Mrs. Collins, were as follows : George 
H., of Columbus, who was born in 183 1 and is now an engineer; William H., 
who was a conductor on the Illinois Central Railroad and was accidentally 
killed while on duty in 1861 ; Isaac, a farmer of Ohio; Mrs. Amanda McGill, 
who is living in Grafton, West Virginia ; and Mrs. Sally Graham, who resides 
in Columbus. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Collins have been born seven children : 
Charles H., who was born June 8, 1870, died February 9. 1872; Claude M., 
who was born July 13, 1872, is at the present time employed as a conductor 
on the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad; Annie G., born August i, 1874, 
was married, March 21. 1894. to Wesley C. Houser, of Columbus, and they 
now reside in California; Loyd E., born August i, 1876, is now running an 
engine on the Parkersburg branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, between 
Parkersburg and Grafton; Sally B.. born October 11, 1878. died September 
II, 1881; Martha R., born March 3, 1881, died May 21, 1891 ; and Leo G., 



472 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

born April 25, 1883, is employed in the Arcadia Hotel at Santa Monica, Cali- 
fornia. 

Mr. Collins, became a meml)er of the Order of Railway Conductors in 
Columbus seven years ago. He was mustered into Breckenridge Post, of the 
Confederate Association, at Lexington, Kentucky, December 18, 1896. He 
recalls that his certificate of discharge was signed by the famous Lieutenant 
General P. T. G. Beauregard. For forty-one years Mr. Collins has been 
in the railway service, a record that has few parallels among the representa- 
tives of this line of busines'si in Columbus. It stands as an unmistakable 
evidence of his fidelity to duty and his trustworthiness. 



GEORGE W. MEEKER. 

No compendium such as the province of this work defines in its essential 
limitations will serve to offer fit memorial to the life and accomplishments 
of the honored subject of this sketch, — a man remarkable in the breadth of 
his wisdom, in his indomitable perseverance, his strong individuality, and 
yet one whose entire life has not one esoteric phase, being as an open scroll, 
inviting the closest scrutiny. True, his were "massive deeds and great" in 
one sense, and yet his entire accomplishment but represented the result of the 
wise utilization of the innate talent which was his, and the directing of his 
efforts along those lines where matuie judgment and rare discrimination 
lead the way. There was in George W. Meeker a weight of cliaracter, a 
native sagacity, a far-seeing judgment and a fidelity of purpose that com- 
manded the respect of all. A man of indefatigable enterprise and fertility 
of resource, he carved his name deeply on the records of Columbus. 

The name of Meeker has been long and honorably associated with the 
history of Ohio, and the ancestry of the family can be traced back to the 
early development of the new^ world. While its representatives have not 
attained fame as national, military or political leaders, they have ever been 
loyal and progressive citizens. In speaking of his ancestry at a family re- 
union the subject of this review said: "A free government and a 'new 
country are great levelers of class and distinctions, and no family is accorded 
precedence in a new settlement except that conceded by reason of superior 
intelligence, virtue and honor. Therefore the Meeker and Van Brimmer 
families have held the even tenor of their way since their advent in the new 
world bearing the burdens, braving the dangers of flood and field and accept- 
ing the sorrows and disappointments incident to life in common with their 
fellows. They were cheered with the belief that if they did not rise very 
high they would not have very far to fall, and that there was inherently no 
difference among people except that which is due to external influences. 
They believed in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man — a 
religion as old as the immortal hills and as fresh as the dawn." 

The first ancestor of the name of whom we have record came to America 







GEORGE W. MEEKER. 




GARRY W. MEEKER. 



CLAUDE MEEKER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 475 

in 1638, with a large company from the city of London. Under the leader- 
ship of Theophilus Eaton and the Rev. John Davenport they left England 
and disembarked at New Haven, Connecticut. Ihe former was electefi the 
first governor of the new colony, but later new settlements were formed and 
the Meekers, among others, became residents of Wyoming countv Pennsyl- 
vania, where Joshua Meeker, the father of our subject, was born In the 
meantime settlements had been made on Manhattan island and in New Jer- 
sey by members of the family, and on the roster of Revolutionary soldiers in 
the latter place appeared the name of many Meekers. Joshua Meeker the 
father, became one of the first settlers of Franklin county, Ohio. He inar- 
ried Hannah Van Brimmer, a daughter of Thomas Van Brimmer, also an 
honored pioneer. He was descended from the Knickerbockers that founded 
New Amsterdam. The maternal grandmother was Mary Le Van and her 
people were natives of the French province of Lorraine. Christian Van 
Brimmer was one -of the officers on the Half Moon, a vessel that was sent out 
by the East India Company to explore the new world. A few years after- 
ilTanri Z.aP' '^.^'\7^'l ^^'^^ settlements of the Dutch on Manhattan 
tZh ^"^/^^'^'^ '^-"^ Van Brimmers located. At a later day. as civilization 
moved westward, many of the family settled in Delaware and Marion coun- 
ih. fir. '!?•■ .-n ^ ^M^ Brimmer, an uncle of Mrs. Meeker, established 

Ished m M-n ll ^^" f'^'' P"'' °'^ '^' ''^''- ^'' ^^^^^^try was estab- 

hshed ,n Millvil le on the Scioto river, at what is now Warrensburg, Dela- 

to this milT't'T '^'T''^^'' ^'''' ^ distance of one hundred miles U-a^-eIed 
to tnis mill to have their grist ground 

and developed a tarm m the midst of tlie wilderness. He died durino- the 
early boyhood of h,s son, George W. Meelcer. but his wife lon^, reived 

Albeit F Aleekei. of Delaware county, Ohio, is well known as a clever non- 
nlar gentleman an entertaining conversationalist, a man of versatil- talems 
who can readily and easily apply himself to a ,y position- who i; hJhv 

rurand i' '" """-^ f™"*-'"^ "-ghbors, and has'ield sclera Ipo tioifs of 
t ust and honor i„ his county. Like the rest of the Meekers wi,„„?v- 
one exception, he is also a Democrat, and his party has seen ft o entri^K 

he management of its campaign in his hands, having been but a <hor t^me 
Ts t" V "Sr' "If -""'L---rve committee. Another°b ^^^ 

haTd- 0^1^. '^:t^'^;i::' ^""^°^^, ^^^— ^- ^^ ^-o^ i-^t in^m:;:' 

mission . l.,V f bravery and meritorious conduct won a com- 

mission, wdiich he never was permitted to use, for cruel fate nTdAl 



474 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the message to hisi brother, "Meet me in New York;" but death came and 
his remains were interred in Jacksonville, Florida. 

George W, Meeker, whose name introduces this review, became one of 
the most prominent and distinguished citizens of Columbus. He was born 
in this city in 1834, on High street, opposite the present courthouse, and 
his life record reflects credit upon the state of his nativity. He acquired his 
early education in the public schools and afterward attended Otterbein Uni- 
versity, at Westerville, where he was graduated. He also pursued a course 
in Bryant & Stratton's Business College, at Buffalo, New York, becoming 
very proficient in mathematics and bookkeeping. He taught several terms 
of school and also filled the position of bookkeeper for a time. While serv- 
ing in that capacity he was elected a justice of the peace, and by re-election 
was continued in that position for a considerable period, his "even-handed 
justice" winning him "golden opinions from all sorts of people." He became 
actively interested in politics and exerted strong influence in political circles 
throughout the remainder of his career. Having studied law he was admitted 
to the bar and attained distinction by the capable manner in which he handled 
the litigated interests entrusted to his care and applied to them the prin- 
ciples of jurisprudence. His strong mentality, his keen discrimination, and 
above all his patriotic devotion to the welfare of his native city, made him 
a capable leader, and in 1869 he was elected the chief executive of Colum- 
bus, filling that position from 1870 until 1872. 

On the expiration of his term as mayor George W. Meeker was appointed 
the land commissioner of the Midland Pacific Railroad and removed to 
Nebraska City, Nebraska, where he became the leading spirit in numerous 
enterprises. He was the promoter of the first gas-works in that city, was 
park director and one of the proprietors of a daily newspaper and a large 
general store. He also had extensive landed interests. When the Midland 
Pacific Railroad Company became financially embarassed he returned to Colum- 
bus, in 1876, and was thereafter prominently identified with the political and 
journalistic interests of the city. He was an ardent lover of literature, 
an omnivorous' and thoughtful reader and a forceful writer of most at- 
tractive style. His exhaustive and able papers published upon the 
constitutional relations of the Mormon religion and the power of the 
government to subvert them attracted attention among the learned and 
scholarly men, and particularly among the eminent lawyers of the country, 
and extracts were copiously published in the leading magazines and news- 
papers. For many years he was extensively engaged in newspaper work as 
proprietor and editor and later in legislative correspondence for leading jour- 
nals. His history of the advent of the Dutch and Huguenots in Africa, the 
commingling of the two people who are known in history as the Boers and 
their protracted struggle for independence, is said to be more comprehensive, 
accurate and thorough than anything yet published on the subject. His labors 
upon that immense work, "The Portrait Gallery and Cyclopedia of the Dis- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 47 5 

tinguished Men of Ohio," is said by critics to be a splendid monument to his 
memory. 

In poHtics Mr. IMeeker was an unfaltering and uncompromising Demo- 
crat, and through the period of nearly thirty years he was connected most 
of the time with the county and state committees of his party. For more than 
two decades he served as an officer and was intimately connected with the 
Democratic state executive committee, which defines the policy and directs 
the campaigns of that party. He was a leading spirit in controlling political 
movements during that period, and with the skill of a general on the field 
of battle he marshaled his forces and won many a notable victory. He was 
closely identified with leaders like Thurman, Pendleton, Brice, Hoadley and 
Campbell. He established prominent Democratic headquarters in Colum- 
bus, and died while still serving as secretary of the Democratic state com- 
mittee. His death occurred in 1890, when he was fifty-six yearsi of age. 

George W. Meeker married Harriet Hatch, of Westerville, Ohio, and two 
sons were born unto them : Garry Waldo and Claude Loraine, both of whom 
are represented elsewhere in .this work. As a journalist, lawyer and political 
leader George W. Meeker left the impress of his; individuality upon the his- 
tory of the state. He was a man of the strongest mentality whose mind was 
developed and disciplined by educational advantages, by broad reading, care- 
ful consideration and original investigation. Though men differed from 
him on questions of political importance, they never doubted his sincerity 
or his fidelity to his honest convictions. 

ALICE GILLESPIE-ALLEN, U. D. 

This lady was born June 7, 1855, on South Gift street, Columbus, the 
daughter of Melinda (Deardurff) Davidson, and a granddaughter of David 
Deardurff, who settled here in 1798. Therefore she is a direct descendant 
and fair representative of the old-stock pioneer, a self-made woman in every 
respect. At the death of her grandmother, Rachel Deardurff, when but eight 
years old, she was out of a home and among strangers. A lover of books, 
fiowers, plants and animals, she found plenty of interesting and instructive 
material. The pale, intellectual face with its great, liquid, eloquent eyes, 
attracted her teachers, who found in the eager child a thirst for knowledge 
from every source, and the promise of an earnest student. No interest was 
taken by anyone in her education, her one all-consuming desire, except by 
herself and district-school teachers. In fact as she grew in scholarship, 
there sprang up envy among some, who preferred that their children should 
occupy the standing won by this industrious child, and obstacles were placed 
in the way of her advancement ; but, with her one great aim always in sight, 
she surmounted all. steadily working days for board and clothes, studying 
by candle-light and even by moon-light, many an hour that should have been 
for sleep. To Miss Lucil'la Crane she owes some of the highest principles 
of character stamped indelibly upon her mind in early childhood. Reid Crane, 



476 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Ella White, Lucy Watterman, Mrs. G. F. Wheeler and the ministers of old 
Heart Chapel each lent a moral influence never lost. 

As little Alice grew up, she made many friends. A love of mischief 
brought down many a school master's rattan or ferrule, but she often said 
this was only a zest for study. Her propensity for fun, caricatures and 
witty poems got her many a switching; but she was always a favorite at 
school because of her generous, affectionate nature and quick, clear perception. 
Her firm resolution to do everything right and never half do a job, won 
esteem from her employers. Her services were soon in demand. She became 
an excellent nurse aiid spent four years at the Imbecile Asylum as governess 
and two years at the Southern Hospital at Dayton. Having completed the 
common school course she entered and graduated at E. K. Ban's Commercial 
College. By close economy she had secured a scholarship at Oberlin College, 
but she was deprived of this by her mother, who had been informed that it 
was "only a nigger school." This was a bitter disappointment to her, but 
proved an incentive to greater effort. She studied and saved. 

In 1878 she met and married Robert Gillespiq, of Dayton, a young man of 
great musical ability, but after a few brief happy years his bright life was 
cut short by consumption. 

When not yet thirty she found herself once more upon her own resources, 
with two helpless children and a widowed mother. Her undaunted courage 
and energy asserted themselves at once and she readily turned to nursing. 
She went to Indianapolis for training and returned at the request of first-class 
physicians to be kept busy and well paid. But the old longing for higher 
instruction returned. She placed herself under the preceptorship of W. J. 
Means, M. D. Through Professor A. E. Dorby, M. D., of Mount Vernon, 
she entered the University of Medicine and Surgery of Cleveland, Ohio. 
Her rapid progress as a student, with her indefatigable perseverance, soon 
brought her to the front ranks, and in 1893 she graduated with the honors of 
the class, securing the grade of icm3 plus, with twenty-five dollars in gold for 
the best thesis on gynaecology, from Professor H. T. Biggar, B. A., A. M., M. 
D., her grade being awarded by the Ohio State Board of Censors. She at once 
repaired to New York, entered the Electro-Therapeutic Institute of the Mc- 
Cartneys and completed the post-graduate course. Returning to Columbus, 
Ohio, she took up active practice, making a specialty of nervous and women's 
diseases. Her remarkable success is due to clear perception, a cool head and 
steady hand. She is trusted and loved by her patients for honesty, integrity 
and sincere attachment to her profession. Today, she stands high in her 
chosen work, successful and well-to-do. Her opinion and professional aid 
are sought by the sick all over Ohio, and she is often called to other states 
as her ability is easily recognized by scientific experience and work. 

At forty-five she mastered French and German, and in 1900 crossed the 
Atlantic to take a course of scientific practical electricity from tfie great 
Apostalli, of Paris, France. She stands today equipped for any case of pro- 
fessional emergency, as many attest. She has had many l^attles with death, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. A77 

but is victorious. Those who know this remarkable woman best, say that she 
possesses the chief characteristics of a Napoleon, blended with the gentle, 
womanly graces and the tender sympathies of a Florence Nightingale. 

Dr. Alice Gillespie-Allen is a member of the Ohio State Medical Asso- 
ciation, also of the American Academy of Sciences, a prominent worker in 
the Ladies of the Maccabees, and is a medical examiner for that order and a 
supreme officer. She is also a w^orker in the Red Cross and Order of Eastern 
Star. 

In 1895 she was married to Dr. Oswald Allen, of Cleveland, a descend- 
ant of the old Scotch Springer-McAllen families of Fulton county, Ohio. 
This sturdy Scotchman is justly proud of his able wife. She is the mother of 
Carol and Bernice Gillespie. Her husband has B. A., O. S. and Frank Allen, 
two sons and one daughter. 

Dr. Alice writes for scientific and medical papers, her pen being as ready 
as her wit, veracity and quick rqiartee. She is proud of her lineage and 
loves the old people of her day who are so rapidly disappearing from the old 
scenes where she has erected a commodious' home on South Gift street and 
expects to grow old on the spot wdiere her ancestors first lived among the 
Indians. 

ANDREW RELLICK. 

Andrew Rellick, of Columbus, was born May 26, 1859, in Austria, 
whence he came with his parents to America, the family landing at Baltimore 
on the 1 6th of August, 1867. They located at Crestline, Ohio, and after one 
year removed to Massillon, which became the family home, the father fol- 
lowing his occupation of railroading. 

Andrew Rellick acquired his literary education in the parochial schools 
of Massillon. He early entered the railroad service, for in his youth he was 
employed as water boy for one year on the Pittsburg, Fcrt ^Vayne & Chicago 
Railroad, and for an additional year on the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling 
Road. After his boyhood services w-ith the railroad companies he secured 
a position in the paper mills of Massillon, Ohio, where he was employed for 
two years, and he then engaged in clerking for a year and a half in a grocery 
store in Massillon. Subsequently he was on a section of the Pittsburg, Fort. 
Wayne & Chicago Railroad for three years. In 1878 he was an extra brake- 
man on the Massillon & Cleveland Railroad, holding that position for two 
years, and on the 30th of May, 1880, he began braking on the main line of 
the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad, in which capaciy he served for 
a year and a half. He then became brakeman and baggagemaster on a pas- 
senger train, in which capacity he served for four years, after which he was 
promoted to freight conductor, in June, 1885. On the nth of August, 1891, 
he was made passenger conductor, filling that position until 1895, when the 
run was discontinued and he again became conductor on a freight train. He 
thu'Si served until March i, 1900. when he was promoted to passenger con- 
ductor, and thus has been in continuous service for the Cleveland, Akron & 



478 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Columbus Railroad since 1880, a period of twenity-one consecutive years. 
Since 1886 he has been a member of Division 100 of the Order of Railway 
Conductors. 

On the 3d of January, 1881, Mr. Rellick was united in marriage to Miss 
Ella Majors, but his wife died on the 21st of March following. On the 23d 
of May, 1882, he wedded Miss Eva Taylor, of Hudson, Ohio, and they have 
three children: Grace, who was born March 12, 1883, and died October 19, 
1885; Ethel, born April 21, 1888; and Ruth, born May 18, 1896. Mr. Rel- 
lick and family belong to the Catholic church. He is a reliable and trust- 
worthy man in business, and his consideration of the patrons of the road on 
which he runs has made him a valued representative of the line. 



LEWIS D. BONEBRAKE. 

Among those whose connection with educational interests in Ohio has 
been most beneficial to the state is the Hon. Lewis D. Bonebrake, now com- 
missioner of common schools. He is an example of the boys who educate 
themselves and secure their own start in life, — determined, self-reliant boys, 
willing to work for advantages which other boys secure through inheritance, 
destined by sheer force of character to succeed in face of all opposition and 
to push to the front in one important branch of enterprise or another. As 
a man his business ability has been constantly manifested in one phase or 
another to the improvement of the schools with which he is connected, and 
his advancement in educational circles has been continuous and merited. 

Lewis D. Bonebrake is one of the native sons of Franklin county, his 
birth having occurred in Westerville, on the 23d of August, 1859. He is a 
son of the Rev. Daniel and Hester Ann (Bishop) Bonebrake. and traces his 
ancestry back through many generations to one of the name of Bonebrake, 
who was of Prussian birth. It is said that he incurred imperial displeasure 
and therefore came to America, becoming the founder of the family on the 
soil of the new world. His son, Dewalt Bcnebrake, was a farmer and black- 
smith of Germantown, Pennsylvania, and served as a soldier under General 
Washington in military operations between New York and Philadelphia. 
From 1 801 to 1808 he resided in Athens county, Ohio, and then removed to 
Montgomery county, but after a year cast in his lot with the pioneers of Preble 
county, where he died in 1824. Among his twelve children were Daniel 
Bonebrake, the grandfather of our subject. He was born in Somerset county, 
Pennsylvania, June 16, 1797, and in 1801 was brought by his parents to Ohio. 
He became a local and traveling minister of the L^nited Brethren church, and 
gave about half of his time to his ministerial labors, while durincr th? re- 
mainder of the time he followed farming until 1853. when he embarked in 
the grocery business in Lewisburg. Five of his brothers served under Gen- 
eral Harrison in the war of 1812. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Jere- 
miah Mills, and among their children was the Rev. Daniel Bonebrake, who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 479 

is mentioned on another page of this volume, and in connection with his record 
will be found a more detailed history of the ancestry of the family. 

In his early boyhood Lewis D. Bonebrake pursued his studies in the dis- 
trict school near his home and when he had mastered the preliminary branches 
entered the high school of Westerville. He earned the money with which 
to aid him in pursuing a college course, following school teaching or doing 
any kind of work that would increase his savings. At length he was grad- 
uated in the Otterbein University with the class of 1882, and then resumed 
his work as an educator. He has been superintendent of a number of village 
schools and ultimately became superintendent of the city schools of Mount 
Vernon, Ohio, in which capacity he was acceptably serving when elected com- 
missioner in 1897. He has served as county school examiner in Athens and 
Knox counties, and for five years was a member of the state board of exam- 
iners. So acceptably did he fill the commissionership through his first term 
of three vearsi that in 1900 he was re-elected for a second term, so that he 
will be the incumbent of the ofifice until 1904. It would be difficult to find 
one who has done more practical work in behalf of the schools of Ohio than 
has Lewis D. Bonebrake. He has kept in touch with the progress and im- 
proved methods advanced in connection with school work and has been very 
successful in adapting these to his own work. His own enthusiasm amounts 
almost to an inspiration to others and his labors have indeed proven most 
beneficial. 

JOSEPH E. BEERY, M. D. 

Among the representatives of the medical fraternity in Columbus isl 
numbered Joseph E. Beery, who is one of Fairfield county's native sons, his 
birth having occurred near North Berne, oni the 21st of August. 1861. His 
parents were Frederick and Elizabeth (Warner) Beery. On the paternal 
side he represents one of the old and honored families of Virginia. Two 
branches of the name are supposed to have emigrated from Scotland to Eng- 
land and thence to the new world and Pennsylvania. Daniel Beery, the 
grandfather of our subject, was born in Richmond, Virginia, and became a 
resident of Fairfield county, Ohio, where the birth of his son, Frederick 
Beery, occurred. The latter was a farmer by occupation, and when he had 
arrived at years of maturity he married Elizabeth ^^'arner. who was also 1>orn 
in Fairfield county. 

Dr. Beery spent the days of his boyhood anid youth in the county of his 
nativity and in the winter season was sent to the district school, where he 
acquired his preliminary education, obtaining a good knowledge of the com- 
mon branches. In the summer months he worked in the fields. After 
leaving the district schools he entered the National Normal University, at 
Lebanon, Ohio, where he prepared himself for teaching, while at intervals 
lie was a student in that institution for four years. During the remainder of 
the time he followed teaching, and thus acquired the money necessary to 



48o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

meet the expenses of his college course. With the desire to make the prac- 
tice of medicine his life work he began reading with his brother, L. W. 
Beery, then of Royalton, Fairfield county, and later he entered the Miami 
Medical College, at Cincinnati, being graduated in iS86. Later he spent six 
months in the Cincinnati Hospital, and thus fortified his theoretical knowl- 
edge by practical experience. He located at Pickerington, Fairfield county, 
where for three years he remained in practice and then came to Columbus, 
locating on West Broad street, where he is now established in a good business. 
In June, 1887, was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Beery and Miss 
Frankie Blair, of Mantua, Ohio, a daughter of Chauncey and Martha 
(Storey) Blair. They now have two children, Flossie and Jean Ingelow. 
The family occupy a fine residence at No. 802 West Broad street. Socially 
the Doctor is connected with York Lodge, F. & A. M. In the line of his 
profession he is identified with the Columbus Academy of Medicine and with 
the American Medical Association. He spares no efifort that will advance 
him in his- chosen calling and make him more proficient in administering to 
the needs of suffering humanity. His practice is now large and of an im- 
portant character and the future has undoubtedly in store for him a success- 
ful career. 

GEORGE M. HOFFMAN. 

Among the agriculturists of Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, 
whO' have successifully pursued their peaceful vocation for many years, is 
George ]\I. Hoffman, the subject of this sketch. He was born within eight 
miles of the city of Lancaster, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, August 5, 
1840. His father, John Hoffman, was a native of Biron, Germany, born in 
1808, and until his fourteenth year attended school, going from there to work 
as a glazier. In 1838 he came to America, sailing from Bremen to New 
York city, and after a voyage of sixty-five days reached the American shore. 
Many of his countrymen had settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and 
thither he went, remaining for ten or twelve years in the neighborhood, work- 
ing in a tannery. His marriage took place there to Miss Elizabeth Heibeck, 
also a native of Germany, who had come from her native land with her fam- 
ily on the same boat as Mr. Hoffman. 

In 1848 ]\Ir. Hoffman removed with his family to Franklin county and 
lived a few months in Columbus ; then, buying a tract of twenty-eight and a 
half acres of land in Norwich township, he took his family to that location. 
Here he soon added forty-two acres more, still later buying thirty-seven and 
one-half acres, having then a fine farm of one hundred and eight acres. Upon 
the first land purchased was a log house containing two rooms. This had 
been built many long years before by Thomas Wilcox, one of the first settlers 
in that locality. 

The mother of our subject died at this farm from an accident upon the 
Pan Handle Railroad. Mr. Hoffman, senior, married a second time, choos- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 481 

ing for his wife Margaret Spicer. His death took place in 1888, on the old 
place where he had lived for years. He was a Whig in early days, but be- 
came a Democrat later in life. His religious belief connected him with the 
Lutheran church. The children of our subject's parents were: Andrew, 
of Norwich township, who married first Caroline Fether and secondly Mary 
Kellar; George M., our subject; and Elizabeth, who married Nicholas! Huber. 

Until he had reached his eighth year our subject lived in Pennsylvania 
and attended the schools- of Lancaster county. The family removal to Nor- 
wich township took place then and his education was completed in Franklin 
county. He assisted his father in agricultural pursuits until his majority, 
then rented the home farm, and in 1888 bought the place where he has 
since resided, with the exception of three years spent upon a tract of eighty- 
two acres which he bought, but successfully sold. Li 1900 Mr. Hoffman 
added fifty-eight and a half acres and now has a fine farm of one hundred 
and seventy-nine acres. 

I^lr. Hoffman was married to Miss Catherine Geyer, who had been born 
in New York, in 1841. She was the daughter of John C. Geyer, born in 
Bremen, Germany, in 181 3, who had married Marg-aret Smith, born in Ger- 
manv, in 1818, but at that time a resident of New York. In 1850 the Geyer 
family came to Franklin county, where Mr. Geyer engaged in his trade of 
wagonmaking and also in gardening, living until 1883, the mother living 
until 1898. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman is a large and prosperous 
one, although, in late years, gaps have been made by death. They are: 
John G., a resident of Iowa; Andrew, of lovva; Anna E., George M., Henry, 
John N., Edward C. and Charles Frederick, living, and Margaret, Adam and 
Edwin George, deceased. 

Mr. Hoffman is well aiid favorably known through the township. He 
is a stanch Democrat, and has been active in the promotion of the principles 
of that party. In his religious belief he belongs to the Lutheran church, in 
which he is a valued member. He is looked upon by his neighbors as: one of 
the substantial citizens of Franklin county. 

NATHAN A. SCOFIELD. 

Though he traces his lineage on the paternal side to Germany, the w^ell 
known citizen of Norwich, Franklin county, whose name is above, is dis- 
tinctively a son of Ohio. William Scofield. his father, was born near Zanes- 
ville, Muskingum county, Ohio, in September, 1830, and when he was eight 
years of age he was taken by his parents to a farm near Hilliard. Franklin 
county. His education in the common schools near his home and brought 
up to the hard but healthful life of a farmer boy. In school he took special 
interest in mathematics, in which he made unusual progress. The country was 
new and about everything necessary to be done to redeem a farm from the 
wilderness and put it under profitable cultivation was yet undone so far as 
his father's farm was concerned when he was old enough to lend a hand in the 



482 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

work, and being one of the elder boys he was kept from school in the interest 
of the farm. His father owned five hundred acres of land, and the amount 
of work its improvement involved can scarcely be comprehended now. He 
went through all the experiences of pioneer life and took part in every kind 
of hard, manual labor involved in all the processes of clearing and of farming 
on a large scale. 

Mr. Scofield married Hannah Planck, who was born in Perry county, 
Ohio, in 1833, a daughter of Joseph and Nancy (Wilkins) Planck. Joseph 
Planck, who was born in Germany, came to the United States when young. 
After his marriage Mr. Scofield bought fifty acres of his father's farm. After 
the death of his parents the remainder of the farm, aggregating two hundred 
and ten acres, was sold and the proceeds were divided among five heirs, each 
of whom had previously bought fifty acres of the original tract. Mr. Scofield 
remained on his farm until 1864, when he sold it to his uncle, Benjamm 
Scofield, and bought a farm of one hundred and thirty-two acres in the 
southern part of Norwich township, which he sold in 1874 to Andrew Mil- 
liken. He then removed to Memphis, Missouri, and from there to Illinois, 
where for a short time he owned and lived on a farm, but a year and a half 
after his departure from Ohio he returned to Norwich township and bought 
a farm of one hundred and fifty-eight acres, four miles northeast of Hilliard, 
where he lived until his death, which occurred August 18, 1891. He is buried 
in Wesley Chapel cemetery, Norwich township. His wife died in 1869, and 
lie then married Letitia Wright, who still survives him. Always energetic 
and industrious, he made the success of life which crowns the efiforts of an 
honest man possessed of these qualities. He was a prominent and helpful 
member of the German Baptist church. Politically he was a Republican 
and was not without influence in his party, having been repeatedly solicited, 
but steadfastly refused, to accept township office. The children of William 
and Hannah (Planck) Scofield were: Nathan A., who was born near Hil- 
liard, Franklin county, Ohio, February 5, 1853; Mary, who married Frank 
Helser; Joseph W., who lives at Hilliard; and Martha, who is now Mrs. Levi 
Drumheller. 

Nathan A. Scofield attended the public schools near his home until he was 
nineteen years of age, and by that time had acquired a good practical knowl- 
edge of farming. He was married in Norwich township, March 27, 1872, to 
Miss Aria Milliken, who was born in Madison county, Ohio, March 22, 1854, 
a daughter of Andrew Milliken. The children of Nathan A. and Aria Ann 
(Milliken) Scofield are: Alberta Dean, who married Byron Rogers, of 
Norwich township; Mattie, who is the wife of Leroy Dobyns; and Walter 
and Minar, who are still members of their father's household. 

For twenty-two years Mr. Scofield rented land in Norwich township, 
lie prospered and at the end of that time was able to buy his present farm 
from his father's heirs. He now owns one hundred a'nd sixty-four acres. 
He sold twenty acres of land formerly owned by his father, part of a tract of 
one hundred and fifty-eight acres, to the city of Columbus to be used in con- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 483 

nection with the construction of a dam. A man of influence in his com- 
munity, he is yet without political ambition and has no desire for public office, 
but is an active and zealous Democrat. He has served two terms as assessor 
of Norwich township. In 1896 he was appointed to fill a vacancy as trustee, 
at the expiration of which time he was elected for a term of three years. He 
is one of the prominent Masons of Norwich township. 

NICHOLAS P. DAVIDSON, M. D. 

Among those who devote their time and energies to the practice of 
medicine and have gained a leading place in the ranks of the profession is 
Dr. Nicholas Perry Davidson, who is now successfully engaged in practice 
at Hilliard. His father, Nicholas Davidson, was born in Dorchester countv, 
Maryland, in 181 3, and was a son of William Davidson, a planter and slave 
owner, whose ancestors were Virginians and of Scotch descent. The father 
was reared on a plantation and received a good common school education. 
In early life he learned the carpenter's trade, and when a young man came t<> 
Ohio, locating in Zanesville, where he conducted a grocery store for a short 
time. There he married Miss Sarah Linn, a native of that place. Scon 
after his marriage he moved to Perry county, where he engaged in farming, 
contracting and building, which was more suited to his abilities than com- 
mercial pursuits. As soon as old enough to be of any assistance his sons 
began to aid in the farm work. 

The family made all their own clothing, the linen being spun from flax 
raised upon the farm. The father was a great reader and devoted all his 
leisure time to his books. His wife, who was a member of the ;Methodist 
church and a devout Christian, died in 1857, and im 1862 he married Hannah 
Hayden, a daughter of Jacob Hayden. He continued to follow farming and 
contracting until his death, which occurred in the spring of 1880. He, too, 
was an earnest and consistent member of the Methodist church, in which he 
served as class leader and steward. Politically he was a Jacksonian Demo- 
crat until the Civil war, w^hen he joined the Republican party, though he was 
always an advocate of Jacksonian principles. By his first marriage he had 
eleven children, namely: George and . who died im infancy; Eliza- 
beth Ann, now Mrs. Carroll: William Henrv. deceased; Sarah Adeline, wife 
of Robert Moore; James and Mary C, who both died in childhood; Nicholas 
P., our subject; Lewis Linn; Louisa V., widow of David Ball: and Charles 
F., of Emporia, Kansas. By the Fccond uniom there were four children: 
Leonard B. ; Ellsw^orth. deceased; Hannah, wife of Charles Kefaber; and 
Montford, deceased. The mother of these children is still living and makes 
her home in Fairfield county, Ohio. 

Dr. Davidson was born on the loth of October, 1849. in Sunday Creek 
township, Perry county, one mile east of Oa'kfield, and began his education in 
the district schools of that localitv. At the age of sixteen he went to live 
wnth his eldest sister in Clay county, Illinois, and while there attended school 



484 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

itwo' years and taught four years. Returning to Ohio, in 1872, he took a 
scientific course at the Lebanon Normal School, and subsequently success- 
fully engaged in teaching for six years in Fairfield, Montgomery and Hock- 
ing counties, this state, being principal of a school of four departments dur- 
ing the last three years of .that time. He then took up the study of medicine 
with Dr. \V. G. Dawson, of Gibisonville, Ohio, with whom he spent four 
years, and later attended lectures at the Columbus Medical College, where 
he was graduated in 1882. He made his owm way through college, earning 
at intervals all the money that he needed for the expenses of the course. 
After his graduation he engaged in practice at Marysville, Ohio, for three 
and a half years, and then "hung out his shingle" in Hilliard, where he has 
isince made his home. Here he has built up a very extensive practice. 

The Doctor was married, in February, 1877, to Miss Anna Jeanette 
Shepperd, of Xenia, Ohio. Formerly he was a member of .the Methodist 
church, and still belongs to Norwich Lodge, No. 385, I. O. O. F, In his 
political affiliations he is a stanch Republican. Fie is now a member of the 
town council of Hilliard, and has' served as health officer for many years. 
Fraternally he holds membership in the American Medical Association and 
also' the Ohio State and the Ohio Central Medical Associations. He is a 
close and thorough student, a man of deep research, and his investigations 
into the science of medicine and his skillful application of the knowledge he 
has thereby obtained has won him a place in the foremost ranks of the m'edi- 
cal fraternity. Fie is the author of a five-hundred-page volume entitled 
"Classification of Surgical Operations and M'edical Miscellany." Being a 
highly educated man and an excellent conversationalist, he has become very 
popular and makes many friends. 



D. N. KINSMAN, M. D. 

Among the professional men of Columljus, Ohio, the subject of this 
■sketch, D. N. Kinsman, a physician of ability and stanching, is recognized as 
one of the tried and trustworthy repressntatives of his class. ■ Fle was born in 
Heath, Massachusetts, in May, 1834, from an ancestry stretching back to the 
time of the Crusades'. He was permitted to attend excellent schools and for 
seven years taught in the schools of Circleville. Following this he attended 
lectures at the Medical College of Ohio, at which he graduated in 1863, and 
has been a successful and popular practitioner and useful citizem ever since. 
He has had the satisfaction of watching the wonderful growth of the city 
of his adoption, and in all the public enterprises he has borne a part. 

For three years Dr. Kinsman held the professorship of the diseases of 
women and children in Starling Medical College and since that time has held 
the chair of medical practice in the Columbus Medical College. He is now 
the chief of the medical staff of the Protestant Hospital and professor of 
practice of medicine in the Ohio Medical Universiiv. Dr. Kinsman is a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 485 

physician by nature, kind and benevolent in disposition, and his' mere presence 
seems to cause a measure of heahng. 

The marriage of Dr. Kinsman took place in 1857 to Miss Isabella 
Stevens, of Utica, Ohio, and his family consists of three daughters: Mrs. 
G. M. Waters, Belle and Louise. 

Apart from his profession, Dr. Kinsman has been a member of the Ohio 
State Live Stock Commission since its formation, and for five years has been 
its secretary. He holds a high position in the Masonic order, having received 
the degrees of the blue lodge in 1857, the commandery degrees in 1867, those 
of the Scottish rite in 1877, and in 1885 the thirty-third degree, and has been 
the presiding officer in all of these bodies. 

No one could stand higher in the esteem of his fellow citizens than does 
Dr. Kinsman. He has so thoroughly gained the affection and regard of his 
patients that they regard him as a friend as well as a physician and are glad 
to do him honor. 

CHARLES SAVOY AMMEL. 

The fortunes of war, which after the struggle between the north and 
the south left many progressive northern men m the southern states, also 
brought many enterprising southern men north of Mason and Dixon's line. 
Charles Savoy Ammel, a leading business man of Columbus, was among the 
number. He came to this city in 1864 as a prisoner of war, was paroled 
and has since remained a resident of the capital, where he has attained prom- 
inence in business, military and Masonic circles. 

Captain Ammel is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and the representaive 
of a family that has won distinction in the military service of France. His 
father, Major Philip Ammel, was a native of Lyons, France, and serv^ed as 
commandant in the French army — a rank equivalent to that of major in 
America. His people were all in the army and had died in the service of 
their country through many generations. On account of political complica- 
tions Major Ammel was forced to leave France and made his way across the 
Atlantic to New York, whence he afterward removed to Baltimore, Mary- 
land. However, he returned during the French-Prussian war and died in 
his native land. He married Francoise Welkee. a member of an old French 
family. 

In his native city Captain Ammel pursued his education and when the 
country became involved in Civil war the military spirit inherited from his 
ancestors found him a sergeant in the Fifty-third, now the Fifth Maryland 
Regiment. During the 19th of April service he was paroled as a lieutenant 
and when Baltimore was taken by General Ben Butler he went into Confederate 
service as a lieutenant in the Maryland line. Prior to the war he had been 
a member of the militia, with the rank of sergeant, so that military training 
and experience well fitted him for the duties which he assumed at the out- 
break of hostilities. He participated in all of the engagements in the valley 



486 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the Shenandoah, with General "StonewaU" Jackson's army, and while 
serving with the army of the Shenandoah he was four times wounded, and was 
captured in a skirmish at Oak Hall, Virginia, in 1864. As a prisoner of war 
he was then sent to Columbus, where he was paroled, and thus becoming a 
resident of the city he has since maintained his home here and has risen to a 
position in the foremost rank of its leading business men. 

Colonel Ammel was engaged in the music business from 1865 until 1876, 
and during much of that time was also manager of the Comstock opera house. 
In 1876 he became manager for the Alice Oates Opera Company and super- 
intended that popular organization of seventy people until 1879, repeatedly 
visiting the leading cities of the country. In 1879 he entered into business 
relations with the M. C. Lilley Company, extensive manufacturers of military 
goods and regalias, in fact doing the largest business of this kind in the United 
States. Mr. Ammel became a representative of the military. Masonic and band 
departments, of which he is manager. His efforts in this line have been very 
satisfactory and gratifying to the house and profitable to himself. He is 
approachable, genial and always courteous, — qualities which make him pop- 
ular wherever he goes and have insured his success in business. 

The Colonel has a wide acquaintance in Masonic circles and is himself 
a prominent representative of the craft. He was made a Mason in Goodale 
Lodge, No. 172, F. & A. M., of Columbus, in 1867, and in 1871 he took the 
degrees of Chivalric Masonry in Mount Vernon Commandery, No. i, K. T., 
in which be is a past commander and has filled the office of captain general 
for twenty-four years. He was the organizer and was the first high priest 
of Temple Chapter, No. 155, R. A. M. He became a Scottish-rite Mason 
and received the thirty-second degree in February, 1874, and is a charter 
member of the Scottish-rite bodies of the valley of Columbus, as well as a 
charter member of Aladdin Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He like- 
Avise belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a charter 
member of Junia Lodge, and is also, identified with the Knights of Pythias 
and Royal Arcanum. He is a member of the Columbus Commercial Travel- 
ers' Association and was one of the incorporators of the United Commercial 
Travelers' Association for the United States and a member of the supreme 
council. 

Military matters have also commanded the interest and attention of 
Colonel Ammel, who was the organizer of the old Fourteenth Regiment of 
Ohio National Guards, and was called "the father of the regiment." In 1876 
he was commissioned captain of- Company A, and w^as also mustering officer 
of the regiment, in which capacity he mustered himself in as captain and 
also discharged himself from the service. After six years' service as captain 
he resigned on account of pressing business duties. During this time he was 
with his company engaged in action brought about by the strike among the 
Ohio coal miners. In 1898, during the Spanish American war. Captain 
Ammel organized the Fourteenth Veteran Reserv^e, of which he became 
lieutenant colonel, while George D. Freeman was colonel, and though the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 487 

regiment was never called to the front about three hundred men were taken 
from its ranks to fill up the quota of the old Fourteenth, then known as the 
Fourth Regiment. 

In politics the Colonel is a Republican. In 1876 he organized a regiment 
of twelve companies, numbering nearly one thousand, four hundred men. 
Of this regiment he became the colonel. The organization was the first 
fancy drilled and uniformed political body in the country, and were in great 
demand for political displays all over the' state. 

In Columbus Colonel Ammel was united in marriage to Miss Josephine 
Seltzer, daughter of John Seltzer, who was a native of Columbus and for many 
years was a prominent music dealer of the city. He occupied a high position 
in musical circles and spent his time, money and energies in securing the best 
musical talent to give entertainment. He was also instrumental in securing 
particularly effigient teachers and thus did much to cultivate the musical taste 
of the city, and win for Columbus its justly dieserved reputation of being 
one of the leading musical centers of the country. He married Miss Nannie 
Garner, a native of Columbus. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ammel has been born one daughter, Oueen Vidette, 
Avho is a graduate of the Columbus high school and is now the wife of Dr' 
F. L. Stillman, formerly of Portsmouth, Ohio, but at the present time a resi- 
dent of the capital city. 

During his long residence in Columbus Colonel Ammel has gained a very 
large circle of friends. He has been a recognized leader in many movements 
for the city's good and his worth is widely acknowledged bv manv who know 
him not only m Columbus but wherever he has traveled. ' 

WILLIAM C. CARL. 

A prominent and popular young farmer of Prairie township Franklin 
county, Ohio, is William C. Carl, the subject of this sketch. He is of German 
descent, his grandfather, Ludwig Carl, having been born in Schwartzberg 
Sundershausen, Germany, where he followed the trade of shoemaker. The 
latter came to the United States in 1840, sailing from'Bremen to New York, 
passing sixty-five days on the ocean, and arriving March 3. Locating in Col- 
umbus on the ground now occupied as Third street, he opened a little shop 
but m a short time, probably in 1845, settled on sixty acres of land, built a loc^ 
house and stable, and felt independent. No nails were used in the buildin^o- 
of these houses,— only wooden pins. Fromi the window it was possible 
thento shoot wild turkeys to supply the larder. Grandfather Carl lived to 
be ninety years old, dying in 1876, his wife surviving until Julv 1884 when 
she was eighty-four years old. Both of them were members of the Lutheran 
church. 

The father of our subject had one sister, Paulina, who is the wife of 
August Sibert. of this township. He was born in Germany November 17 
i«22. He remained at school until he was sixteen years old, comincr to 



488 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

America with his family when ahout sixteen years old and ohtaining employ- 
ment first in the Neil Hotel, but later going- to the farm with his father and 
assisting him in the clearing and development of it. 

Christian Carl, the father of our subject, married Annie Mary Selbert, 
who was born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to the United States when an 
infant. She was a daughter of John Selbert, who conducted a farm near 
Gahanna, Ohio, and became a prominent man in that section. Mr, Carl 
inherited his father's land and added one hundred and six acres to it and 
built the pleasant brick home on it in 1882, dying here February 2, 1896, 
and the mother dying July 20, 1898. Mr. Carl had been a Democrat all his 
life, and had served as school director and filled other offices. His choice 
of religious denominations was the Free Protestant church, on Mound street, 
Columbus, while the mother clung to the Lutheran faith, in which she had 
been reared. The children born to them were : Augusta, the wife of Simon 
Feder, of Browmt township; Louisa, who is Mrs. Adam Trish. of Norwich 
township; John, who married Lena Deitch, and resides in Prairie township; 
Isaac, who married Alberta Dougherty, and resides in Prairie township; 
Elizabeth, wdio is Mrs. George A. Geyer, and resides in this township; Julia, 
who is Mrs. Rudolph Hiltburner, and is a resident of Brown township; 
Louis W., who is a veterinary surgeon of Columbus; W^illiam, who is our 
subject; and Caroline, who died at the age of seventeen. 

Our subject w^as born in the log house on his present farm. August i, 
1869, and attended the district school, his first teacher being Miss Eva Kellar. 
At sixteen he left school and engaged in work on the farm. He was mar- 
ried on October 11, 1894, to Miss Dora Parker, a daughter of Stephen and 
Lucinda Parker, of this township, and to this union were born ^larie Lucy 
and Helen Jennette. Mrs. Carl died June 13, 1901. 

After marriage our subject settled on forty acres of the land his grand- 
father purchased so long ago. Here he has very successfully pursued farm- 
ing and has neat, commodious and comfortable surroundings. Mr. Carl 
cast his first vote for President Cleveland, voting politically as did his father 
and grandfather. Socially he is connected wnth the L O. O. F., of Colum- 
bus, and takes an active interest in the organization. 

CLAUD E. MEEKER. 

The history of a state as w^ell as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle 
of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon 
society. The world judges the character of a community by that o-f its rep- 
resentative citizens, and yields its tribute of admiration and respect for the 
genius, learning or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the 
record of a state's prosperity and pride; and their characters, as exemplified 
in probity and benevo'lence, kindly virtues and integrity in the afifairs of life, 
are ever affording worthy examples for emulation and valuable lessons of 
incentive. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 489 

From the beginning of the nineteenth century the name of jMeeker has 
been inseparably interwoven with the history of Ohio, and the subject of this 
review has been an active factor in pohtical circles and is now a most promi- 
nent business man of Columbus. He was born in the capital city, in 1861, 
and the history of his ancestry is given in connection with the life recoird ot 
his father, the Hon. George \V. Meeker, on another page of this work. He 
gave up the study of civil engineering to enter the field of journalism, and 
for some time his was a well known name in journalistic circles. He was 
first employed as a reporter on a paper in his native city and afterward went to 
Cincinnati, where he obtained a similar situation in connection w4th the 
Enquirer, which he represented for fifteen years, rapidly winning advance- 
ment. As a political editor, reporter and special correspondent he developed 
unusual ability and talent. He also became special correspondent to the 
New York World. His popularity as a reporter was evidenced by the people 
of Cincinnati, who at the celebrated church fair voted to him a magnificent 
gold-headed cane as the most popular reporter of the city. As a political 
editor he exerted a wide influence in Ohio. Nothing can measure the effect 
of the newspaper, but its power is widely recognized and acknowledged as 
d factor in molding public opinion and shaping public action, and in this way 
Claude Meeker became a leader in political circles. In 1889 James E. Camp- 
bell became a candidate for governor and was elected to that office. During 
the campaign Mr. Meeker accompanied him on his tour through the state 
and made many able addresses, holding the attention and convincing the 
minds of his hearers. Governor Campbell attributed his election in a large, 
manner to Mr. Meeker's reports and the Cincinnati Enquirer, and on assum- 
ing the office appointed him to the position of private secretary, in which, 
capacity he served from 1890 until 1892. The following year he was appointed, 
by President Cleveland United States consul at Bradford, England, where 
he served, in a most creditable manner, until 1897. This is one of the most 
important commercial consulates on account of the exports from America 
to Bradford, and involves great work and responsibility on the part of the 
consul, whose staff numbers nine assistants. 

In 1897 Mr. Meeker returned to his native land and once more took up 
liis abode in Columbus, where he joined his brother in the establishment of 
the firm of Meeker Brothers, investment brokers. They are the leading 
firm in their line in Columbus, and have special telegraph connection with 
New York and Chicago. Their business has assumed mammoth propor- 
tions and has brought to them gratifying returns. 

In 1890 Mr. Meeker was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Parks, 
a daughter of Dr. J. M. Parks, of Hamilton, Ohio. Her father was one 
of the best-known physicians in the Miami valley throughout a long period, 
being freely accorded the leadership in his profession. He was also highly 
esteemed as a citizen and' a man of sterling worth. He died in Hamilton 
in 1890, at the advanced age of eighty years. Mr. and Mrs. Meeker are 
tlie parents of three children, — Marjorie, Campbell and Marion, all of whom 



490 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

were born in England. Mr. and Mrs. Meeker attend the Episcopalian church, 
and he holds membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
also the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic fraternity. Kindness, amia- 
bility and courtesy not only characterize his social relations, but are a marked 
feature in his business life. It is not because of special prominence in public 
affairs that he has, and is justly entitled to, the respect and confidence of 
his fellow men, for his personal qualities are such as to make men esteem 
and honor him. 

NATHANIEL SMITH. 

Nathaniel Smith, an enterprising farmer of Prairie township, represents 
one of the honored pioneer families of Ohio. His grandfather, Philip Smith, 
was born in Virginia and wedded Miss Nancy Keller, of Parkeisburg, that 
state, whose ancestors came from Germany to the new world. Removing 
,to Ohio, the grandfather of our subject located in Athens county and after- 
ward went to Auglaize county. His death occurred at St. Mary's, Ohio. 
He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and lived an upright, 
consistent life. His children were: Abner, who died in St. Mary's, Ohio; 
Francis Patty, who became the wife of Foster Stedman and died in Missouri ; 
Phillip, who died at Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Sarah, deceased; Amon, who died 
in Topeka, Kansas; Isaac, who died in St. Mary's, Ohio; and Elias, of Athens 
county, Ohio. 

Francis Smith, the father of our subject, was born in Parkersburg, West 
Virginia, in 1796, and with his parents came to Ohio at an early day. He 
was reared in Athens county, acquiring a common-school education, and early 
became familiar with the work of the home farm. He was there married to 
Miss Mary (Polly) Ashton, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
on Christmas day of 1800. Her father, Abner Ashton, was a glass blower 
of that city, and was there married to Nancy Lewis, who was born in Phila- 
delphia. Her parents died when she was quite small and she was reared by 
Stephen Girard, a millionaire philanthropist. Abner Ashton was of an old 
and highly respected family of Pennsylvania, his ancestors having come from 
England to America. They settled at Ashton's Hope, near the boundary 
line between Maryland and Pennsylvania, and through several generations 
representatives of the name have been prominent in the Keystone state. 
After their marriage the parents of our subject resided in Athens county 
until 1845, when they took up their abode north of Columbus, in Franklin 
county. In 1854, however^ the father went to Davis county, Iowa, and re- 
sided with his sons in that state. He died at the home of his youngest son, 
Isaac, who is now living in Colorado, whither he removed in 1868. The 
mother of our subject also died there, in 1882. Isaac Smith attempted to 
go to Colorado during the Civil war, but en account of guerrillas was forced 
to return to Iowa. The father of our subject was a Democrat, always giving- 
his support to that party. Unto Francis Smith and his wife were born ten 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 491 

children: Nancy became the wife of . Alexander Francis, a soldiier in the 
Mexican war, and after his death she married Aaron Arm, her home beino- 
now in Ashgrove, Illinois; Lydia is the wife of Jeremiah French, of Jackson 
county, Ohio; Sally is the wife of David Minton, of Oregon; Hester m.arried 
Nathan Benjamin, who was a soldier in the Mexican war, and is now living 
in Missouri; Nathaniel was the next of the family; Lovisa is the wife of 
Jacob Kiner, of North Columbus ; Abner is living in Missouri ; Phillip died 
in Colorado, in 1876; Hameline resides in Missouri; and Isaac makes 
his home in Laramie county, Colorado. 

Nathaniel Smith, whose name introduces this record, was born in Lee 
township, Athens county, Ohio, May 6, 1827, and there remame 1 muil 
eighteen years of age. He was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier 
life, living in the forests, where he aided in grubbing the stumps, splitting 
rails and chopping wood. The house was a hewed-log cabin, eighteen by 
twenty- four feet, containing two rooms. The building was 'heated by a 
fireplace, on which could be laid a four-foot log, and the smoke found egress 
through a mud and stick chimney, and the first school which he attended was 
three miles from his home. The benches were made by splitting a small tree 
in two. Portions of the trunk were then stood upon ^vooden legs and s'erved 
as seats for the scholars. The writing desk was formed by placing a board 
upon pins driven into the wall, and the immense fireplace occupied one end 
of the room. His first teacher was a Mr. Martin, who was a capable in- 
structor for those days. When the school hours were over Mr. Smith aided 
in doing the chores at home, a part of his duty being to bring up the cows. 
They would sometimes stray miles away, so that he would be days in finding 
them. In his boyhood he was very fend of hunting, and was a sure shot 
Wild game of all kinds abounded, the settlers often killing wild cats, wolves^ 
bears, panthers, deer and wild fowls', the last two furnishing many a meal! 
Squirrels were so numerous as to be a pest. Mr. Smith has killed deer in 
this locality and greatly enjoyed his hunting trips. Although now seventy- 
three years of age, he is an excellent shot with the rifle, and while hunting 
for tlie cows he always took his gun and a trusty hunting dog with him. 
Wild hogs were also numerous, and mink, beaver and coons were frequently 
shot. ^ ^ 

When eighteen years of age Mr. Smith came to Franklin county, where 
he has since made his home. He was married on the 4th of February, 1849, 
to Miss Amanda Kiner, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, May 26, 
1 83 1. She is a daughter of Caspar Kiner and a granddaughter of Conrad' 
Kmer. The great-grandfather was Michael Keinadt, a native of Germany, 
born in the town of Winterlingen, in 1720. He came to America about 1740 
and located at New Holland, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where he 
married Margaret Dillar, a native of that place and a daughter of Jacob 
Dillar, who was born in France and fled to England on account of relio-ious 
persecutions. There Mr. Dillar was married, and in 1840 he came to the 
United States, settling in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he died. Michael 



492 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Keinadt removed from Pennsylvania to iVugusta county, Virginia, accom- 
panied by his wife and children, with the exception of his son, Conrad Kiner, 
who remained in the Buckeye state. The family took up their abode near 
what was then called World's End, and the great-grandfather of Mrs. Smith 
died in 1796. He served as a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and five 
of his sons were also loyal defenders of the American colonies, namely: 
George Adam, Conrad, George Michael, Martini and Jacob. The descend- 
ants of Michael Keinadt are scattered over every state and territory in the 
Union. In the Civil war some were members of the Southern army, others 
fought for the Union. The spelling of the name has undergone considerable 
change as years have passed, the grandfather simplifying the orthography to 
Kyner, while the present generation have substituted an *'i" for the "y." 
Michael Keinadt had thirteen children, ten sons and three daughters. 

Conrad Kyner, the grandfather of Mrs. Smith, was born in Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania, in 1755, and married Margaret Stambaugh, who was born 
in Franklin county, Pennsylvania. They took up their abode im that county, 
and the grandfather passed away March 11, 1816, his death resulting from 
a fall from a horse. His son, Caspar Kiner, the father of Mrs. Smith, was 
born in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, ini 1796, and was there reared as a 
farmer boy. He married Elizabeth Mock, who was born in 1800 and is a 
daughter of Michael and Margaret (Whissinger) Mock. Her father was 
born in Germany, while his wife was a native of Scotland. In the early 
'00s he removed with his family to Clinton' township, Franklin county, 
wliere he spent his remaining days. For seven years after his marriage 
Caspar Kiner resided upon the old homestead farm in Pennsylvania and in 
1825 came to Franklin county, Ohio, where he rented land for a short time. 
He then removed to Coshocton county and purchased three hundred acres, 
upon which he lived for seven or eight years. On the expiration of that 
period he returned to this county and bought seventy-five acres^ of land in 
Clinton township, near North Columbus, where, in the midst of the forest, 
he erected a log cabin. He became a prosperous farmer and spent his remain- 
ing days on his homestead there', his death occurring in the spring of 1861. 
His wife died August 11, 1873. Their children were ten in number : Michael, 
who married Sarah Meggs and died in Clinton township; Margaret Ann, 
ithe deceased wife of Solomon Hays ; Jacob, who married Lovisa Smith, a 
sister of our subject; Martha Jane, the deceased wife of William Ream; 
Lucinda, who became the wife of Lafayette Layzell, but has now passed 
away; Mrs. Smith; Mary, deceased; Elizabeth, who became the second wife 
of Lafayette Layzell ; Henry, who married Catherine Denune and is living 
in Clinton township; and JohiT, who married Pauline Denune and is now 
deceased. 

When Mrs. Smith was six years of age her parents removed to what is 
now North Columbus, where she grew to womanhood. She has attended 
the Clinton double-log schoolhouse. which was three miles from her home. 
Among her first teachers were Melissa Peck and Nancy Stiles. Her father 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 493 

afterward gave to the township for a term of eleven years a plat of land 
oni his farm, on which was erected a schoolhouse, and^ therein Mrs. Smith 
completed her education. On the 4th of February, 1849, 'he gave her hand 
in marriage to Nathaniel Smith, and they began their domestic life in a 
rented log house. He had one horse and a few cows and hogs. Their 
household furniture consisted of several chairs and a meager supply of dishes, 
together with a few necessary articles of furniture. Their meals were 
cooked over a fireplace. Mr. Smith had no capital but an honest heart and 
willing hands, but with the assistance of his good wife he has steadily worked 
his way upward. The first season he operated land on the shares, but in 
the succeeding autumn he purchased two acres of land in Clinton tmvnship. 
He built a round-log cabin, which for seven years was his home, and on the 
expiration of that 'period he sold the property and removed to Davis county, 
Iowa, in 1855. Tbe journey was made with two wagons, each drawn by a 
team of horses, but on the way two of the horses were killed in Indiana by 
a falling tree. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had with them their three children and 
a cousin, Horace Smith. They had stopped for the noon-day meal and had 
just set down to eat when they heard the tree falling. They just managed 
to get out of the way when the tree struck the ground, killing the liorses. 
They were twenty-eight days upon the journey, reaching their destination 
on the 26th of November, 1855. They camped out all along the way with 
the exception of one night, and without other adventure than the one men- 
tioned at length reached their journey's end. 

Mr. Smith and his family, however, were not pleased with the country, 
and in February they returned to Ohio by rail, being snow-bound east of 
Chicago for a time. On again reaching this state Mr. Smith engaged in 
the butchering business, carrying on business as a huxter and also purchased 
a threshing machine, which he -operated during the harvesting seasons for 
nine years. In the meantime he purchased a part of his present farm, becom- 
ing owner in the spring of 1863 and taking possession thereof in the fall 
of 1864. This was wild swamp land, but he has developed it into a fine 
farm, comprising sixty-seven acres of rich land. During the first winter the 
family lived in a log ihouse and then erected a frame residence, wdiich was 
destroyed by fire in 1878. It was then replaced by the present brick resi- 
dence. The fire occurred on the 5th of June, and on the 5th of August the 
family took possession of their new abode. In the mearrtime they resided 
in the barn. Mr. Smith has labored untiringly for the improvement of his 
property and now has a valuable place, his land yielding to him a rich return 
for the care and labor he bestows upon it. 

Unto our subject and his wife have been bom six children: John C, 
of Prairie township, who married Eunice Calhoun and has eight children; 
Charles W.. who married Eva Seward and is now deceased; Elizabeth Mahala, 
now the wife of Henry Pillow, of Columbus; Pollv A., wife of Josephus 
Scott, of Columbus, by whom she has one child; Emma lane, the wife of 
Wallace McDowell, of Columbus ; Olivette, who married lohn W. Derflinger, 



494 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of Columbus, and has one child. Mr. Smith is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, of Galloway, and in politics he is independent. He remem- 
bers distinctly the stirring times of the Harrison campaign and the time when 
he cast his first presidential vote, supporting James K. Polk. He has very 
vivid recollections of the city of Columbus. When he came to the county, 
in 1844, there was not even a gravel road in the capital. The corporation 
line east and west extended from the river to Third street and from Broad- 
street to the courthouse. The capitol building was a small brick structure 
at the corner of High and State streets. All east of Third street was farm 
land, and there was a big pond where the Central market is now located, 
while the north market occupies the site of what was the old city grave yard, 
and a garden was seen where is now found the Union depot. Great changes 
have occurred throughout the years which have come and gone since that 
time, and Mr. Smith feels a just and commendable pride in the advancement 
made by his adopted county. He is numbered among its honored pioneers, 
well worthy of representation in this volume. 



RICHARD E. JONES. 

Few residents of Columbus are more widely known than the gentleman 
whose name heads this sketch. This is due to his prominence in business, in 
social circles and through his w^ork along philanthropic lines. He commands 
in a marked degree the confidence and esteem of all who know him and 
enjoys the warm regard of a host of friends. His life has been a busy, use- 
ful and honorable one and has been crowned with a rich measure of success 
as a fitting reward of his labors and well directed energies. 

On the loth of August, 1853, in Liverpool, England, occurred the birth 
of Richard E. Jones. His parents were of Welsh lineage. At the age of 
nineteen years he left the land of his birth and crossed the ocean to the new 
world. He had formerly been apprenticed to the carpenter's trade and here 
he completed the mastery of the business and was engaged in the construction of 
the buildings of the Dennison University, also of the old union depot, in 1874. 
In 1877 he went west in company with Lieutenant George Ruhlen, assisted 
in the erection of Fort Custer in Montana, just a year after the massacre 
of Custer and his troops by the Indians. For a year Mr. Jones remained in 
the west and then returned to Columbus. Soon afterward he entered into 
jjartnership with his brother in the lumber business in Corning, Ohio, the 
connection between them being maintained for seven years. In 1887 he joined 
Mr. W^ebb in the purchase of an undertaking establishment, formerly owned 
by Joseph B. Stuart. A year later he purchased Mr. Webb's interest and since 
that time he has conducted the business alone, now having the patronage of 
many of the most prominent and influential families in the capital city. His 
undertaking estalilishment is one of the best stocked and equipped in the city 
and his rooms are excellently arranged for the display of his goods, which are 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 495 

of the latest and most modern design. His office is located on Broad and 
Third streets, this giving him the advantage of an excellent situation. 

Mr. Jones has traveled extensively, having visited many points of interest 
in Europe ad America, but he has no desire to change his place of residence, 
being content to make Columbus his home. As a citizen he is public-spirited 
and progressive, manifesting a commendable interest in everything pertaining 
to the substantial upbuilding and welfare of his adopted state. Many organ- 
izations have received his support and assistance. He is particularly inter- 
ested in music and aided in the formation of the first Eisteofod, acting as its 
president in 1898, which was the most successful and popular one ever held 
in Ohio. .For two terms he was president of the Ohio State Funeral Direc- 
tors A'ssociation, and has served as eminent commander of Mount Vernon 
Commandery No. i, K. T., and is past grand of the order of Odd Fellows. 
He is also connected with the Knights of Pythias and other fraternal organ- 
izations. At the time of the Franklinton centennial celebration he was a mem- 
ber of the fireworks committee and labored most earnestly for the success 
of the celebration. He was appointed a trustee of the Boy's Industrial School 
at Lancaster, Ohio, by Governor Bushnell, and by Governor Nash was re- 
appointed to the same position for a term of five years. He is now president of 
the board and is closely in touch with its work and gives it his heartv endorse- 
ment, support and co-operation. He was a member of Governor Nash's party 
on the recent trip to California on the occasion of the launching of the battle- 
ship Ohio. 

In 1879 Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss j\Iary A. Cadwallader, 
of Columbus, who died in 1897, leaving one son, Bertram George. For 
his second wife he chose Mrs. Nellie Evans, of Columbus, a daughter of 
William and Mary Jones. His life has ever been manly, his actions sincere, 
riis purpose honorable, and no native-born American citizen has a deeper in- 
terest in the welfare of the country and state than has :\Ir. Jones. 

PHILO HOPKINS OLMSTED. 

The Olmsted family was early prominent in New England Francis 
Olmsted fought for American independence in the Revolutionarv war and 
was present at the surrender of Burgoyne. He received a wound in battle, 
for which he drew a pension until the end of his days. He married Chloe 
Case, and in 1808 came from his old home near Hartford, Connecticut, to 
Frankhn county, Ohio, and bought land at Blendon Four Corners, just above 
(he present site of Minerva Park, where he died in 1828. He had five sons 
and two daughters. 

Philo Flopkins Olmsted, familiarlv known as Colonel Olmsted had a 
notable career at Columbus, Ohio. He was born in Connecticut in 1793 
and died in Franklin county, Ohio. February 20. 1870. He was one of the 
early settlers m Franklin county, bavins- come with his father's family at 
the date mentioned above. He gained a fair education for the pioneer days. 



496 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and at the age of seventeen, in 1810, entered the office of the Western Intelli- 
gencer, at Worthington, of which a man named Griswold was the editor and 
publisher and of which his father was one of the proprietors. In 1814, after 
the seat of government had been established on the bank of the Scioto river, 
a mile east of Franklinton, the printing office was removed from Worthing- 
ton to Columbus, and the paper was rechristened the Columbus Gazette. Mr. 
Olmsted maintained his relation to the paper and soon bought out Griswold's 
interest in it, becoming its proprietor and publisher. It was a strong Whig 
journal and its local position at the seat of government made it an important 
element in directing the policy of the state and imparted to its editor an in- 
iiuence and prominence rarely attained by members of the profession in after 
years. This prominence Mr. Olmsted maintained for a series of years, being 
repeatedly appointed and reappointed "printer to the state." The paper 
was later merged in a daily paper established at Columbus by George Nashee, 
Judge Bailhache and Colonel Olmsted, and the latter's interest was trans- 
ferred about 1832 to Joseph B. Gardner. 

Colonel Olmsted acquired his title honorably in the war of 18 12- 14. 
He enlisted in the cavalry organization recruited at Columbus, was elected 
its colonel and started to lead it to the seat of war by way of Sandusky; 
but when within one day's ride of his immediate destination he was met 
by a courier sent to announce the end of the war. He retained his connec- 
tion with military affairs many years. He was several times honored by 
his fellow citizens with testimonials of their respect and confidence, and in 
all his official relations maintained a character of scrupulous probity and up- 
rightness. He was a member of the city council from 1819 to 1822 and 
from 183 1 to 1834. During his last term he was the mayor of the city, in 
Avhich office he served for one year. He was elected mayor in 1837,. to fill 
the unexpired term of Warren Jenkins, and was again elected in 1838. He 
was foremost in all movements to advance the interests of Columbus in those 
early days, and at the opening of the canal, in 1832, he got together a fleet 
of three boats and went with cannon, a brass band and a large deputation 
of citizens to Chillicothe, where his arrival created a great sensation. This 
was considered a magnificent celebration at that time. The population of 
Columbus was then about two thousand. 

In 1838 Colonel Olmsted became the proprietor of the old National Hotel 
in Columbus, on the west side of High street north of State street, then a 
noted stage house, which he managed until 1841, at which in 1840 he had 
General William Henry Harrison as a guest. In 1842 he opened the City 
Hotel, at the southeast corner of Town and High streets, where he entertained 
Martin Van Buren during the presidential campaign of 1844. In 1845 he 
opened the United States Hotel, which is still standing, at High and Town 
streets. He retired from active business about 1850. 

Colonel Olmsted was a man of striking appearance, well proportioned 
and weighing about two hundred pounds, and down to the day of his death 
he dressed in the style of 1825 to 1850, clinging even to the once popular 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 497 

ruffled shirt. During the Civil war he traveled through Ohio and West 
Virginia, buying stock for the United States army, and thus, as he had done 
as editor, politician and hotel man, he made hosts of friends, for he was of a 
genial and happy disposition, having a kind word and a hearty handshake 
for every one whom he met. He was six times elected to the Ohio legisla- 
ture, in which he served with rare ability and fidelity. He was a good speaker 
and writer, possessed sound judgment and great tact, and made a creditable 
success of every undertaking. The latter years of his life, though relieved 
from the anxieties and perplexities of business, he spent awaiting the slow 
and sure advance of a fell malady wdiich had already marked him for its 
victim. 

In 1817 Colonel Olmsted married Miss Sarah Phillips, from ]\Iercers- 
burg, Pennsylvania, who died in 1875, at the age of seventy-six. The fol- 
lowing memorandum concerning their children will be found interesting in 
this connection: Their daughter Mary is the widow of Dr. ]\I. B. Wright, 
once a noted physician of Cincinnati, Ohio, and is living in Xew York city, 
aged eighty-two. Their son Angus died at Columbus in 1873. Their son 
Charles H. Olmsted, of Columbus, was born on West State street, in that city, 
in 1825, and has lived on Town street for the past sixty years. He was 
educated in the public schools of Columbus, at the Granville Academy and 
at Athens College. In 1849 he w^as a messenger of the Fargo Express Com- 
pany between Cincinnati and Sandusky, running over the old strap-bar rail- 
road, on which it was impossible for a train to make a speed of more than 
fifteen or sixteen miles an hour after leaving ten miles of better track which 
ran into Cincinnati. From 1853 to i860 he was in the grocery business at 
Columbus. He is now living in retirement from active business, but has 
not lost his interest in Columbus or in passing events. Following in the 
footsteps of his father, who developed politically from a Whig to a Repub- 
lican, he has been an active and consistent Republican since the organization 
of that party. 

Charles H. Olmsted marriel Elizabeth Broderick, of Columbus, wdiose 
death occurred January 6, 1890. She was the daughter of the Hon. John 
C. Broderick, who for many years ably filled the office of recorder of the 
state of Ohio, mere than seventy years aw, and died in 1853. Mr. Brod- 
erick was born in Kentucky, and married Miss Elizabeth Delano, whose father 
settled early at Marietta and came to Columbus about 1815, and whose brother, 
Henry Delano, was a pioneer merchant of Columbus. Mr. and ]\Irs. Olmsted 
have three daughters and one son, named :\Iary, Florence, Sarah and Harry. 

RICHARD M. GEIGER. 

Richard ]\L Geiger was born upon the farm which he yet owns and 
which is situated about a mile east from his home in Jefferson township, 
his natal day being July 12, 1846. His parents were Joseph and 3^Iarv 
(Albery) Geiger. The family is of German lineage. Tradition says that 



498 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Anthony Geiger, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Germany and 
during his boyhood was brought to America by his parents, who located in 
Martinsburg, West Virginia, where the grandfather was reared and learned 
the trade of carpenter and joiner. In those early days he often worked by 
candle light, making coffins, wooden plows and other farming implements', 
for the great factories which now turn out farm machinery in immense quan- 
tities were unknown. In 1804 he came to Ohio, the year following the ad- 
mission of the state into the Union, and located in Licking county, where 
he resided up to the time of his death, which occurred in the early '40s. His 
wife was a Miss Kirk, and among her children was Joseph Geiger, the father 
of our subject. 

On the old family homestead Joseph Geiger was reared. He was born 
in Martinsburg, Virginia, in 1796, and was a youth of eight summers when 
he accompanied! his parents to Ohio, the family making a settlement on 
Frogs Run in Licking county. He experienced all the hardships and trials 
of pioneer life, and after attaining man's estate he chose as a companion 
and helpmeet on life's journey Miss Elizabeth Albery. Lnmediately fol- 
lowing their marriage they came to Jefferson township, Franklin county, 
where Mr. Geiger had purchased a home. His one hundred acres of land 
was covered with a native growth of forest trees, with the exception of a 
small tract of about six acres, on which a log cabin had been built* and around 
which fruit trees had been set out. Through his entire life the father of our 
subject carried on farming, making a home on the farm in Jefferson town- 
ship until called to his final rest. Although not a member of any church, 
his sympathies were with the Universalist church, and his father had also 
been a believer in Universalism. He gave his political support to the Democ- 
racy, and served in several minor township offices, but was never an aspirant 
for political honors. He was twice married, his first union being with Miss 
Albery, by whom he had two children, one yet living, Anthony, a resident 
of Jay county, Indiana. After the death of the mother, he married her 
cousin, Miss Mary AJbery, who was born in Allegany county, Maryland, 
about 1805, and was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Mye£) Albery, both 
of whom were members of prominent old families of Maryland. On coming 
to Ohio her parents located in Licking county, about the time the Geigers 
settled there. The father of our subject passed away October 6, 1869, and 
his wife, who survived him' for a number of years, was called to her final 
rest June 19, 1882. They were the parents of eleven children, of wdiom six 
are yet living, namely: William, a resident of Beech Corners, Licking county; 
Noah and Peter, both of whom are farmers of Jefferson township ; Thomas, 
who resides with his brother Peter; Richard M. ; and Nancy A., the wife of 
Frank B. Williamis, also of Beech Corners. 

In the public schools Richard M. Geiger acquired his education, and in 
the fields became familiar with the work of the farm. After attaining his 
majority he was employed by his father by the month through one year, 
.md on the expiration of that period took charge of the old homestead, which 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 499 

he operated on the shares. In 1869 the father died, but Richard Geiger con- 
tinued to farm the home place until after his mother's death, in 1882, when 
he purchased the interests of the other heirs and became proprietor of the 
farm of one hundred acres on which he was born. He also purchased fifty- 
five acres on the Black Lick road, he and his mother having become owners 
of that property after the father's death. Later he added to the old home- 
stead a tract of thirty acres and subsequently of twelve acres, so that the 
farm consisted of one hundred and forty-two acres. Li 1899 he purchased 
of the Havens estate, near Havens' Corners, twenty-four acres of land, on 
which he erected his present substantial residence and farm buildings, hav- 
ing since made his home there. He owes his success in life to his own efforts 
as a farmer and stock raiser. He has carried on business along these lines 
continuously, but the products of his fields were never sufficient to feed his 
stock, which he handles in large quantities. This led him to purchase large 
amounts of corn, which created a good market for the neighoors. During 
the past two years he has rented much of his land, so that he is to some degree 
enjoying retirement from active labor. 

On the lOth of November, 1887, Mr. Geiger was united in marriage 
to Mrs. Lusetta Ealy, the widow of Jeremiah Ealy, a native of Jefferson 
township, and a daughter of George Shirk, who belonged to a Pennsylvania 
Dutch family, and emigrated from the Keystone state to Franklin county 
among its early settlers. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Geiger has been born one child, 
Ora j\Iay, whose birth occurred May i, 1889. In his political views our 
subject is a Democrat, and for one term he served in the office of township 
clerk, while for twenty years he has been a member of the school board of his 
district. He was reared in the Universalist faith and is a believer' in its 
doctrines, although he does not hold membership with any religious denomi- 
nation. He contributes liberally to church work, and is deeply interested 
in everything pertaining to the welfare of his community along the lines of 
moral, intellectual and material progress. He is a member of Truro Lodge, 
No. 411, I. O. O. F., of Reynoldsburg, and there is probably not a man of 
Franklin county who stands higher in the estimation of those who know him 
than does Richard M. Geiger. The family name has been connected with 
the history of this section since early pioneer days, and our subject is a worthy 
representative thereof, for his career has ever been straightforward and 
commendable, marked by fidelity to duty in all life's relations. 

FRANK E. POWELL. 

Frank Everett Powell, who resides in Columbus, is a popular engineer 
on the Pennsylvania Railroad. He was born in Franklin county, "Ohio, 
May 4, 1858, and is a son of Alfred Powell, who throughout the greater part 
of his career carried on agricultural pursuits, living upon a farm in this 
county until 1884, when he put aside business cares and removed to the cap- 
ital city. Here he died on the 21st of April, 1898, at the age of seventy-six 



500 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

years. His wife, Mrs. Sarah Jane Powell, is now li\'ing- with her son Frank. 
The other members of the family are Thomas, born in 1854; Annie, who 
was born in 1856, and died in 1867; Frank E., born May 4, 1858; and Hattie, 
wife of Frank Hornberger, a switchman in the Pennsylvania yards in Colum- 
bus, by whom she has one child, Herbert. 

Frank E. Powell acquired his education in the public schools. Fie 
worked on his father's farm until twenty years of age, but not wishing to 
spend his entire life in the fields, he became connected with the railway 
service as an employe of the Pennsylvania road in the fall of 1883, serving 
in the capacity of fireman. He held that position until January 13, 1887, 
w^hen he was made an engineer. For seventeen years he has been connected 
with the same road, and no higher testimony of his ability and fidelity could 
be given, for large corporations do not tolerate inefficiency on the part of 
their employes. He is most careful and painstaking, and the only severe 
personal injury which he ever sustained occurred on the loth of November, 
1883, when he was a fireman. A passenger train ran into his engine near 
Newark, Ohio, on the switch, the disaster being the result of negligence on 
the part of a switchman. Matthews and Kinney, respectively the engineer 
and fireman on the passenger train, were both killed. The engineer with 
Avhom Mr. Powell was working was not seriously hurt, but our subject had 
his hand and arm badly burned and the other hand was scalded, so that he 
was unfit for duty for two months. 

On the 5th of October, 1885, Mr. Powell was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary Flautt, of Columbus. Her grandparents were natives of Bel- 
mont county, Ohio, and her parents were Henry and Catherine Flautt, the 
former born in March, 1831, and the latter in March, 1841. They are now 
residing on their farm two miles from Somerset, Ohio. Their children are 
Martin and Charles, who' are residents of Columbus ; Augustus, who is living 
on the old homestead ; Mattie, wife of B. Flowers, of Marion. Indiana ; 
Rader and Dora, at home; and Mrs. Powell. By their marriage our subject 
and his wife have become the parents of three children, namely : Mary Ger- 
trude, born December 11, 1896; Joseph, born June 11, 1898; and Alfred, 
born February 22, 1900. 

Mr. Powell has been a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- 
gineers since 1888, having joined the order in Dennison, Ohio. He has 
resided in Columbus since 1884, and is now occupying a pleasant and attract- 
ive home at No. 165 Hiawatha avenue. The family are members of the 
Catholic church. 

G. A. WRIGHT, M. D. 

Dr. G. A. Wright, who is numbered among the successful medical prac- 
titioners of Franklin county and makes his home in Brice, was born in Madi- 
son township on the 9th of February, 1868. His entire life has been passed 
in this locality, save for the time spent in school. His father, David Wright, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 501 

is a prominent farmer of Madison township, and was born in April, 1842. 
Throughout his entire life he has occupied the farm on which he yet resides, 
the place comprising one hundred and four acres of rich land, which is highly 
cultivated. He married Miss Cynthia A. Stevenson, a daughter of Joshua 
Stevenson ,who was born nea-r Baltimore, Maryland. Mr and Mrs. Wright 
are the parents of four children: David A., Jonathan A., George A. and 
Oliver A. The eldest married Miss Nettie Groves, a daughter of James K. 
Groves, of Truro township. David A. follows farming in Madison town- 
ship, and by his marriage has become the father of three children: Roy 
Alvin, Ethel Olive and Carl K. Jonathan A. Wright resides at Thornville, 
Ohio. He is a Methodist minister and has charge of a church of his de- 
nomination at that place. He married Libbie Rathborne. Oliver A. Wright 
devotes his life to educational work. He acquired his early educational 
training in the schools of Madison township, and afterward w^as a student 
in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, where he served as sec- 
retary for President Bashford, of that institution. There he won local honors 
in an oratorical contest in the college, and also won first honors in the state 
collegiate contest, in which nine colleges of the state were represented. The 
winning of the first honors at that time entitled him to the privilege of enter- 
ing the national contest of colleges which was held at Topeka, Kansas. For 
two years he was superintendent of the Good Government League at Detroit, 
and on the expiration of that period he was elected superintendent of schools 
at Canton, Ohio, where he is now serving most acceptably. Oliver com- 
pletes the family. He is a young man of twenty-eight years of age. 

Dr. W^right obtained his early education in the district schools of his 
native township and completed his literary training by a course in the Rey- 
noldsburg Union Academy at Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Subsequently he en- 
gaged in teaching in Franklin county for five years. During that time he 
prepared for the practice of medicine. He then entered the Ohio Medical 
College, and upon completing the regular course of that institution was 
graduated in 1898, since wdiich time he has engaged in practice in Brice, and 
has already won success that many an older member of the profession might 
W'-ell envy. His knowledge is accurate and broad, and wath a just apprecia- 
tion of the responsibilities which rest upon a physician, he carefully manages 
his business and his professional efforts have been attended wuth excellent 
results. 

ALBERTUS C. WOLFE, M. D. 

Professional advancement is proverbially slow, for it depends upon 
mental acquirement. Wealth and influence count for little or naught in 
w^inning success in any of the "learned professions." It must come as the 
result of individual effort and skill, and therefore if one has gained prestige 
it is an unmistakable evidence of careful preparation and ability. Dr. Wolfe 
is w^ell known as a worthy representative of the medical fraternity, and as 



502 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

he is also popular and well known in social circles the record of his life can 
not fail to prove of interest to many of our readers. The Doctor was born 
at Linscott, Athens county, Ohio, in 1859, and when two years of age his 
parents removed to a farm near Bishopville, Ohio. Soon after this his father, 
John Wolfe, enlisted in the Civil war, entering Company K, Sixty-third Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, in which he served as orderly sergeant until his death, 
which occurred at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, November 20, 1863, at the 
age of thirty-two years. He was born in Athens county, Ohio, and lived 
there during most of his life. He was the son of George P. Wolfe, who 
was born in Athens county, Ohio, in 1806, and his entire life was spent there, 
dying in 1858. The great-grandfather of Dr. Wolfe, George W. Wolfe, 
who came to the Buckeye state in 1797 from Pennsylvania, was a soldier in 
the war of 18 12, in which he received a wound in the arm, which left him 
a cripple the remainder of his life. The Doctor's grandmother Wolfe's 
maiden name was Eliza Wilkins, and his mother's maiden name was Keziah 
McDonald. She was a daughter of Thomas McDonald, of Athens county, 
and a representative of one of the pioneer families of the state. 

Dr. Wolfe, of this review, was but four years old when his father died. 
His mother, with him and his sister, two years old, were left on a small 
farm, for which they were partly in debt. Early in life the Doctor saw the 
sorrows and strife of this life. The mother, a noble, good woman, thus left, 
managed through much sorrow and a great struggle to pay off the debt on 
the farm and keep the children together, saving a part of her and the chil- 
dren's pension to educate the latter. The Doctor received his preliminary 
education at a country school near Bishopville, Ohio, and also studied at 
Athens, Ohio, pursuing a course in the Ohio University at that place. De- 
termining to make the practice of medicine his life work, he matriculated in 
the Columbus Medical College, in which institution he w^as graduated in 
1883. Immediately afterward he opened an office for practice in Jackson- 
ville, Athens county, where he remained until 1891, when he went to New 
York and took a post-graduate course. He returned to Columbus in Janu- 
ary, 1892, where he has since built up a creditable business. His knowlege 
is comprehensive and exact, and he did not put aside his text-books on leaving 
the school room, but has continued an earnest, discriminating student, con- 
stantly supplementing his knowledge by reading and investigation. He w^as 
professor of the diseases of the nose and throat in the Ohio Medical Uni- 
versity for six years, from 1892 until 1898. During this time he was rhin- 
ologist and laryngologist to the Protestant Plospital of this city, wdiich indi- 
cates the line of his specialty. He is now laryngologist and rhinologist to 
Grant Hospital. He is a member of the Columbus Academy of Medicine, 
of the State Medical Society and of the American Medical Society, and finds 
in his association with these organizations an incentive and inspiration for 
further work. 

The Doctor was married in Columbus to Miss Fannie Main, a daughter 
of George Main, now deceased. Her father came to Ohio from Syracuse, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 503 

New York, and was for some time employed in the Big Four freight depart- 
ment. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Harriet Powell was a 
native oi England. When six years of age she came to America ' and is 
still hvmg, at the age of sixty-three years. She has recently returned from 
a visit to her native land. I'he Doctor and his wife have a large circle of 
friends in Columbus and the hospitality of many of the best homes of the 
city IS extended to them. Socially he is connected with Denison Lodge 
i. O. O. 1^. In pohtics he is a Republican, and in religious belief and con- 
nection is a Methodist. He has already gained an enviable standing amon- 
the medical practitioners of the capital city, and as one of its representative? 
is worthy of honorable mention in this volume. 

VALENTINE FITZPATRICK. 

. ,,9"^ °^ ^}}^ "'°^t prominent representatives of labor unions in America 

!L R r."'l i'Pf o'^', '^^'°ni' ''°'^ '"'^"'S' ^' "-^'"'^ ^ic^ ^^and master of 
the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. He makes his home m Columbus 
occupying a beaiititul residence at No. 72,7 Neil avenue. His birth occurred 
m Steubenville, Ohio, on the 29th of August, 1864. His father Valentine 
I^tzpatrick, was a native of Ireland, born m the year 1840 and havin- 
crossed the Atlantic to America he resided for some time in Ohio but aftei- 
ward went to Illinois, taking up his abode in Peoria, that state' when the 

wen-Ttn vl ,\T^"^ T^' ,°"^^ ^^^ ^^^'^ °^ ^^^- The family afterward 
vent to Pekin, Illinois, but the father spent his last days in Peoria, where he 
(liecl in 1891 at the age of seventy-six years. His wife, Mrs. Margaret 
Pitzpatrick, died m Pekin, Illinois, in 1882. ar^aret 

Valentine Fitzpatrick went with his parents to Illinois during his infancy 

ervice t ^'! , ''^°°^' '^'''- ^'' '^'' >'^^^" ^^79 he entered 'the railroad 
service as water boy on a section, and afterward became a brakeman, and 

nn.^ ^^^T^' ^ ^""^ K^ T^^^ ^' '^''^''''^ baggagemaster and worked in a freight 
liouse. He was a brakeman for two years on a passenger train and served 
lor a similar period as conductor on a freight tram, and was then promoted 
a passenger conductor, m which capacity he served for five years.^ On the 
ir.nr t''^l ' ll^' o' '^'^"^"^ ^" °'^^^" ^° ^^^^^P^ ^^e position of third vice 
lion f,n t" r '^ '^' Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, holding that posi- 
tions an r^ ^' ^''f '"!i ''"''■ ^" ^^^^ ^'''' ^ ^'^'^^'^ ^° '^'^ -^'^^^'^^ conven- 
and adiusHL;!f''T^'"^?^'^ ''" °^-^"i^"^^ lodges and in investigating 
resDon hie f. P";"'' °^ ^Pl^y^s. His work is of an important and 
less "o a na r' '"^ '^ '?^^?i^^ '''''^' ^'''' discrimination and with fair- 
ness to all pa ties concerned. He has thus won the high regard and con- 

whic^ifroS^him^^^ ''-' ''-' '''-'''' ''^ '^^^'^^^^ -^^.-^-- 

fh. ^^r- .^'^^P''^.^'"^^^ ^^'^s married October 10, 1889, to Aliss Clara \ Vorvs 
the wedding being celebrated at No. 195 East Rich street, Columbus, ri"; 



504 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

parents were both natives of Lancaster, Ohio. Her father died March 29, 
1895, in the city of Cohimbus, at the age of sixty-nine years, and her mother, 
Mrs. Mary E. Vorys, is still living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick Have 
been born two children: Harold David, born October i, 1891, and Helen 
£., born December 5, 1895. Mr. Fitzpatrick and his family are communi- 
cants of the Episcopal church. In politics he is non-partisan, giving his 
support to men and measures that he believes will best contribute tO' the 
public good. He is a representative of the Masonic fraternity, having taken 
the Knight Templar degree in Columbus Commandery, No. i, of this city. 

GARRY W. MEEKER. 

Biography is not simply a matter of names and dates. Another article 
in this word details the leading incidents in the life of ex-Mayor Meeker, 
of Columbus, Ohio, and includes genealogical data concerning the ancestors 
of the subject of this sketch; but no mere mention oif the facts that Garry 
Waldo Meeker was born at Westerville in July, 1859, and otheir statistical 
information, would adequately tell the story of his active and useful career, 
which has been a life of achievement. Minerva Park and the Columbus 
Central Railway are the products of his originality, as they are monuments 
toi his genius, and no sketch of his career that did not contain their histciry 
would be complete or acceptable to fair and discriminating readers. This 
son of Columbus's worthy ex-executive is something more than "the son of 
his father;" and his work in behalf of public utility and convenience cannot 
be overlooked. 

The Columbus Central Railway was brought into being at the instance 
and largely through the efforts of Garry W. Meeker, in response to a public 
demand, and Minerva Park was made possible by it; and Mr. Meeker was 
the first to suggest it and put in action the chain of events which brought 
it into being. In August, 1891, a public meeting was held in the town hall 
ai Westerville, at which the citizens of Westerville and the surrounding 
country expressed their indignation aroused by the failure of the Cleveland, 
Akiron & Columbus Railway Company to provide for the transportation of 
many of their number to the state fair held at Columbus that year. The 
company had run its regular train through without stopping, leaving four 
hundred passengers who had purchased tickets with the expectation of attend- 
ing the fair, but who were compelled to remain about the station for sev- 
eral hours before any provision was made by the company to carry them to 
Columbus. The meeting was largely attended, and Mr. Meeker, who was 
one of its animating spirits, made a speech in which he suggested and urged 
the building of an electric railway line between Columbus and Westerville, 
pointing out the advantages such a line would afford to the community and 
its entire feasibility; and in conclusion he moved that a committee of three 
be appointed by tbe chair to take out articles of incorporation for the con- 
struction of such a line as he had indicated. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 505 

, Tluis it willte seen that Mr. Meeker was the originator of this o-reat 
.mprovement and he .s deeply interested in its progressrand at the v r/iS- 
fet, m a mos pubhc-spnued way, he took upon himself in large measure 
the responsibility for its success. The company was incorporated uide, the 
style ot the Columb.ts & Westerville Railway cLpany sS subscrip io s 
.veresohcted and decisive steps were taken towL putting the project on 
a substantial oundat.on. Other public meetings were held at whkh Mr 
iAIeeker ^,as the leading speaker, and most telHngly advocated the electric 
railway as a great public improvement and an indispensable llicconven 
bus and'r" a" ^ «^^°^'«'^d™hh himself Colonel M. H. Neil of cXn - 
bus and T. A. Simons an active business man, and they gave their best 
efforts and energies to the furtherance of the enternrise ^fZt , I 
pected, they encountered numerous difficulties When ah thto- %i° ■^' ^"" 
trol promised a speedy construction of the road the nani^ of rin " '°"' 

suggested it "''"'' ^^^' "' "^"S^^^^' ^§9^, four years after Mr. Meeker had 

low citizens who realized f,i;'„, 7.^' . '''!'»';' ^'"^ =^PP'^"^« °f '"^ fel- 
and discourkgenL't Durni^tle ent' "'^'"J ^^ j^d won over obstructioti 
struction of t1,e road he was°in If f , P'"f • °*i''' Promotion and con- 
prise a surresl H v, '"defatigable in his efforts to make the enter- 

it was posrible toaccomD h nnl f "''^"^'''^ °i ?>■«»' P"blic utilitv which 
elements. accomplish only by a persistent fight against many opposing 

strucdon'of tfe' nL'Td 'I'ml't '7 T'"'' ™^" '= ''"^ "'^'^ ^^ "- con- 
Columbus. Not onTv was 1 e it/ ''T '■^''"'">' ^^^^^^ '" "'^ city of 
indomitable ener<.v Ind J ''^'"^' P'-°"0'«-. but it was through his 
maintained thr?^„.Z'fi,^^,:f™™; '''' '"fl-'-es were organized and 
of incalculable benem to Cob ml" \fT undertaking which has proven 
^Vesterville. and o , ,at be^wee ' ? ^^'*^''^™ '<^' *.« the country all about 

obtain financial aid for^t , ^ te Mr ifeef "^ J" ''''" ^^"^'^ *° 
fortunate in securino- tL "f "^''^^'P'se, Mr. Meeker and his associates were 

I<-."d, Ohio : o™?e ed htartfiv intrt "" '"'"f "^ff J' ^'^'P'^^^''- »* ^le^e! 

only niade provisira for mon'v .. '""'" °'^- "'' ""^ertaking and not 

^^ vision lor money for the construction of the road° but also 



5o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

took great pride in the erection of its power house, which is one of the most 
modern and best equipped in the United States. The road was provided 
with lirst-class roUnig stock and other material, and experience is proving 
that the introduction of this first competitive street railway into Columbus 
has made it one of the foremost and most thoroughly up-to-date street rail- 
way cities in the world. 

Mr. Meeker conceived the idea that a large park for the recreation of 
the people should be established on the line of the Columbus Central Railway 
at some point between Columhus and Westerville, and this idea resulted 
in Minerva Park, which was named in honor of Mrs. Minerva Shipherd, 
of Cleveland, Ohio, the wife of the first president of the Columbus Central 
Railway Company. In April, 1892, Mr. Meeker secured from the late Lewis 
Huffman an option on his farm of two hundred and twenty-seven acres, 
which he purchased at the expiration of the option, July 27, 1892, paying- 
Mr. Huffman a good price for the land. It is possilDle that Mr. Huft'man 
did not believe at the time he made a deed of the property that the farm he 
had tilled and on which he had pastured his sheep and cattle would ever be 
developed into a beautiful park, with lakes and fountains and all the charms 
of skillful landscape gardening, in which the people of a big city would seek 
rest and recreation in all the years to come. The location is an ideal one, 
however, and it was not long before Mr. Meeker and his associates began 
w^ork preliminary to the construction of the park by removing stumps, logs, 
brush and everything else that encumbered the land. They began perma- 
nent improvements in 1894, and in 1895 the park was completed, with a 
beautiful casino building, a water-works system and an electric-lighting sys- 
tem, beds of flow^ers, fountains, rustic bridges and every improvement and 
auxiliary necessary to the com'fort and pleasure of the people. The casino 
was burned late in 1895, but through the enterprise of George H. Worth- 
ington a new casino was erected in 1896, one of the largest in the country, 
with a seating capacity of two thousand, in which drama, opera and vaude- 
ville are presented during the summer months to thousands of visitors. An 
innovation in 1896 was an independent electric plant. 

The whole story of Mr. Meeker's work in the way of public improve- 
ment has not yet been told. In 1895 he bought the old Westerville fair 
grounds at Westerville, and began at once to improve them' after the most 
modern fashion, constructing a fine .race track, introducing a water-works 
system, erecting a large grand stand and making other improvements, and 
renaming the place, which has since been known as the Llewellyn Driving 
Park. The grand stand has since been destroyed by fire. Mr. Meeker is 
the senior nTcmiber in the fimi of Meeker Brothers, investment bankers and 
brokers, whose general offices are at Columbus. He has at different times 
been interested in other enterprises, and has filled public offices of trust and 
responsibility, but the great public improvements which have been mentioned 
are of such paramount importance that they constitute a monument to his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5^7 

enterprise and public spirit more to be prized than any ordinary business or 
official triumph. 

Mr. Meeker's country seat, just north of Westerville, is one of the most 
beautiful in central Ohio. 

LIEUTENANT H. WARREN PHELPS. 

The well-known and prominent citizen of Blendon, Franklin county, 
Ohio, whose name is above, was born in Blendon township, this county, 
on the old Phelps homestead, three miles south of Westerville, May 
5, 1839. Homer Moore Phelps, his father, was born on the same farm, 
February 9, 18 12, and spent his life there as a farmer and stock dealer. 
Homer Moore Phelps was a successful business man, who was held in such 
high esteem for his judgment that he wasi adviser to bis neighbors in many 
of the practical affairs of life. He was treasurer of the old plank road com- 
pany, in 1853-4, and was in one way and another connected with other public 
improvements. He was a respecter of churches, but not a member of any 
church, and was a leader among local Whigs and later among Republicans. 
He was for twelve years justice of the peace and for several years town 
trustee. A self-educated man of wide reading, he was especially well in- 
formed on all subjects relating to history, ancient or modern. He died 
June I, 18S3. His home was always a welcome place for ministers of all 
churches. 

Edward and Azubah (Moore) Phelps were the parents of Homer 
Moore Phelps and the grandparents in the paternal line of H. \\^arren Phelps. 
Edward Phelps was born at Windsor, Connecticut, August 27, 1759. He 
was brought up to the life of a farmer and pursued that career at Windsor 
until 1805. He married Azubah Moore May 6, 1789. With Isaac Gris- 
wold and others he made a horseback journey through the wilderness to 
Granville, Ohio, in 1805, following an Indian trail to a point on Alum creek 
four miles and a half east of Worthington, w^here he bought from Aaron 
Ogdon five hundred acres of land which is now three miles south of Wester- 
ville. His ancestry in the paternal line, tracing toward the past, w^ere Tim- 
othy, Cornelius, Lieutenant Timothy and W^illiam Phelps, who was one of 
the first settlers of Windsor. Connecticut, in 1635, coming from Tewkesbury, 
England, in 1630, on the ship Mary and John, and settling in Dorchester, 
Massachusetts. Edward Phelps was the first actual settler in Blendon town- 
ship. He made some few improvements looking to early residence on the 
place, and went back to Connecticut for his family. They left their old home 
June 24, traveling by wagon drawn by oxen, and arrived at their new hom.e 
August 23, 1806. When Mr. Phelps and his companions had come out the 
previous year they had blazed trees to serve as guides to future travelers, 
and in places it was necessary for Mr. Phelps to cut out a road in advance 
of his wagon. For his five-hundred-acre farm in what is now Blendon town- 
ship Mr. Phelps paid seven hundred and eighty-seven dollars and fifty cents. 



5o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

It had been granted to Aaron Ogdon in 1800 by President Adams for mili- 
tary services. Later Mr, Phelps bought two hundred and fifty acres more 
land two miles north of his first purchase, where his son Edward, and daugh- 
ter Chloe, who married Menzes Gillespie, settled. He was a successful man 
for those days, and his advice was sought by his neighboring pioneers in 
many matters of importance. Azubah INIoore, who became his wife, was 
born at Torrington, Connecticut, February 13, 1765. She was baptized a 
member of the Christian church in Alum creek in 1843, and died October 18, 
1849, aged eighty-four years. Their cabin was built on the north side of 
the road now leading east from Worthington, and three- fourths of a mile 
west of Alum creek. She and her husband kept "open house," and religious 
meetings were held in their house and barn in the pioneer days. Mr. Phelps 
built a frame barn in 1808, which was one of the first buildmgs of the kind 
in the neighborhood. 

Edward and Azubah (Moore) Phelps brought six children with them 
to Ohio: Edward, aged sixteen years; Abram, aged fifteen years; Azubah, 
aged twelve years; Lucinda, aged nine years; Chloe, aged seven years; and 
William, aged four years. Azubah was never married. She had a good 
education, was a great reader, and was a very useful mem^ber of the pioneer 
society and of the community during her life. She had a wonderful memory, 
and much of the history of the township's early settlement was related b}^ 
her to her nephew and written down in 1859. She died April 14, i860. 
Their youngest son, Homer Moore Phelps, was born after they came to Ohio. 
Isaac and Ursula (Clark) Griswold and their two children, Isaac Mortimer 
and Edwin, and Ethan Palmer and Salina Griswold came with them, the 
party numbering fourteen souls all told. Miss Salina Griswold taught the 
first school in Blendon towaiship in 1809 and taught several terms later. 
Mr. Griswold bought a farm of two hundred and fifty acres adjoining Mr. 
Phelps's place, Mr. Phelps died August 10, 1840. 

Homer Moore Phelps married Elizabeth Graham Connelly, a daughter of 
Edward and Mary (Graham) Connelly, who was born at Strasburg, Lan- 
caster county, Pennsylvania, December 8, 181 1, and came to Columbus in 
1833 ^^''^^^'^ her parents. ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. Connelly were both natives of Ire- 
land and came to America before they were married. Miss Mary Graham 
was a daughter of Rev. William Graham, who was born at Paisley, Scotland, 
and was sent to Ireland as a missionary, and in 1789 was sent to America 
as a missionary by Rev. John Wesley. He died while on the voyage. His 
widow (Catherine Thompson) with eight children were safely landed and 
went to Christine, Maryland, where .she died three weeks afterward. The 
children "were cared for by bishops of the Methodist church. Mary was 
reared in the family of Jacob Boehm, of Strasburg, Penns3dvania, and there 
married Mr. Connelly, who was a farmer and shoemaker. On coming to 
Ohio they located ten miles north of Columbus, where they lived out their 
days. Homer INIoore Phelps and Elizabeth Graham Connelly were married 
January 14, 1835. Mrs. Phelps died August 12, 1899, ^g^^ eighty-eight years. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 509 

She had been a member of the ]\lethodist Episcopal church from the time 
she was sixteen years of age, — seventy-two years, — and was a consistent 
Christian worlcer. Her children revere her memory. Edward and Mary 
Connelly, her parents, were life-long ]\Iethodists, although Mr. Connelly's 
parents, Henry and Rosanna (Moss) Connelly, were Scotch Presbyterians. 
Mrs. Phelps left three children: Fredonia C, wife of Francis B. Dean, a 
farmer of Aliflhn township, Franklin county; H. Warren; and Edward Clin- 
ton, who is engaged in the real-estate business in Chicago, Illinois. He mar- 
ried Ella Louise Stanley, of Columbus, Ohio, September 2, 1891. She was 
a daughter of Edward Stanley, Sr. 

H. Warren Phelps was reared on the home farm and educated in the 
public schools, and remained at home until he was twenty-three years old. 
August I, 1862, he enlisted in Company H, Ninety-fifth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, as a private. Fie was at once promoted to be first ser- 
geant and was mustered into service with that rank. December 5 following 
he was made second lieutenant, and on the last day of the same month he 
was made first lieutenant. He took part in the fighting at Richmond, Ken- 
tucky, the siege of Vicksburg, and in minor engagements, and participated 
in a ten months campaign through southern Tennessee and Mississippi. After 
that he took part in the operations against Sterling Price and Jeff. Thomp- 
son in Arkansas and Missouri, September i to November 16, 1864, and saw 
some service in Kansas under General A. J. Smith. Fie returned td St. 
Louis, Missouri, November 16, 1864, after marching eleven hundred miles, 
and went south with his command to Nashville, Tennessee, was in battles 
there, and went thence to New Orleans, and thence to ^Mobile. He was pres- 
ent at the siege of Spanish Fort, March 24 to April 9, 1865, thence he 
marched back to Vicksburg. He saw some other service and was mustered 
out August 19, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky. At the close of the war he 
returned home and engaged in farming and stock raising. He drifted into 
stock dealing as a distinctive business and followed it with success until 1896, 
wiien he moved to Westerville to educate his chillren. In 1900 the family 
removed tO' Columbus. 

January i, 1868, j\Ir. Phelps; married j\Iiss Louise JNI. Clarke, a native 
of Blendon township, and a daughter of George B. and Mindwell E. (Gris- 
wold) Clarke, and granddaughter of Isaac and Ursula (Clark) Griswold, 
pioneers of Blendon. Miss Louise M. Clarke was a school teacher for several 
years. She has been an active worker in Soldiers Aid and Woman's Relief 
Corps societies, holding prominent offices. George B. Clarke and wife were 
natives of Blendon township, and spent the greater part of their lives here. 
H. Warren and Louise (Clarke) Phelps have had six children. Their eldest 
son, George H., was born December 23, 1868, and died in his thirty- 
first year, October 23, 1899. He received his education in this town- 
ship and took a business course at Columbus. He was employed for 
a year as a stenographer by a wholesale house in Columbus, and after 
that was for a year and eight months with the general manager of the Moline 



510 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Plow Company, at Kansas City, Missouri. He was later employed by the 
Armour Packmg Company, m that city, but was obliged to give up 
his' position on account of overwork. in 1895 he was employed in the 
home office of the Milwaukee Harvester Company, at Milwaukee, VVisconsin, 
and was soon afterward given charge of its collections in Ohio, Indiana, 
Illinois and Oklahoma. Some idea of the extent of his duties is afforded 
by the fact that he had seven clerks working under him. His sudden death, 
October 28, 1899, after only two days' illness, cut short a career which was 
full of brilliant promise. He was united in marriage with Miss Bertha E. 
Swickard, a daughter of Shannon and Anna S. Swickard, of Montrose, Colo- 
rado, at Chicago, Illinois, September 28, 1893. A daughter, Margaret Eliza- 
beth, was born at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 22, 1899, He left property 
worth seven thousand dollars, his own savings. Rolland C. Phelps, next 
in order of birth of the children of H. Warren and Louise (Clarke) Phelps, 
is a farmer and sawmill proprietor and creamery butter maker in Blendon 
township. January 26, 1898, he was united in marriage with Miss Elva 
M. Carpenter, of Plain township. W. Dwight is a successful business man 
and farmer in the same township, having many of the characteristics of his 
grandfather Phelps. Grace C. is a teacher in the high school at Columbus, 
Ohio. Mary Louise is a stenographer at Columbus, Ohio, and Homer M. 
is a student at Columbus. 

Mr. Phelps is an active and inlluential Republican, a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church and of the Grand Army of the Republic, being 
a comrade in James Price Post, No. 50, G. A. R., of Westerville, Franklin 
county, and a member of Encampment No. 35, U. V. L., of Mount Vernon, 
Ohio. He was a delegate to the World's Congress of Farmers at Chicago, 
Illinois, at the time of the World's Fair, in October, 1893. He has been 
statistical agricultural reporter to the department of agriculture for 
many years, also reporter tO' the weather bureau.. He is the president 
of the Phelps, Griswold, Moore and Meacham Pioneer Families' Associa- 
tion, which holds annual reunions on the fourth Thursday in August. Mrs. 
Louise M. Phelps is the secretary of the association. He has been engaged 
for a number of years in tracing genealogical records of the families of his 
ancestors, and has succeeded in locating the place of birth of his ancestors 
in the sixteenth century. 

FREDERICK HALDY. 

One of the substantial and most respected citizens of Franklin township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, was Frederick Haldy, who resides upon a line farm 
of one hundred anl ninety-eight acres a half mile from the limits of the city 
of Columbus. He was a resident here from 1862 until his death. 

He was born in Germany January 19, 18 19, a son of Lewis and Henrietta 
Haldy, the former a native of France, the latter of Germany. They never 
came to America, and they reared a family of eight children in their old home 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5 ^ i 

ill Germany, our subject being the fifth in order of birth. He attended school 
until his fifteenth year, after which he learned the trades of jeweler and watch- 
maker, -working at those occupations until his emigration to America, in 
1849. ' For three years thereafter he followed these trades in New York city, 
and then came to Columbus, here finding plenty of work in his line. In 
1862 he removed to his final location and engaged in general farming until 
1896, when he retired from the active duties of life. 

Before coming to America Mr. Haldy was married to Miss Louisa Lin- 
demann, a native of Germany. She was born February 4, 1824, and was 
the third child of Lewis and Jacobine (Lang) Lindemann. She remained 
in her old home until one year after the departure of her husband, reaching 
the United States in 1850, accompanied by her mother, who lived to be sev- 
enty-seven years of age. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Haldy : 
Frederick, a jeweler in Cleveland; Charles W., a farmer on the old home- 
stead ; Louisa, deceased ; Lewis, a farmer in Delaware county, Ohio ; Matilda 
S., wife of Clinton Alspach, a teacher near Columbus, Ohio; and Emma, 
wife pf O. W. Scott, a farmer of Franklin township. The four last named 
were born in America. 

Mr. Haldy was' a very prosperous man, bringing with him to this country 
the habits of thrift and economy learned in his native land. He accumulated 
much property in a very desirable locality, near the heart of the city of 
Columbus, erected three houses and earned the ease and comfort which he 
in later years and his estimable wife still enjoy. He was a consistent member 
of the Evangelical church, and was most highly regarled by his neighbors. 
He died on July 2, 1901, at 8 a. m., from old age. Mrs. Haldy, surviving, is 



EDWARD B. THOMAS. 

As one of the capable attorneys of Columbus and as a representative of 
several of the most distinguished pioneer families of Ohio, Edward Barton 
Thomas certainly desei-ves representation in this volume. He was born in 
1861, in Wheeling, Virginia, now West Virginia, a son of Llewellyn Griffith 
Thomas, who was born in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1837. When a young 
man he went into business in Wheeling, West Virginia. He devoted his 
life mainly to literary work and travel, at one time spending three years in 
making a trip around the world. His death occurred in Wheeling in 1894. 
His wife bore the maiden name of Angeline Barton, and was a daughter of 
Thomas J. and Elizabeth (Delp) Barton, of Belmont county, Ohio. The 
Bartons were Quaker people who resided near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
but the family were represented in the Revolutionary war by a Captain Bar- 
ton. After the independence of the nation was achieved representatives of 
the name became pioneer settlers of Ohio. 

Edward Thomas, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of 
\\'ales, and in 1820 came to Ohio. This was about the time coal was first 



512 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

shipped down the Ohio river, and he became connected in business with Jacob 
Heatherington, the pioneer coal shipper. This commodity was sent down 
the river on flatboats, and in the conduct of the enterprise Mr. Thomas 
became a wealthy man. His last years were spent in quiet retirement upon 
a large farm which he purchased in Belmont county, and there he died in 
1872, when more than seventy years of age, one of the most highly respected 
citizens of the community. He married Miss Catherine Clark, a daughter 
of Jacob and Elizabeth (Zane) Clark, the former a relative of General George 
Rogers Clark. His wife was a daughter of Daniel Zane and a sister of 
Colonel Ebenezer Zane. Her father was descended from French Huguenot 
ancestry, and on emigrating from France to America located in Charleston, 
South Carolina, whence he made his way to the Shenandoah valley and later 
to Wheeling. He was the first settler there, locating a farm in the midst of 
the forest, upon the site of the former capital of West Virginia. His de- 
scendants owned all the land there. Colonel Ebenezer Zane built the first 
.road in Ohio, and the city of Zanesville was named in honor of his brother 
Jonathan. The bravery of Elizabeth Zane during the Revolutionary war 
is a matter of history. She was a young lady of eighteen, and had just 
returned from school in Philadelphia to her home in Wheeling. The place 
was attacked by a band of Indians under command of some British. The 
settlers had taken refuge in the fort, near which stood a block-house in which 
the ammunition: wasl stored. During the attack the soldiers discovered that 
their supply of powder was almost exhausted, and Elizabeth Zane volun- 
teered to secure a keg from the block-house, saying that none of the men 
could be spared from the fort. At her utmost speed she ran to the place, 
and the Indians were so surprised that not a shot was fired, but as she returned 
with her keg of powder a hail of bullets followed her, several piercing her 
garments. The dress which she wore, with its bullet holes, is still preserved 
and has been seen by the subject of this review. 

Mr. Thomas may certainly be proud of the pioneer history of his ances- 
tors and the part which they took in reclaiming the state of Ohio- for purposes 
of civilization. He was educated in Wheeling, also pursued a college course, 
and on leaving the latter institution began teaching in country schools in 
West Virginia, in 1878. He afterward engaged in high-school teaching in 
Belmont county, Ohio. Next he accepted the superintendency of the schools 
at Clarington, Ohio, where he remained until 1888, when he became princi- 
pal of the schools of Woodsiield. While thus engaged he took up the study 
of law in the office of Spriggs & Sons, and later pursued his reading under 
the direction of W. F. Hunter, now dean of the Ohio State Law School. 
Mr. Thomas also studied for a time under Lorenzo Danford, a member of 
congress from Belmont county. In 1891 he was admitted to the bar at 
Columbus, and has since engaged in practice in this city. 

Mr. Thomas was married in Woodsfield to Miss Sinclair, a daughter of 
Dr. Western Sinclair, of the same place, formerly a probate judge. She is 
of Scotch-Irish descent. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have been born four 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 513 

children : Edward Sinclair, Jacob Clark, George Alfred and Elizabeth Zane. 
Mr. Thomas is a member of the Ohio Society of Sons of the American Revo- 
lution, and belongs to the Masonic fraternity, to the Benevolent and Protec- 
tive Order of Elks, is a past grand in the Odd Fellows lodge, has been a rep- 
resentative to the grand lodge of the Knights of Pythias, and is one of the 
leadmg officers and the state lecturer for the Modern Woodmen of America. 
In politics he is also a recognized leader in Democratic circles, and his opin- 
ions carry weight in the councils of his party in the city and county. He is 
a man of strong mentality, of keen analytical power and has won prestige at 
referred to. 

JAMES HENRY DANIELL. 

The story of an eventful life is always interesting, and the story of one 
who has been a pioneer and a soldier possesses peculiar value because it not 
only sheds light upon 'history but incites to progress and to patriotism. The 
history of the life of the late James Henry Daniell, of Norwich township, 
Franklin county, is such an interesting biographical story as has been 
referred to. 

Mr. Daniell was of English descent. His grandfather, James Daniell, 
passed all his life in Cornwall, England, and his son James, the father of 
James H., was born in the town of St. Agnes, Cornwah, in 1805, and came 
to the United States when about thirty-two years of age', bringing with him 
his wife and only child. He found employment in the mines of West Vir- 
ginia, and afterward was a mine superintendent in Schuylkill county, Penn- 
sylvania. In 1 84 1 he abandoned coal-mining for a time and turned his 
attention to lead mining in Wisconsiin. In 1845 lie returned to 
Schuylkill county in the Keystone state, where he resumed his place as a 
mine superintendent and prosecuted the duties connected with that position 
with success, being paid twelve hundred dollars a year, and was offered four- 
teen hundred dollars a year if he would relinquish a plan he had formed to 
go to California and dig for gold, and remain in Pennsylvania and direct 
the coal-producing interests of his employers. But the gold fever was upon 
him, and, accompanied by four of his sons, he set out for California, and, 
gomg by the way of the isthmus of Panama, he arrived at San Francisco 
March 17, 1855. Not long afterward he died, at a mining camp known as 
Whisky Town, and 'he was buried at Shasta, in the northern part of Cali- 
fornia. His wife, who had come with him from England, died at Potts- 
ville Pennsylvania, in 1847. His second wife was by maiden name Annikiah 
Eathlane, who remained in Pennsylvania with their family when he went to 
California and died near Pottsville. By his first wife his children were Mary 
Ann, deceased ; James, a resident of California; James Henry, James Francis 
James John, James John and James Mark. By his second marriage his chil- 
dren were James Mark (2d), James Samuel, James George (deceased), 
and James George (2d), who lixes at Steelton, Pennsylvania 



5 1 4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

James Henry Daniell was born at Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Pennsyl- 
vania, November i6, 1835, and was educated in the public schools of that 
city. When he was about tw^enty years old he went to California, with his 
father and three brothers. In 1861 he enlisted in Company K, Fiftieth Regi- 
ment of California Volunteer Infantry, with which he served continuously 
until honorably discharged in New Mexico, November 27, 1864. Immedi- 
ately thereafter be started upon a walk of seventeen hundred miles across 
the plains to Kansas City, Missouri, and from there he proceeded by public 
conveyances! to his old home in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. 1 here he 
>tcok up the W'Ork of a blacksmith, from which he at length drifted into other 
occupations. In September, 1865, he w^as married, in Schuylkill county, to 
Miss Sarah Burnish, a daughter of John Burnish, who with others erected the 
first mill at Pottsville. In 1868, with his wdfe and child, he went to Wis- 
consin, with the intention of settling there, but did not like the country and 
returned to Pennsylvania, whence he soon went to Lynchburg, Virgmia, 
Returning again to Pennsylvania, he lived at Allentown from 1872 to Decem- 
ber, 1875. Later he was a resident for a tim'e' at Plamburg, same state. 
Subsequently he was employed in a rail-mill in Wyoming territory for two 
years, until the company owning it was ready to put in operation another 
mill at Topeka, Kansas, when he w-as transferred to that point and was 
employed there until the mill was destroyed by fire a few months later. He 
was next sent bv the same corporation to Columbus, Ohio, where he remained 
from 1 88 1 to 1891, when he w^as obliged to retire from his old occupation 
on account of a failure of his eyesight, which had been coming upon him 
graduall}^ until it became complete, the result of a sunstroke received while 
in service as a soldier in the Civil war. He died in 1901 and was buried 
under the honors of the Grand Army of the Republic. He had always been 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

James Llenry and Sarah (Burnish) Daniell had children named as fol- 
lows: James H., who married Mary Redman, of Wisconsin; Sarah, who 
married Matthew William Knick; James' John, who died in boyhood; Mary 
Eleanor, who became the wife of John Falwell; James Francis, a resident of 
Columbus; James John (2d), deceased; James William, also deceased; and 
James Samuel, who is still a member of his father's household. The family 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. INIr. Daniell was a mem- 
ber of the Grand Army of the Republic and was held in peculiar regard by 
his comrades because of the sad affliction of which he was a victim. He 
learned much by observation during the active and eventful years of his life 
and was a man of wide and accurate information. 

WTLLIAM W' ALL. 

The name of the late William Wall has been perpetuated in that of Wall 
street, Columbus, Ohio. Mr. W^all was born at Clominell, county Tipperary, 
Ireland, in 1827, and died at Columbus in December, 1899, aged seventy- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5 i 5 

two years. He came to America in 1852 and located at Boston, IMassachu- 
setts. In 1855 he located at Columbus, Ohio, where, in 1856, he married 
Miss Bridget Dowlan, a native of Kings county, Ireland, wdio came to the 
Ohio capital city in 1853. Immediately after his arrival he engaged in busi- 
ness and was very successful for twenty years. In 1876 he turned his atten- 
tion to real estate and bought much valuable property centrally located on 
State, Front, Wall and near-by streets. As a Democrat he devoted himself 
to public affairs. For two terms he filled the office of councilman and after 
that he filled the office of county commissioner of Franklin county for eight 
years, during which time he was president of the county board. It was under 
his administration that the courthouse, the county infirmary, the west side 
water-works building and the Broad street bridge were erected and he was 
instrumental in pushing forward other needed improvements. He was one 
of the first men appointed on the beard of public works and served as a mem- 
ber of that body for four years. His distinguishing characteristics were 
energy, industry and generosity and his public spirit was always in evidence, 
and he took the greatest interest in Columbus and all its institutions. Before 
his death he gave tw^enty-one acres and a house to Saint Alary's Academy, 
and he donated money in considerable sums to the orphans' home and to 
each hospital in the city. It may be truthfully said of him that in all his life 
he never turned away a deserving applicant for charity. He was a member 
of the congregation of St. Joseph's cathedral, but gave to churches of all 
denominations with equal liberality. 

For more than forty years Mr. and Mrs. Wall lived in the same block 
in Columbus in wdiich she now has her home. Miss ]\Iargaret L. Kelly, 
Mrs. Wall's niece, was in her childhood adopted by ]\Ir. and I\Irs. \\d\\, and 
is at this time a member of Mrs. Wall's household. 

HENRY ARCHER WILLIA^IS. 

The bench and bar of Columbus, Ohio, have long sustained an enviable 
reputation for everything that makes for integrity in legal and judicial pro- 
cedure. As the profession of any county cannot be higher than the average 
character of its representatives, it is obvious that Franklin county has been 
peculiarly fortunate in the personnel of those who have administered the law 
therein. One of the best known of the younger lawyers at Columbus is 
Henry Archer \\^lilliams, who was graduated at Wittenberg College, at 
Springfield, in 1885, after wdiich he read law^ under the preceptorship of Gov- 
ernor Foraker and was admitted to the bar in October. 1887. His primary 
education was received in the public schools at Spring-field, Ohio, at which he 
was graduated in 1881. 

Mr. Williams was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, December 4. 1864, a son of 
Rev. Charles Holliday AA'illiams. a nati^-e of Pulaski countv. Kentnckv, wlio 
iVxtxX at Parkersburg, West Virginia. Rev. Charles Hollidav Will'ams mar- 
ried Harriet Langdon, a daughter of James D. Langdon, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 



5i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

who in 1806, at the age of fourteen, came with his widowed mother from New* 
England to Hamihon county, Ohio. The first Langdon in America was 
Lieutenant Paul Langdon, of the English navy, who settled in Massachusetts 
in 1630; and Governor Langdon, of New Hampshire, who in his official 
capacity signed his name to the constitution of the United States, was of the 
same family. James D. Langdon died in Cincinnati, in 1887, on a home- 
stead which stood on the' same land which came into possession of members 
of the family early in the nineteenth century. Henry Archer Williams' 
father and grandfather came to Ohio from Virginia. One of his great- 
grandfathers, William Hamilton, espousie'd the patriot cause in the Revolu- 
tionary war. Mr. Williams began the practice of his profession in the office 
of Governor Foraker, at Columbus, Ohio, and filled the office of commission 
clerk until 1890. Since then he has given his attention entirely to the law, 
and has been so successful that he has acquired a large and lucrative practice. 
As a Republican he has wielded a recognized influence in state and local 
politics, and was the chairman of the Republican county executive committee 
in 1898 and in 1899. He was assistant prosecuting attorney from March, 
1895, to March, 1898, under Prosecuting Attorney Dyer, who is now his law 
partner. He is a member of the Greek-letter college fraternity, Beta Theta 
Pi, and is the chairman of the national board of trustees of the American In- 
surance Union, a frate'i'nal and insurance society, with headquarters at 
Columbus. 

Mr. Williams married Miss Elizabeth Thomas, a daughter of Wesley 
Thomas, of Springfield, Ohio, a prominent citizen of that place, who died 
there many years ago, and they have two sons, — Morris Holliday and Lang- 
don Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are members of the Eastwood Con- 
gregational church and Mr. Williams is a generous supporter of its interests. 
He is a man of much public spirit, who has shown in many ways that his 
interest in the welfare and prosperity of his fellow citizens is deep and abiding. 
His influence has always been exerted in behalf of movements for the aclvance- 
ment of public interests which have appealed to him as promising good results 
and being worthy of his advocacy and support. 

EDMUND EARL SHEDD. 

The history of a state as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle 
of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon 
society. The world judges the character of a community by that of its rep- 
resentative citizens, and yields its tributes of admiration and respect for the 
genius, learning or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the 
record of a state's prosperity and pride ; and it is their character, as exempli- 
fied in probity and benevolence, kindly virtues and integrity in the affairs of 
life, which ever afford worthy examples for emulation and valuable lessons' 
of incentive. 

To a student of biography there is nothing more interesting than to 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 517 

examine the life history of a self-made man and to detect the elements of 
character which have enabled him to pass on the highway of life many of 
the companions of his youth who at the outset of their careers were more 
advantageously equipped or endowed. The subject of this review has through 
his own exertions attained an honorable position and marked prestige among 
the representative men of the west, and with signal consistency it may be 
said that he is the architect of his own fortunes and one whose success amply 
justifies the application of the somewhat hackneyed but most expressive title 
"a self-made man." ' 

Edmund^Earl Shedd, Sr., was born upon a farm in the town of Bethel 
Vermont, July 16, 1828, and is a son of Abijah and Sophia (Blood) Shedd' 
both of whom were natives of Mollis, New Hampshire. The Shedds are 
of English lineage and the family was founded in America by Daniel Shed 
who came from England to the new world about the year 164=5 takino- up 
his residence m Braintree, Massachusetts. Oliver Shed, the great-grtnd- 
father of our subject, was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war. 
Abijah Shedd, the grandfather, was a native of Massachusetts and married 
Joanna Farley m 1792. Her father was Ebenezer Farley, a soldier who 
belonged to_ the minute men and took part in the battle of Lexington one 
of the opening engagements of the war which brought independence to the 
nation, 

_ In the county of his nativity, Edmund E. Shedd pursued hi. education 
his elementary course being obtained in a common school. In 1846 he 
removed westward, locating in Columbus, Ohio, where he was soon employed 
in the capacity of clerk in the wholesale grocery store owned by J W B 
Brooks. His time was thus spent until 1855, when, with capital he had 
acquired through his own industry and economy, he began business on his 

orFlwr"^\r"n"^o P^r^'''^'^^' ^^^^^ ^'^^^ ^^^'^^^ ^^^^^ the firm name 
of Eberly & Shedd. On the present site of the Great Southern Hotel they 
opened a wholesale grocery, which was successfullv conducted until 1870 
at which time the stock was divided and the partnership was dissolved bv 

bul dlT H-- 1 ^':- ^.'''' ?"'"^"^^ "^ "^'^ j°^b^"^ ^^^^^^y business in ^ 
building on High street, m what is now the Odd Fellows block, remaining 
there until 1893, when he built his present substantial business block at Nos 
225 and 227 North Front street. This structure is sixty-two and a half by 
one hundred and eighty-seven feet and four stories in height with base 
n?ss ' T\::f'l^ f'-fr' '' the requirements of the jobbing%rocerv busl 

U fnam^ofTF" t "'fVV^'c.''^ '" '1' ^"'".^'''' ''^'''^' '''' ^^^"^^ on under 
the name of E. E. Shedd & Sons, the senior partner having admitted his 

COT t 1" '"'"'''\ "^ ''" ''''''^''''- ^'"''^ b-^"-^^ --^ incorporated i 
190 and IS, now known as the E. E. Shedd Mercantile Company. They 

sal smen ^5? ' ^''-^ned^ stock and have upon the road a number of traveling 
salesme aUio carry their goods into all sections of Ohio. Their trade his 
constantly increased in volume and importance until it has now a umed ext n 
sive proportions, and the E. E. Shedd Mercantile Company is widelv l^own 



5 1 8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and enjoys an unassailable reputation on account of the quality of its goods 
and the reliability of its busniess methods. 

In 1852 Edmund E. Shedd was united in marriage to Aurelia Edna 
Thompson, of London, Madison county, Ohio, a daughter of James Mac- 
millan Thompson. The following named children have been born of their 
union : Virginia S. is the wife of Colou'el Orlando J. Hodge, of Cleveland, 
Ohio; Franklin James, who is a member of the firm of Shedd & Frisbie, 
dealers in mortgages and loans in Columbus. He married Anne, the daugh- 
ter of Charles H. Frisbie, of Columbus, Ohio; Flora is deceased; Edmund 
E., Jr., married Miss Ella Lansing, of Chillicothe, Ohio; Frederick married 
Agnes, the daughter of Joseph A. Jeffrey, of Columbus, Ohio; Harry is 
deceased; and Carlos Butler completes the family. Earl, Frederick and 
Carlos are in business with their father. The father belongs to the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and his sons, Franklin and Fnedei-ick, are 
thirty-second-degree Masons. They have been provided with excellent edu- 
cational privileges, thus fitting them for life's practical and responsible duties, 
for Mr. Shedd believes that money spent in gaining knowledge is well spent. 
In politics he is a stalwart Republican and earnestly advocates the principles 
of the party, yet has never been an office-seeker. 

If one will seek in his career the causes that have led to his success 
they will be found along the lines of well tried and old-time maxims. Hon- 
esty and fair-dealing, promptness, truthfulness, fidelity, — all these are strictly 
enforced and adhered to. Faithfulness on the part of employes is promoted 
by the knowledge that good services means advancement as opportunity opens, 
and is further enhanced by the interest taken by the employer in the personal 
welfare of the deserving. In manner Mr. Shedd is courteous and cordial 
and the circle of his friends in Columbus, where he has so long made his 
home, is almost co-extensive with the circle of his acquaintances. 

NEWTON H. MAUK. 

Newton H. Mauk, who is serving as conductor on the Panhandle Rail- 
road and is a resident of Columbus, was born January 11, 1848, on a farm 
in Fairfield county, Ohio. His father, Michael Mauk, was an agriculturist 
and engaged in the tilling of the soil throughout the greater part of his 
active business career. Pie and his wife were natives of Virginia, born in 
Winchester, Frederick county. They removed from the Old Dominion to a 
farm near Zanesville, Ohio, and they spent their last days in Columbia City, 
Indiana. However, in i860, they removed from their farm in Fairfield 
county to Kirkersville Station on the Panhandle and Ohio Central Railroads, 
where the father filled the position of station agent for seven years. He 
died in Columbia City, Indiana, in 1883, and his wife survived him about 
three years, passing away in the same place. Eliza, one of the daughters 
of the family, married Aaron Kagey and resides at Ottawa, Illinois ; Amanda 
is the wife of Elijah Warner, and they are also residents of Illinois; Mar- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. S^9 

garet is the wife of Jacob Bryant, who makes his home in Cahfornia; 
Sidney married Henry Yontz and their home is in Columbia City, Indiana; 
Lucy married a Mr. Decona, a banker of Harrisonville, Missouri, but she 
is now deceas'ed; WiUiam, the eldest brother, resides on a farm at Wester- 
ville; Marshall died in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1882; Jacob was a soldier in the 
Civil war, serving under command of Colonel Lage, and after being captured 
was taken to the prison at Andersonville, Georgia ; Francis M. is a passenger 
conductor on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad and resides at 
Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

Mr. Mauk, of this review, spent his early boyhood days on the home 
farm and was a lad of tw^elve years' when his parents removed to Kirkers- 
ville. The public schools afforded him his educational privileges. On the 
24th of November, 1881, in Dennison, Ohio, he was married to Julia A. 
Taylor. On the 26th of November, 1887, he entered the railway service as 
a brakeman on a freight train on the Panhandle line, but previous to that 
time, 1869, he had been in the employ of that company. After a year spent 
in the capacity of brakeman he was promoted to a conductor on a freight. 
He afterward left that road and spent five years in the railway service 
in the west. He then returned and accepted his old position with the Pan- 
handle Company and is now serving in that capacity. FLe has resided in 
Columbus since the i6th of August, 1891, and has a pleasant home at No. 
157 North Twenty-second street. He became a member of Hollingsworth 
Division, No. 100, of the Order of Railway Conductors of Columbus in 
1886, and for fifteen years has been a member of the Excelsior Lodge, No. 
145, Odd Fellows. His Wife holds membership in the Eastwood Congre- 
gational church, and Mr. Mauk exercises his right of franchise in support of 
the men and measures of the Republican party. 



LUTFIER PIERCE STEPHENS. 

One of the best known newspaper and business men of Columbus, Ohio, 
is Luther Pierce Stephens, originator of the Columbus, New Albany & 
Johnstown Railway now in course of construction, and wdien completed will 
be an important achievement of its kind. Mr. Stephens is a Virginian by 
birth and is forty-seven years old. He is a son of Calvin M. B. Stephens, 
of Stephens City, Frederick county. Virginia, who died there in 1862 and 
whose ancestors, some of whom fought for American independence in the 
Revolutionary war, were early settlers in the Old Dominion. ]\Ir. Stephens' 
mother was Rebecca Jane Pelter, daughter of the Rev. George Pelter, of the 
]\Iethodist Episcopal church, who came of an old Winchester, Virginia, family 
and was long prominent there in religious work. 

A good portion of Mr. Stephens' boyhood was spent amid exciting scenes 
and incidents of tlie Civil war. Fie was for a time a student at Stonewall 
Academy. In 1868 he came to Columbus, where as a compositor and other- 



520 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

wise he acquired a practical knowledge of printing and developed into a gen- 
eral newspaper writer and correspondent. 

Mr. Stephens married Miss Mary J. Rowland, of Columbus, a daugh- 
ter of the late Thomas Rowland, an early resident of the city who was long 
known as a contractor. They have one daughter, Bertha, who isi now a 
student in the Central high school. 

Mr. Stephens was a large stockholder in the Columbus Press-Post and 
was its manager from 1895 to 1899, and is now the political editor of the 
Columbus Dispatch and Columbus correspondent of the New York Tribune 
and Cleveland Plain-Dealer. He was for seven years a correspondent of the 
Cleveland Leader. As a newspaper man he has taken an active interest in 
politics and has written numerous political articles which have attracted 
attention. 

The idea of the Columbus, New Albany & Johnstown Electric Railway 
originated with Mr. Stephens and he has been a prominent factor in the 
enterprise thus far, having been instrumental in procuring its charter, and " 
is one of its directors and its general manager. Pie is a past master of 
Columbus Lodge, No. 30, F. & A. M., and is an Odd Fellow of official promi- 
nence and a popular member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 
He is a director of the Columbus Savings and Trust Company and the Amer- 
ican Savings Bank Company. 

STILLMAN W. ROBINSON, C. E., D. Sc. 

Everywhere in our land are found men who have worked their own 
way from humble beginnings to leadership in the commerce, the great pro- 
ductive industries, the management of financial affairs and in controlling of 
the veins and arteries of the traffic and exchanges of the country, and who 
are found among the most distinguished representatives of the professions. 
It is one of^ the glories of our Atoerican nation that this is so. It should 
be the strongest incentive and encouragement to the youth of the country 
that it is so. 

Prominent among the self-made men of Ohio is the subject of this sketch, 
— a man honored, respected and esteemed wherever known, and most of all 
where best known. He stands to-day among the leading representatives of 
the department of teaching, having to do with the great scientific principles 
underlying mechanical engineering, and his advanced thought and investiga- 
tions have led to many inventions which have made the world of labor richer 
and its activity more efficient. As an inventor and engineering expert he has 
a reputation which extends throughout the country, and at the present writing 
he is occupying the position of professor emeritus in mechanical engineering 
in the Ohio State University. 

Professor Robinson was born on a farm in Reading, Vermont, in 1838, 
and from the earliest age when a child begins to notice construction he was 
interested in mechanical appliances, thus giving evidence of the natural trend 




S. W. ROBINSON. 



r : CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 521 

of his mind. When two' and a half years of age he watched with surprise 
and spell-bound interest the operation of the spinning wheel as it was put 
in motion to spin the annual "frocking" from which to cut the garments 
yearly needed by the inmates of this Vermont farm. All the machinery — 
the loom, reel, etc. — used to produce the web, riveted the attention of the 
child. Soon he began the work of construction, making little waterwheels 
which were put in motion in the water guzzles. The frequent stern order, 
"Go to the field and pick up stones," struck the young boy with abhorrent 
grief. After he had attained the age of eight years he»had not the privilege 
of attending the district schools except during the three months of winter 
when his labors were not needed in clearing and developing the fields. He 
had no time to devote to the mechanical pursuits which he so much enjoyed, 
except the few moments which he could gain by running ahead of the work- 
men going to dinner. Thus he managed to have a brief space for shop work, 
which was a source of far greater interest to him than the raising of crops. 
When fifteen years of age he made a violin which was prized far above most 
other musical instruments of the kind for energy and quality of tone. His 
sixteenth year was devoted to the operation of a sawmill, the erection of a 
furniture factory and gristmill. Although he worked hard, his labor was 
lightened by the delight which he took in it, as compared with his liking 
for the farm work. 

At the end of that year Professor Rohinson entered upon a four years' 
apprenticeship to the machinist's trade, and that time was pleasantly and 
profitably passed. Instead of beginning work at his trade, however, he began 
to supplement his meager education, acquired in early youth, by subsequent 
study, meeting the expenses of his school courses by occasional machine job. 
work.. In i860 he defrayed his expenses from Vermont to Ann Arbor, 
Michigan, by working at stencil cutting in the towns along liis route, and 
on reaching his destination had increased his capital to fifty dollars, 'with 
which to continue his education in the State University. He left the Green 
Mountain state with a capital of eight dollars and stencil tools, cutting sten- 
cils along the way and thus adding to his limited amount of money. In 
Ann Arbor, by making stethoscopes and hy graduating thermometer scales 
he managed to meet his board bills and other living expenses up to the time 
of his graduation in the university, in 1863, with the degree of civil engineer. 
He found that he had acted very wisely in pursuing his college course \-hich 
enabled him to secure good positions. On leaving the universitv he was 
made assistant engineer on the United States Lake Survey actino- in that 
capacity from 1863 until 1866. In the latter year he became a teacher in 
mechanical and civil engineering lines, being employed as instructor in en- 
gineering in the University of Michigan in 1866 and 1867, after which he 
frnm^'s^'i^"^•f o'^ '^'?f- "^^^itution in mining engineering and geodesv 
trom 186/ until 1870. His next position was that of professor of mechan- 
x'q<1q^"£?^T"^_ f"'^ P^'y-'.^"' "^ ^^'^ University of Illinois from 1870 until 

ge of engineer- 



i«/b, and m the last mentioned 3^ear he was dean of the colle 



522 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ing in that institution. From 1878 until 1881 he was professor of mechanical 
engineering and physics in the Uiiio State University; from 1881 until 1895 
professor o-f mechanical engineering in the same institution, and then resigned 
ni order to serve as inventor and consulting mechanical engineer for the 
Wire Grip and JMcKay Shoe Machinery Companies. His first invention 
was a thermometer graduating machine, made while in college. Various 
other inventions have yielded about forty patents, notably several for shoe 
manufacturing machines. In 1896 the degree of doctor of science was con- 
ferred upon him by *he Ohio State University, and in 1899 he was elected 
to his present position as professor emeritus in mechanical engineering. 

In connection with his other work Professor Robinson was state inspec- 
tor of railroads and bridges from 1880 until 1884; was consulting engineer 
to the Santa Fe Railroad from 1887 until 1890, and consulting engineer 
of the Lick telescope and mountings in 1887. He is a member of the Amer- 
ican Society of Civil Engineers; American Society of Mechanical Engin- 
eers; Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers; a fellow of the 
American Association for the Advancement of Science; Society for the Pro- 
motion of Engineering Education; and has been a frequent contributor to 
scientific literature, his writings being of great value. He is the author of 
the Principles of Mechanism, a college text-book; four of Van Nostrand's 
Science Series, namely: No. 8: Compound Steam Engines; Part II in Ana- 
lytical and Graphic Treatment, published in 1884; No. 24: Teeth of Gear 
\\lieels, and Robinson's Templet Odontograph, issued in 1876; No. 29: 
Railroad Economics, published in 1882; No. 60: Strength of Wrought Iron 
Bridge JMennbers; also numerous monographs, including: Measurement of 
Gas Wells; Railroad Laboratories; Car Brakes; Vibration of Bridges; Car 
Couplers; Flow of Water in Rivers; and numerous articles in connection 
with reports of railroad inspection to societies of mennbership. 

Professor Robinson has been twice married. In 1863 he wedded Miss 
]\I. E. Holden, who died in 1885, and in 1888 he was united in marriage to 
"Miss M. Haines. Their home is located at No. 1353 Highland street, 
Columbus, and the ofihce of the United Shoe Machine Company, in which 
he is interested, is located at No. 205 Lincoln street, Boston, Massachusetts. 

JOHN L. GORDON, M. D. 

Dr. John Lee Gordon is a retired physician and surgeon. He was for 
many 5^ears actively connected with the medical fraternity, but has now put 
aside professional cares. A native of Winchester, Virginia, he was born 
April 25, 1821, a son of John W. and Sarah (Bryarly) Gordon, both of 
whom were natives of the Old Dominion, in which state they were married. 
In 1826 with their four children they came to Ohio, locating at Chillicothe, 
where they remained for a year, afterward spending two years in Bellefon- 
taine, thence removing to Piqua, Ohio, wdiere the father remained until he 
had attained his eightieth year, when he went to Missouri to make his home 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 523 

with a daughter, with whom he resided until his death, which occurred when 
he was eighty-six years of age. During the years of his active busmess hfe 
he engaged in merchandising, and at the time when Wihiam Henry Harrison 
was president of the United States he served as postmaster at Piqua. By 
his first wife he had six children, four of whom were born in Virginia, 
namely: Robert Bryarly, Matilda Ann, John L., Wakeman, James and an 
infant. For his second wife ]\Ir. Gordon chose Miss Delia McKenny, of 
Maryland, and they became the parents of two children : Mary E. and Will- 
iam F., but the son died at the age of twenty-two years. Dr. Gordon's father 
was a cousin of General William Henry Harrison, the relationship being 
through the Ball family, of Virginia, and of the same family General Wash- 
ington was descended, on the maternal side. This gives the Gordon family 
relationship with four presidents, \\'ashington, Jefferson and the two Har- 
risons. 

Dr. Gordon was five years old when his parents came to Ohio. He 
received his preliminary education in the district school, where tuition was 
paid by each scholar, thus fitting himself for college and was graduated at 
the University of Maryland, at Baltimore. He began reading medicine under 
the direction of Dr. O'Ferrell, of Piqua, who was his perceptor for three 
years. He next went to Louisville, where he took a- course of lectures and 
later proceeded to Baltimore, Maryland, where he entered the Medical Uni- 
versity, being a student in that institution for two years. On his gradua- 
tion he began practice in Saint Marys, Ohio, where he remained for four 
years, diligently applying himself to his profession, doing which called him 
oyer an area of the country twenty miles in extent. He made most of his 
visits on horseback. Locating in Piqua he there continued to practice for 
two years and then returned to Columbus, where he continued his practice 
two years. On the expiration of that period be took up his abode upon a 
farm near Orange Station, Delaware county, Ohio, and abandoning his pro- 
fession he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1875 he pur- 
chased sixty-eight acres of land in Sharon township, Franklin countv. one 
and a half miles south of Worthington, and to the orig-inal tract he 'added 
other land, which he has since given to his son, retaining possession of his 
first purchase. Some time since he retired from all business life and is now 
living quietly upon his farm enjoying a well-earned rest. 

The Doctor was united in marriage, December 29, 1858. to Martha 
Henrietta Gooding, a daughter of George and Phoebe (Williams) Gooding, 
of Delaware county. Her parents settled in that countv in 1818, making 
there a permanent home. The father was a native of North Dighton, jMassa- 
chusetts, and his wife was also born in the same place. Thev^had six chil- 
dren: George, who died in childhood; Mary L.. George A., ]\Iathew, Tvlartha 
H. and Frank O. The father was a member of the INIethodist Episcopal 
church and the mother, who for some years was a Presbvterian. afterward 
became identified with the church to which her husband belonged. He died 



524 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in 1855, at the age of sixty years, and she passed away in 1880, at the age 
of eighty-two years. 

Unto the Doctor and his wife were born two children: Dr. J. L., of 
North Cohimbus, and a daughter, who died in infancy. Dr. Gordon has 
always voted the Republican ticket and is a stanch advocate of the principles 
of the party. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and 
during their long connection therewith they have labored earnestly for its 
upbuilding and support. He w'as formerly an elder in the church at Worth- 
ington. Socially he was identified with the Alasonic fraternity and Odd Fel- 
lows lodge, joining the order at Saint 2\larys, but owing to ill health he 
dimJtted from both organizations. 

STEPHEN GOETSCHIUS. 

The oldest and best known of the old settlers of Franklin township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, is Stephen Goetschius, the subject of the present 
sketch. He w-as born in this township July 16, 1816, and w^as the eldest 
son of John M. and Nancy (Waters) Goetschius, both of whom were natives 
of New A^ork. They were not married until after John Goetschius had pur- 
chased his land in Franklin county and was ready to inaugurate his heme. 
A family of five sons and two daughters were born to them: Stephen; 
Edward, deceased; George, living in Fnva; John; Nicholas and Emilly, 
deceased ; and Sarah. 

Our subject remained through his boyhood and early youth with his 
father on the farm, there being plenty of occupation for many hands upon a 
farm of that kind, so lately rescued from the w^ilderness. After his marriage 
he settled down in a house of his own, built of logs, in the woods, and here 
he and his devoted and capable wife began their successful career as pio- 
neer residents of Franklin county. The property was entirely unimproved 
but industry and economy went hand in hand, and now this tract of eighty 
and one-half acres is one of the most productive in the county. 

]Mr. Goetschius was married, December i, 1841, to Miss Allura Curtis, 
a native of Niagara county. New York, born there January 13, 1824, and a 
daughter of Gideon Curtis. The latter was a native of New York and came 
in .early life to Ohio, settling for a season in Cleveland, but spending the 
greater portion of his later years in Franklin county. The mother of Mrs. 
Goetschius had borne the maiden name of Polly Bailey, and she also w^as a 
native of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Goetschius have had six children: 
Alfred, now deceased, who had married Miss E. Oman and left two chil- 
dren; Elizabeth, the wife of George Roher, who rents the land at the home; 
]\Iary, who married Harry IManon but is now deceased ; John, who married 
Lizzie Notter but died, leaving a daughter: Eliza, who married Benjamin 
AVeygandt but is dead, two children surviving; and Emma, w^ho is the wife 
of J. Y. Shoop, of Columbus. The years have touched Mr. and Airs. 
Goetschius very kindly and they live again in their children unto the third 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 525 

generation, the names of these being Ethel, Hoga and jNIuriel White and 
Milhe and Maurice Welch. 

Early in life our subject was a Whig but at the organization of the Repub- 
lican party he affiliated with it. He cast his vote for William Henry Harrison 
and assisted in the building of the cabin which was so effectively used in the 
campaign of 1840. He has always taken a deq> interest in public affairs and 
has done all in his power to induce others to understand the principles of 
good government. For many years the family has been connected with the 
Methodist church, in which our subject is an esteemed worker. 

For sixty years Mr. and Mrs. Goetschius have resided upon this same 
land and with interest have watched the development of the county. They 
enjoy relating tales of their pioneer life and can well remember when Colum- 
bus was but a village, they being the oldest pioneer residents of the town- 
ship. Respected by all with whom they have come into contact, they may 
be said to be types of the old pioneer element of which Franklin county 
is proud. 

abra:m brown. 

Those who give their lives faithfully and efficiently to the work of edu- 
cation perform a service toi the state and humanity the value of which cannot 
be estimated. The services of a bank president can be measured in dollars. 
There is no unit of measure that can fully determine the value of the services 
of the true teacher. One Oif the prominent and efficient teachers of Ohio is 
Abram Brovrn, A. B., who was connected with the Columbus schools twenty- 
two years, — four years from 1868 to 1872, and eighteen years from 1881 
to 1899. 

Mr. Brown was born at Canterbury, New Hampshire, in September, 
1838. His parents, George and Sarah (Gilman) Brown, were natives of 
the Granite state and earned a living by cultivating its rugged hills. ]\Ir. 
Brown remained at home working on the farm, with now and then a term 
at the academy, preparing for college, most of the time up to the summer 
of 1862. 

In 1862, after having been admitted to Dartmouth College, he enlisted 
as a private in Company K, Ninth Regiment, New Hampshiire Volunteer 
Infantry, commanded by Colonel Fellows. He participated in the battles 
of South Mountain and Antietam, in September, 1862, and in December 
following in the battle of Fredericksburg. In this battle Mr. Brown was 
the orderly sergeant of his company. While storming ]\Iary's Heights he» 
received the wound for which he was honorably discharged from the service, 
March 4, 1863, and he returned home to complete his education. 

After his graduation at Dartmouth, in 1867. he was the principal of 
Westfield Academy, at Westfield, New York, until March, 1868, when he 
came to Columbus as principal of the Rich Street school. At the end of the 
school vear the board of education transferred him to the high school as 



526 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

teacher of Latin and Greek. In 1870 he was elected principal of the school 
and served as principal for two years, when he resigned to engage in the 
school-book business. He was employed for six years by Clark & May- 
nard, and then by D. Appleton & Company. At the close of the school 
year 1S80-81 Albert G. Farr, the principal of the Columbus high school, 
resigned, and Mr. Brown was again elected principal, and he remained at 
the head of the high school for eighteen years, — until June, 1899. During 
these years the school grew not only in the number of its pupils, but also 
in efficiency, so that, in 1899, instead of one school, there were three; instead 
of five hundred pupils, there were nearly two thousand. 

Upon his retirement from the Central high school Mr. Brown, with 
Frank T. Cole, principal of the Columbus Latin school, as an experiment, 
opened the "University school" oif Columbus. The aim of this school is to 
give boys and girls a thorough preparation for any college or technical school, 
in the shortest possi'ble time. The teachers for the first year, 1899- 1900, 
were as follows: Abram Brown, A. B., principal, Latin and mathematics; 
Frank T. Cole, A. B., Latin, Greek and history; Alice Gladden, A. B., 
English and history; Ernest E. Rich, B. S., mathematics, physics and French; 
Mary Wirth, German; L. G. De la Moche, French. 

In September, 1900, a course in manual training was added, under the 
supervision of Cyrus Scott. A certificate from this school adtnits the holder 
without further examination to Amherst, Williams, Wells, Smith, Wellesley 
and Marietta Colleges, and the Ohio State, Western Reserve and Cincinnati 
Universities. 

In December, 1869, Mr. Brown married Miss Emma Gray, of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, a daughter of Manlius D. and Emily Gray, and has one daughter, 
Ruth Gray, who is the wife of William Herbert Page, professor in the col- 



GEORGE W. HEL^IICK, M. D. 

A well known physician of Harrisburg is Dr. George Washington Hel- 
mick, who is known as a successful practitioner. He belongs to. one of the 
old families of Ohio. Hisi grandfather. Isaac Helmick, resided in Zanes- 
ville, Putnam county, at an early day and afterward removed to Columbus. 
Later he took up his abode in Pleasant township, Franklin county, on the 
Lukens farm, and died in this county, at the age of seventy-two 3rears'. His 
wife, who bore the maiden name of ]\Iary Murphy, was born in 1776, and 
departed this life in Columbus, in the year 1837. 

Washington Helmick, the father of our subject, was born in Zanes- 
ville, Ohio, and was four times married. He first wedded Miss Roxanna 
Moore, who died in Harrisburg, this state. For his second wife he chose 
Miss Jane Heth, who died in Columbus, after which he married Miss Han-i 
nah Stump, whose death occurred in Harrisburg. Flis fourth wife was Miss 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 527 

Jane Clark, a daughter of John Clark. Dr. Helmick received rather a limited 
literary education, but afterward studied medicine under the direction of Dr. 
Robert Thompson, of Columbus, and began practice in Harrisburg, where he 
remained until his death. He was a most able physician, keeping in touch 
with the progress of the profession and thus he not only gained but retained 
an extensive patronage. He traveled throughout Franklin county to visit 
his patients and was always ready to respond to a request for medical assist- 
ance, even though he knew that no pecuniary rew^ard could be expected. He 
never attended college and therefore received no diploma, but had a permit 
to practice from the Ohio State Medical Society. His patronage was from 
the territory extending from Columbus to West Jefferson. Dr. Helmick 
died at a comparatively early age and was mourned by a large circle of warm 
friends, who esteemed him highly for his sterling worth and for his pro- 
fessional skill. He had children by all of his marriages, with the excep- 
tion of the second. The children of the fourth marriage were Roxann, wife 
of W. W. Davis, of Richwood, Ohio ; Mary, who died in infancy ; George 
W., of this review; and Laura Jane, who is also deceased. 

Dr. Helmick, whose name introduces this record, was born in Harris- 
burg December 6, 1856, in the family homestead which stood on the site of 
his present residence. He pursued his preliminary education in the district 
and subscription schools and afterward engaged in teaching in the country 
schools of Pleasant township for twelve months. Wishing to devote his 
energies to a work that w'ould prove of benefit to his fellow men as well as 
bring to him a good financial return, he began the study of medicine at Har- 
risburg under the direction of Dr. J. Helmick, and later continued his study 
in Columbus, where he was graduated on the 22d of February, 1877. He 
then became associated in practice with his former preceptor, the connection 
being maintained until 1887, when the senior partner passed away. Since 
that time our subject has. been alone. He is now well established in a large 
and constantly growing business. He is very thorough and systematic in 
his w^ork and keeps in touch with the progress of the profess'on. He belongs 
to the Ohio State Medical Society and is a constant reader of the best medi- 
cal journals. 

The Doctor was married, at Pleasant Corners, on the 18th of ~SIa}% 
1 88 1, to Miss Almina Machlin. a daughter of Dai wait and Catherine 
(Gantz) Machlin. They now have tAvo children: Daiwalt Machlin, born 
March 11, 1890, and Luther Eugene, born December 24, 1893. Socially 
the Doctor is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the 
Knights of Pythias fraternity. Li his political views he is a stalwart Repub- 
lican, unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the party. He has 
served as^ a member of the town council for two terms and has been school 
director of his district for six years, filling both offices in a capable manner. 
He is well known as a wide-awake, progressive and enterprising citizen who 
withholds his support from no movement or measure calculated to prove of 
benefit to the community. 



528 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

THOMAS RANDOLPH ROSS. 

The Ross family is one well known and respected in many localities of 
Pennsylvania and Ohio, and Thomas R. Ross is one of that family who left 
an impress upon his generation. He was born in Chester county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1788, and was a :£on of Dr. John Ross, also a native of Chester 
county, Pennsylvania, who spent many years there as a practicing physician, 
subsequently moving to Lebanon, Warren county, Ohio, in 1819, where he 
died the following year. His father also bore the name of Dr. John Ross, 
and was of Scotch-Irish descent. He had successfully practiced medicine 
in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, for a great number of years. 

The wife of Thomas R. Ross was named Plarriet Van Home, a family 
name well known in colonial days. She was the daughter of Rev. William 
Van Home, a noted Baptist minister, who was born and reared in Pennsyl- 
vania^ receiving most of his education in Philadelphia, and graduating at the 
College of Rhode Island with the title of Bachelor of Arts. He was a mem- 
ber of the convention which framed the first civil constitution of Pennsyl- 
vania, and during the Revolutionary war was appointed chaplain in the con- 
tinental army, and reappointed by congress, but owing to old. age was, at 
his own request, relieved by General Washington. He died in 1807 at Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania, whiLe on his way to Ohio. His father, Peter Peterson 
Van Home, was also a minister, being ordained pastor of the Pennepeck 
Baptist church, Philadelphia, in 1747. Mrs. Ross, the wife of our i'ubject, 
died in 1879, ^t the advanced age; of eighty-nine years. 

Mr. Ross, falling under the spell of the western fever, decided to go 
west, and in 1809 moved first to Cincinnati, and not long thereafter located 
at Lebanon, where he soon became firmly established in law practice, also 
becoming one of the first editors of the Argus, and a leader in Masonic affairs. 
During the war of 181 2 he was made a paymaster in the army, and from 
1 81 8 to 1824 was a prominent member of congress, where his forensic ability 
frequently brought him in direct debate with Webster and Clay, particularly 
the latter during the debate on the Missouri compromise, Mr. Ross boldly 
opposing the admission of Missouri as a slave state. Mr. Ross' religious 
'convictions were deep and firm, and though never formally uniting with the 
church, he was until his death, in 1869, at the age of eighty-one years, a 
regular attendant at the Baptist church. An able and brilliant talker and deep 
thinker, he left an impress on all with whom he came in contact. 

ROBERT INNIS. 

The subject of this review, Robert Innis, was born on the old Innis 
homestead, in Clinton township, Franklin county, Ohio, April 28, 1836. He 
is the third child of Robert and Mary (Webb) Innis, the former a native of 
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he wasi born November 18, 1804. 
He was a farmer by occupation, and removed to Harrison county, Ohio, where 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 529 

he married Miss Mary Webb, and there resided for a thii-e;. The paternal 
o-randparents of our subject had children as follows: Henry, born May i, 
?7Q2: Hannah, born August 31, 1 794; Katherine, born July 11, 1797; Mary, 
born April 29, 1800; Ann, born April 15, 1802; Robert, born ^J0vember 
18 1804; John, born Novamber 29, 1807; and Emdy, born August 14, i8io- 
The' mother of our subject was born in Pennsylvania and moved to 
Ohio with her parents. Jacob and Hannah Webb, when she was but two years 
old e-rowing to womanhood there. After marriage Robert Innis removed 
from Harrison county, in 1834, to Franklin county, settling in Chnton town- 
ship where he opened up and improved a farm, continuing to resided upon it 
until his death, August 19, 1879, having led a correct and virtuous life He 
was a member of the Republican party, having first voted as an old-lme Whig. 
Mrs. Innis died January 17, 1891, both she and her husband having for many 
years been devoted members of the Methodist church. They hacl the fol ow- 
ino- children: John W., a prosperous farmer of Licking county, Ohio; Lliza- 
beth the wife of Thomas Holt; Robert, our subject; William, deceased; 
MarV the wife of Robert Dalzell ; Jacob, of Mount Eagle, Tennessee; Martha, 
the wife of George Tippy, who owns and lives upon a part ot ths old home- 
tead and Amy J , the life of James Frizzell, a resident of C inton township. 
Our subject passed his boyhood days and obtained his schooling m Clin- 
ton township, preparing himself for entrance into Otterbein 1-n^versity n 
that institution he pursued his studies for three years, following ^^ cl he 
engaged in teaching school in the country. After his maiTiage he settled on 
a farm in Licking county, Ohio, where he remained until February 16 18/^ 
when he removed to Columbus and occupied a home on Third street. His 
next removal was to his present home, where he is successfully engaged m 
fruit-farming and market gardening. During the Civil war Mr. nms fought 
for the Unimi with Company A, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, serving for one hundred days. 

The marriage of Mr. Innis took place De.cember 25, 1867, to Miss Sarali 
A. Longman, a daughter oi John F. and Alzina (Coryell) Longman, of 
Franklin county. Mrs. Innis was born July 24, 1842, and she aud her 
esteemed husband are the parents of three children: Lyiiian H a brilliant 
young lawver of Columbus; Charles L.. a druggist m Millersport, Ohio ; and 
Nettie A.,^a teacher in Grove: City. The family are valued members of he 
Methodist church and are among the most highly respected citizens ot the 
township. 

ANDREW O. BONNET, M. D. 

Among the successful medical practitioners of Columbus is Dr. Andrew 
O. Bonnet, who was born in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, in the vicinity 
of Newburg, March 27, 1849. He is a son of Godlip and Hannah W. 
(Beck) Bonnet, both of whom were natives of Germany and came to the 
United States in childhood. They became acquainted in Philadelphia and 



530 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

their acquaintance ripened into love that led to their marriage, in that city. 
The father learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for a number 
of years, making his home in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, in 1861, 
however, he came with his family to Ohio, settling upon a farm of one hun- 
dred and eighty-three acres in Mahoning county. His wife died in 1885, 
but he is still living. They had four sons, namely: Albert and David T., 
who are farmers; and William Mervin, who is engaged in the practice of 
medicine in Denver, Colorado. He is a graduate of the University of Mich- 
igan, at Ann Arbor, where he completed a course with the class of 1872. 

Dr. .Vndrew O. Bonnet spent the first twelve years of his life in the state 
of his nativity and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Mahon- 
ing county, Ohio, where he was reared upon the: home farm. His preliminary 
education was acquired in the district schools and subsequently he attended 
|the Poland high school. He learned the blacksmith's trade, which he fol- 
lowed for several years, but not finding that occupation entirely suited to his 
(tastes he abandoned it to engage in the grocery business in 1880. For ten 
years he conducted a store in Columbus with "good success, and then, dis- 
posing of his stock, he pursued a course in pharmacy in the Ohio Medical Col- 
lege, of this city. On its completion he established a drug store in Colum- 
bus, and' while directing the same also studied medicine and was graduated 
in tlie Ohio Medical University with the class of 1896, under the preceptorage 
of Dr. Coleman. When his medical course was completed Dr. Bonnet began 
practice in Columbus, his ofifice being at Nos. 242 and 244 East Fulton street. 
He has gained a large and constantly growing patronage, for his skill and 
ability are recognized, having been demonstrated by the excellent results which 
have followed his ministrations. Since 1898 he has been physician to the 
county jail. 

In 1876 occurred' the marriage of Dr. Bonnet and Miss Rosetta West, 
of Columbus, a daughter of George West. She was born and reared in 
Franklin county, her parents having settled in Truro township at an early 
day. The Doctor and his wife have made many friends in this locality. In 
the line of his profession he is connected with the Columbus Academv of 
Medicine and with the American Medical Association. His progressive 
spirit prompts his extensive study of medical science and of all subjects 
bearing upon theprofession, and thus he keeps in touch with the most advanced 
thought and methods. He ranks among the most capable representatives 
of tlie medical fraternity in the capital city and his. large patronage is well 
merited. 

GEORGE \Y. STAGG. 

It is certainly a fact creditable to Franklin county that so many of the 
youth and older residents are native citizens. This indicates unmistakably 
the favorable conditions existing here — the opportunitiesi of the farmer and 
of all manner of industrial and commercial life. Among those who have 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 53 1 

always resided in the county is numbered George W. Stagg, whose birth 
occurred November 3, 1842, upon the farm where he yet resides. He is now 
classed among the wide-awake, practical and progressive agriculturists and 
is enjoying a w^ell merited success in his business affairs. His parents were 
Abraham and 'Rebecca (Cook) Stagg, who were the parents of ten children, 
but only four are now living, namely : Lucinda, the widow of George Edgar, 
of Jefferson township; Harriet J., the wife of Noah Geiger, an agriculturist 
of the same township; George W. and David, who follow farming in Jeffer- 
son township. Levi, the eldest, was killed by lightning. The father was 
horn in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, June 24, 1776, and was there reared, 
learning the trade of blacksmithing, which occupation he followed during 
the greater part of his business career. He was three times married, his 
first wife being Miss Mary Stooky. The wedding was celebrated January 
4, 1797, and she died August 29, 1808, after having become the mother of 
three children. On the loth of December, 1810, Mr. Stagg married Keziah 
Denman, who died August 10, 1827, and on the ist of December, 1831, 
he married Mrs. Rebecca Sager, the widow of John Sager. In her maiden- 
hood she was a Miss Rebecca Cook, and was a native of Virginia. She 
was also three times married; her first husband was John Sager, by whom 
she had three children. After the death of Mr. Stagg, her second husband, 
she became the wife of Thomas Longshore. Her death occurred February 

7, 1895- 

It was early in the nineteenth century that Abraham Stagg came to 
Ohio, probably between 1800 and 1808, for his first wife, who died in 1808, 
was buried here. Upon his arrival he entered a claim of two hundred acres 
and erected a double hewed-log house as well as a round-log building, the 
latter being used as a blacksmith shop. There he carried on his trade, but 
did little work at clearing his land until his sons had reached an age when they 
could be of material assistance to him in the work of improving the farm. 
The place was then developed and transformed into productive fields. In 
politics Mr. Stagg was an old-line Whig, and for several ye?,rs served as 
justice of the peace. His death occurred January 19, 1857. In early life 
he was a Methodist, but later in life he accepted Lhiiversalist doctrines. He 
was a man of unquestioned probity, of strong force of character and of 
sterling worth, greatly esteemed as one of the sturdy pioneer settlers who 
aided in laying the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of 
the county. 

George W. Stagg, whose name introduces this record, was reared in the 
usual manner of farmer lads of the period. He acquired his' education in 
the district schools. He was fifteen years of age at the time of bis father's 
death, and through the three succeeding years his elder brother. Levi, oper- 
ated the old homestead. On the expiration of that period Levi Stagg left 
the farm and our subject and his younger brother, David, took charge of 
the place. Although he was only eighteen years of age he manifested excel- 
lent business judgment, the work wa?i well performed and the brothers pros- 



532 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pered in their undertaking. On the 22d of February, 1866, Mr. Stagg mar- 
ried Miss Rebecca Compton, a native of Jefferson township and a daughter of 
WilHam Compton, who was also torn in Franklin county, showing that his 
people were among the pioneers of this portion of the state. 

After his marriage Mr. Stagg and his bride took up their abode in the 
parental home and he continued to operate the farm on the shares until after 
his mother's death, which occurred in 1895, when a division of the estate was 
made. Our subject purchased the interest of his youngest brother, making 
his farm a little more than sixty-seven acres. His first wife died in 1869, 
leaving one child, Mary Luella, who is now the wife of George B. Shull, of 
Jefferson township. On the 29th of October, 1870, Mr. Stagg was again 
married, his second union being with Miss Mary Sherman, a native of Lick- 
ing county, Ohio, and dc daughter of Joseph Sherman, who was born in Eng- 
land. Nine children graced their marriage, and with one exception all are 
yet living, as follows : Lizzie, now the wife of Joseph Fravel, of Licking 
county; Laura, the wife of Charles Cole, of Delaware county, Ohio; Cora, 
the wife of J. R. Beaver, of Licking county ; Ada, wife of Arza Wengert, of 
Jefferson township; Addie, a twin sister of Ada, and the wife of Jacob Schott, 
of Delaware county; Nelson, Rollie and Alta at home. Mr. Stagg is a mem- 
ber of the Christian Union church. He gives his political support to the 
Democracy and for seven years he served as constable of Jefferson township, 
while for twelve years he was township clerk and is now serving his second 
term as township trustee. He is also a member of the board of education, 
which position he has filled for a long period. He gives his support to every 
measure and movement calculated to prove of general good and is a man 
of sound judgment, determined purpose and upright character. 

ALBERT WATTS. 

A prominent farmer and fruit-grower of Franklin township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, is Albert Watts. He was born in Franklin township August 
II, 1844, a son of William and Margaret (Chambers) Watts, both residents 
of Franklin county, where they w^ere well and favorably known and reared 
a large family of children, as follows: Sarah, deceased; Lizzie, the wife 
of Adam \\niite, of Franklin township; Amanda, wife of R. C. Alkire, of 
Columbus; John, deceased; Albert, the subject of this sketch; William, of 
Jackson township; Elisha, who died in Nebraska in 1898; Milton, of Piqua 
county; Melissa Jane, wife of James Hoddy, of Franklin township; Joseph, 
deceased; and Ella, who died in infancy. 

Albert Watts was reared upon his father's farm and attended the dis- 
trict school until he was twenty-one years eld. In 1863 he enlisted in Com- 
pany C, Fifth Battalion, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and served for six months, 
returning then to the farm. After his marriage Mr. Watts located in the 
house wdiere he was born, remaining there for three years, then removed to 
his present farm and has resided in this place for the past twenty-nine years. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 533 

He has successfully engaged in general farming and the raising of fruit, 
his land being particularly adapted to the latter. 

]\lr. \\'atts was married, October 24, 1865, to IMiss Martha Chambers, 
who was a native of Franklin county, born November 27, 1843. She is the 
second daughter in the family of William B. and Elizabeth (Haughn) Cham- 
bers, who were early settlers of the county. She was reared upon a farm 
and her education w^as obtained in the district school. She and her husband 
became the parents of six children, namely : Lizzie, the wife of F. G. Gould, 
of Columbus, by whom she has two children, — Jay and Martha E. ; Olive, 
tthe wdfe of A. B. Birch, of Columbus, by whom she has two children, — • 
Leland and Ada M. ; Ella, who died October 7, 1899, at the age of tw^enty- 
seven years; Albert H., an electrician for the Consolidated Street Car Com- 
pany, of Columbus, for some time, but now engaged as electrician in the 
mines in West Virginia; William R., a clerk in a grocery in Columbus; and 
Jessie, now a scholar in the Central high school oi Columbus. 

In his political faith Mr. Watts is a Republican, has done much for the 
party and is always earnest in his efforts to s'scure the spread of its prin- 
ciple;. He has been honored by his fellow citizens many times by election to 
office, frequently being judge of election, supervisor, constable and a mem- 
ber of the school board for nine years. He is a mcst consistent member of 
the Methodist church, having become connected with it in 1864, and in this 
religious belief he is joined by his estimable wife. Mr. Watts has been 
church treasurer, church trustee, and has always done even more than duty 
demanded in support of it. His assistance very materially aided in the build- 
ing of the Glenwood Methodist church, and in all the relations of life he has 
been a good citizen, deserving of the high esteem in which he is held. 

WALTER N. P. HARROW. 

AA''alter N. P. Harrow has been a resident of Columbus since 1890, but 
though he is numbered among the comparatively recent arrivals he has already 
gained a wude circle of friends. A native of Rochester, New York, he was 
born in the year 1863, and is a son of Wallace Harrow, a lieutenant of light 
artillery in the New York National Guard. The family is one of the old 
and prominent ones of the country. When the Mayflower brought its band 
of pilgrims to the shores of the new world that they might have religious 
liberty the ancestors of the Harrows were among the number, and when the 
colonists attempted to throw off all allegiance to England Titus Harrow, 
the great-granclfather of our subject, was among those who voted for the 
independence of the nation. Leavitt Harrow was a native of Plymouth, Con- 
necticut, and served in the war of 181 2. On the maternal side General Har- 
row is a representative of the Paine family, his mother having been in her 
maidenhood Miss Ellen Louise Paine, a daughter of Nicholas E. Paine, wdio 
was born in Maine and subsequently removed from the Pine Tree state to 
Rochester, New York. Lie became prominent in public affairs there and about 



534 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1854 was elected to serve as the mayor of the city. He had previously 
resided near Sanford, Maine, and was a colonel on the staff of one of the 
governors of that state. 

General Darrow, whose name introduces this record, spent his youth in 
the 'east and was appointed a cadet at West Point, where he completed the 
four-years course and was graduated with the class of 1886. He was made 
second lieutenant of the Fourth United States Artillery and resigned in 1891. 
For two years he was stationed at Fort Monroe and was graduated in the 
artillery school. In 1891 he took command of the Columbus Light Battery, 
Company H, and continued to serve in that capacity until elected, in 1893, 
liteutenant-colonel of the Fourteenth Ohio National Guard. In 1896 he was 
elected colonel of the First Artillery, Ohio National Guard, having command 
of eight batteries until his resignation in 1897. In 1900 he was appointed 
by Governor Nash a member of his staff, with the rank of brigadier general 
and chief of engineers. He is a man Oif fine appearance, of soldierly bearing 
and is prominently and widely known in military circles. His interest in 
military affairs continued unabated from' the time when he wore the country's 
uniform as a cadet at West Point. 

The General is also a leading representative of the business interests of 
Columbus. When he came to- the city in 1890 he opened a real-estate office 
and has since conducted many important realty transactions. He is thor- 
oughly familiar with the values of property and is thus enabled to assist his 
clients in making judicious investments. He is also a director in the Park 
Building & Loan Association and is a trustee of the Ohio Medical Uni- 
versity. 

In 1890 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Neil, a daughter of 
W. A. Neil, deceased, who was a very prominent citizen of Ohio's capital city. 

General Darrow is a member of the Loyal Legion, of the Sons of the 
American Revolution and of the Society of the War of 1812. He is a man 
who is very popular by reason of his genial manner, cordial disposition and 
unfailing courtesy. In business he has a strict regard for the ethics of com- 
mercial life and has won and retained the confidence and patronage of the 
public. 

IRA H. CRUM. 

Ohio has always been distinguished for the high rank of her bench and 
bar. Many of her attorneys and jurists have been men of national fame, 
and there is scarcely a town or city in the state than cannot boast of one or 
more lawyers capable of crossing swords in forensic combat with any of the 
distinguished legal lights of the United States. Among the prominent 
attorneys of Franklin county is Ira H. Crum, director of law of the city 
of Columbus, and the head of the firm of Crum, Raymund & Hedges, whose 
office is in the Hayden block, that city. 

The Crum family is of Holland origin and was founded in America 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ' 535 

during- the seventeenth century. Our suljject's great-great-grandfather, John 
Crum, was born and reared in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, and was a 
soldier in Washington's army during the Revolutionary war. At the close 
of that struggle he settled in Cumberland county, Maryland, where he oper- 
ated a forge and iron foundry. In 1800 the great-grandfather, John Crum, 
Jr., located at what is now Ennisville, Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, 
where he bought a farm with money brought with him in a belt around his 
waist. There he reared his family. His son, Cornelius Crum, our subject's 
grandfather, was a member of the constitutional convention of Pennsylvania, 
in 1837. Three years later he came to Franklin county, Ohio, bringing with 
him his family and household goods in wagons. Five or six weeks were 
consumed in making the journey. He located in Perry township, a part of 
his farm being now owned by Daniel Thomas, while the remainder is inside 
the city limits of Columbus. Later he purchased two farms in Norwich 
township, and upon one of these he died in 1853. His wife bore the maiden 
name of Rebecca Grey. In early days his older brother, William, was stolen 
by the Indians and finally taken to St. Joseph county, Indiana, where he later 
'became a wealthy farmer. He died while visiting relatives in California. 

William A. Crum, father of our subject, was born in Ennisville, Hunt- 
ingdon county, Pennsylvania, January 15, 1829, and came with his parents 
to Ohio in 1840. In 185 1 he married Miss Martha Walton, and for several 
years they made their home on a farm in Norwich township, but in 1883 
moved to Hilliard, where he purchased a general store and engaged in mer- 
chandising until his death, which occurred on the 22d of November, 1899. 
From boyhood he was an active and consistent member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, and contributed liberally to its support. Politically he was 
first a Whig and later a stanch Republican, and served as township clerk 
for many years. His first wife died in 1887, and the following year he mar- 
ried ElizalDeth Stewart, who still survives him. 

Ira H. Crum, the only child of William A. and IMartha (Walton) 
Crum, was born in Norwich township January 6, 1855, and attended the 
country schools for about four months during the year until fourteen years 
of age, the remainder of the time being devoted to farm work. On account 
of his eyes he did not resume his studies until seventeen, when he attended 
Westerville College for one year. During the following three years he was 
a student in the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio, and was 
graduated there in 1876. He read law with Judge Evans, of Columbus, two 
years and the late James E. Wright one year, and was admitted to the bar 
in April, 1879. Mr. Crum began the practice of law with Judge Lorenzo D. 
Hagerty in the Deshler Block, Columbus. In 1888 he was appointed assist- 
ant prosecuting attorney, Cyrus Huling then serving as prosecuting attorney, 
but resigned that position in January, 1892. and resumed general practice. 
On the 17th of April, 1899, he received the appointment of director of law 
of Columbus, under IMayor Samuel J. Swartz, and is now filling that position 
in a most creditable and satisfactory manner. Both public offices which he 



536 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

has filled have come to him unsohcited, as he was not a candidate for either, 
which fact plainly shows his high standing among his professional brethren. 
He is thoroughly versed in the law, is a man of deep research and careful 
investigation, and his skill and ability have won for hmi a lucrative practice. 
Prominence at the bar comes through merit alone, and the high place he has 
attained attests his superiority. Socially Mr. Crum is a member of Goodale 
Lodge, F. & A. M., of Columbus, and Norwich Lodge, I. O. O. F., of 
Hilliard. He has been a lifelong supporter of the Republican party, and on 
that ticket was candidate for prosecuting attorney in the fall of 1891, against 
C. C. Williams, but was defeated, 

Mr. Crum was married, in May, 1891, to Miss May Sherwood, of 
Brown township, this county, and to them were born three children, but the 
oldest died in infancy unnamed, and Sherwood also died in infancy. The 
youngest, Martha, is still living. 

SLMON SHATTUCK. 

Simon Shattuck, deceased, was numbered among the honored pioneers 
of Franklin county, locating in this locality when it was a wild and unimproved 
region. In the work of development he took an active part and aided in open- 
ing up the country to civilization. As the years passed he faithfully per- 
formed his duties of citizenship, and his interest in the welfare and progress 
of the county never abated. Becoming widely and favorably known, he 
made many friends, and his death occasioned a loss to the entire community. 

A native of Massachusetts, Mr. Shattuck was born in Groton, that state, 
in 1793. and was a brother of Captain Alexander Shattuck. Our subject grew 
to manhood in his native state, and was probably married there August 5, 
1 819, to Miss Sarah Simpson, who was born June 9, 1798, a daughter of 
Daniel and Sarah Simpson, natives of Maine. 

On the arrival of Mr. Shattuck in .Franklin county, in 1819, he pur- 
chased a tract of land in Perry township, for which he paid six dollars per 
acre. At that time it was entirely unimproved, not a stick of timber having 
been cut. He erected a small log cabin, with the proverbial puncheon floor, 
stick chimney and other accessories of a pioneer home. Lito this cabin he 
and his family moved, and he at once turned his attention to the arduous 
task of clearing away the forest and converting the land into productive fields. 
He became a successful farmer, prospering in most of his undertakings, 
and afterward bought more land near his first purchase, on which his daugh- 
ter, Mrs. Tipton, now resides. By trade he was a cabinet-maker and an 
experFm that line. 

Although not a member of any church, ]\Ir. Sliattuck was religiously 
inclined, and donated liberally to the support of churches, though always 
doing it in an unostentatious manner, never letting his left hand know what 
his right hand did. He was a reticent, reserved man. who never discussed 
his affairs with others, and was never known to attend to other people's busi- 




JOHATHAH TIPTON. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 537 

ness. A pronounced temperance man, he was probably the first in his sec- 
tion to refuse to supply whisky to his harvest hands. In all of life's rela- 
tions he was found true to every trust reposed in him, and commanded the 
confidence and respect of those with whom he came in contact either in busi- 
ness or social circles. He died in 1876, and his estimable wife departed 
this life May 27, 1881. In 1835 she united with the Methodist Episcopal 
church, and ever lived a consistent Christian life, devoted to her home and 
family. Her children were ten in number, namely : Mary Ann, Harriet 
Ann, Rebecca Dana, Jerome, Alexander, Daniel, Thomas T., Simpson, Mary 
M. and Georg-e G. Of these only two are now living: Harriet Ann, now 
Mrs. B. F. Jaqueth, of Boston, Massachusetts; and Rebecca Dana, now 
Mrs. Tipton, of Perry township, this county. 

Mrs. Tipton was born in that township September 16, 1825, and is now 
one of the oldest living native residents of Franklin county. On the I5tli 
of November, 1847, she gave her hand in marriage to Jonathan Tipton, who 
was born near Harrisburg, this county, December 14, 18 18, and died June 
2y, 1895. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth (Tomlinson) Tipton, 
who came from Alaryland to this~county in the earliest days of its history, 
and first settled in Pleasant township. In their family were eleven children, 
none of whom are now living in Franklin county. Two sons, Richard and 
Thomas C, became distinguished as physicians, and were both army surgeons 
in the Civil war. The latter is now living in Williamsport, Ohio. Jonathan 
Tipton and his wife began their married life upon a farm in Pleasant town- 
ship, where they lived- for a number of years, and then removed to Perry 
township, soon afterward locating on the Shattuck homestead, where Mrs. 
Tipt'on still resides. Her husband was one of the leading and representative 
men of his community, and was honored with local office, serving as assessor 
and treasurer in Pleasant tow^nship for several terms. Before attaining his 
majority he united with the Methodist Episcopal church, and always took 
a very prominent and active part in church work, serving his church faith- 
fully and well as steward, class-leader and Sunday-school superintendent. 
As a citizen he was upright and honorable, as a neighbor kind and consid- 
erate, and was a loving husband. Mrs. Tipton is also a devout and faith- 
ful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, joining the same with her 
mother at the early age of twelve years. She is well known for her many 
excellent qualities of mind and heart and is beloved by a large circle of friends. 
She is still well preserved for her years and possesses an excellent memory, 
being able to recount with clearness many of the events that transpired here 
in pioneer days. 

CHARLES S^IITH PROSSER. 

Charles Smith Prosser was loom March 24. i860, in Columbus. Chen- 
ango county, New York. His father was Smith Prosser. the son of A\' illiam 
H. Prosser, who left Vermont and became one of the early settlers of the 



538 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Unadilla valley in central New York. William Prosser married Mary Her- 
rick, of Duanesbtirg, New York. 

Smith Prosser married Eraeline O. Tuttle, of the branch of Jonathan 
Tuttle, and from his sister Elizabeth are descended Jonathan Edwards, 
Aaron Burr and Timothy Dwigiit, a president of Yale College. Will- 
iam and Elizabeth Tuttle, the parents of Jonathan and Elizabeth, came 
from England in the Planter and landed at Boston in 1635. 

In 1893 Charles S. Prosser married Mary Erances Wilson, of Albany, 
New York, whose ancestor, William Lawrence, came to this country with 
the Tuttles in 1635. At the age of sixteen Charles S. Prosser entered the Union 
school of Brookfield, New York, and graduated with the first class in 1879 
and that summer he spent in Professor Wait's preparatory school at Ithaca, 
entering in the fall Cornell University, from which he graduated in 1883 
with the degree of Bachelor of Science. The following year he was a graduate 
student in natural history at Cornell and in 1884-5 ^^'^s the first one elected to 
the Cornell fellowship in natural history. 1885-8 he was instructor in 
paleontology at Cornell, and continuing his graduate work received the Master 
of Science degree in 1886. From 1883-88 he was an assistant of Dr. Henry 
S. Williams, who had charge of the Devonian geology for the United States 
geological survey, and spent the greater part of the summer vacations in field 
vrork in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. 

In 1888 Mr. Prosser was appointed an assistant paleontologist on the 
United States geological survey in the division of paleobotany under Dr. 
Lester F. Ward, where he remained until 1892, and while in the division 
was detailed for field work in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vir- 
ginia and Arkansas. From 1892 to 1894 he was professor of natural his- 
tory in Washburn College, Topeka, Kansas, and in 1893-94 an assistant 
geologist on the United States geological survey and spent the two sum- 
mers in the field studying the carboniferous and Permian formations of 
Kansas. In 1894 Mr. Prosser was called to Union College, Schenectady, 
New York, to organize the department of geology, where he remained as 
professor of geology until 1899. From 1895 to 1899 he was an assistant 
geologist of the New York geological survey, studying especially the Devon- 
ian and Silurian formations of the eastern portions of the state and contrib- 
uting several reports to the survey. The summer of 1896 was spent in study- 
ing the Permian and cretaceous formations of southern Kansas and the Per- 
mian of eastern Nebraska as an assistant geologist of the Kansas University 
geological survey. 

Since 1898 he has been chief of the Appalachian division of the Mary- 
land geological survey, spending the summers in field work on the paleozoic 
formations of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. In 1900 he was 
appointed an assistant geologist on the Ohio geological and the United States 
geological surveys. In 1899 he was selected by Dr. Edward Orton as his suc- 
cessor and elected associate professor of historical geology in the Ohio State 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 539 

University, and in 1901 was elected professor of geology and head of the 
department. 

Mr. Prosser was one of the first members of the Alpha Chapter of the 
Sigma Xi, the honorary scientific society which was founded in 1886 at 
Cornell University, and one of the original fellows of the Geological Society 
of America. He is also a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of 
Science and a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Congres Geolo- 
gique International, American Society of Naturalists, and other organizations 
for scientific research. 

Professor Prosser has published more than fifty geological papers and 
reports, some of the more important being : The Devonian System of Eastern 
Pennsylvania and New^ York (Bulletin No. 120, United States Geological 
Survey) ; the Classification of the Upper Paleozoic Rocks of Kansas (Journal 
of Geology, volume iii), in which the names for the Upper Carboniferous 
and Lower Permian formations of the Great Plains are proposed and 
described; the Upper Permian and Lower Cretaceous of Kansas (volume ii, 
University Geological Survey of Kansas, 144 pages, with thirty plates, sec- 
tions and maps); the Classification and Distribution of the Hamilton and 
Chemung Series of Central and Eastern New York (Fifteenth and Seven- 
teenth Annual Reports of the New York State Geologist, 390 pages, with 88 
maps, plates and sections). 

Professor Prosser is a contributor to the American Journal of Science, 
Am'erican Geologist, Journal of Geology, Kansas University Quarterly, Bul- 
letin Geological Society of America, Science and other scientific periodicals. 

SILAS BORROR. 

The name of Borror has long been prominent in the history of Jackson 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, and one of its best known and most highly 
respected representatives at this time is the gentleman whose name is above. 

Silas Borror, son of Jacob Borror, was born on the old Borror homestead 
in Jackson township August 17, 1834. A biographical sketch of his brother, 
Jacob Borror, Jr., wdiich will be found elsewhere in this work, afifords informa- 
tion as to his ancestors. He is the seventh of the nine children of his par- 
ents and was brought up on a pioneer farm and afforded opportunity to 
attend such schools as were kept in log school houses near his home. These 
structures were most primitive affairs, wnth one log cut out on each side and 
one end for windows, which was filled Avith a sash two by about twelve feet, 
filled with glass eight by ten inches. The scholars sat on slab benches, made 
from the slabs off sawlogs, their feet resting on the floor ; and thev studied 
at desks made of two-inch plank ,sawed from large logs and supported against 
*the walls of the schoolrooms by pins driven in auger holes at convenient 
distances. The large scholars sat on high seats made frcm two bv twelve 
jsaw^ed plank. 

Silas remained at home, assisting with the work of the farm, until 



540 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1855, when he was twenty-one years old. November 4, that year, he mar- 
ried Clorinda Orders, a daughter of Allen Orders (a biographical sketch of 
whom appears on another page), who had conned her lessons in the same 
rude temples of knowledge above described. Immediately after their mar- 
riage Mr. and Mrs. Borror began housekeeping in a sixteen-by-eighteen-foot 
log house (with a clapboard roof held on Idv weight poles, and a stick-and- 
mud chimney) on the farm where they now live. That primitive domicile 
was superseded by their present residence a year later. Their household 
outfit consisted of six chairs, a cook stove and a few cooking utensils and 
two beds and a table, and poorly equipped as they were to entertain company 
they testify that they had a good deal of it. They procured some additional 
furniture when they moved into their new house. When Mr. Borror bought 
the farm fifty-four acres were cleared. He cleared the balance, all but 
eighteen acres, as rapidly as was possible and eventually got the whole farm 
under a good state of improvement and cultivation. Looking out over their 
hundred acres, Mrs. Borror recalls the fact that she dropped the seed for the 
first hill oi corn ever planted upon it. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Borror have been born sixteen children, thirteen of 
whom are now living — seven sons and six daughters — and all of these except 
one son and one daughter are married. Mary C. married Henry Turner ; 
Christiana has never married, nor has Frank H., the youngest. The others 
are Allen ; George B. M. C. ; Amanda, wdio married John Mellen ; Silas C. ; 
William J.; Emily, wdio married E. Ei. Dysart; Jonas; Clorinda M., who 
married Joseph Harvey; Clara L., who married Abner Rader; and Seymour 
W. Two of their children died in infancy, and another, named Jacob R., 
died at the age of two years. Mr. and Mrs. Borror have had born tO' them 
forty-two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and their family is 
believed to be the largest numerically in Franklin county. 

Politically Mr. Borror is a Democrat. He has been supervisor and 
school director and has refused other township offices, and is recognized as 
a man of unusual public spirit. 

RICHARD JONES. 

This wiork contains several biographical sketches of natives O'f Wales 
and descendants of Welsh ancestors; who have attained prominence as farm- 
ers and citizens in Brown township, Franklin county, Ohio. None of those 
referred to is more worthy of extended mention than is the subject of this 
sketch. 

Richard Jones is a grandson of Richard Jones, who was born in Card- 
iganshire. Wales. The first Richard Jones w-as a shoemaker and' it is 
stated that though he had little onportunity for education he more than once 
showed that he was a man of ability. He owed much of sudi book learning 
as he acquired to Mary George, who became his wife and w^as his teacher. 
He was one of the best shoemakers in his vicinity and was well patronized, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 54i 

and it has been narrated that he worked always with a book before him, 
studying as 'opportunity presented itself, and that it was not long after he 
came under his wife's tuition before he was able to keep accounts in a satis- 
factory manner. In 1800 he came with his wife and four children to the 
United States, sailing from Liverpool to Philadelphia, landing at Penpeck, 
afterward called Pennypeck, within the limits of the Pennsylvania metropohs. 
When he arrived he was one hundred dollars in debt, but he soon paid his 
creditors with the proceeds of his labor at his trade. He was a religious man 
of the Baptist faith and had early experienced a call to preach the gospel and 
had preached with considerable success from the time he was married. He 
continued preaching in America until the end of his life, and preached once 
after he was eighty-four years old. He remained at Philadelphia about 
five years and then removed to New York state, where he farmed, worked at 
his trade and preached the sacred word until he died in the eighty-fifth year 
of his age, his wife dying at the age of eighty-three. Following will be 
found some items concerning their children, the first four of whom were 
born in Wales, the others in the United States: David R.. who died on the 
Welsh Hills, north of Granville, Ohio, was the father of the subject of this 
sketch and more will be said of him further on. Nancy, who married Rich- 
ard Jones, died at Prospect. New York. Jane married Robert Jones and 
died at Remsen, New York. Hannah married Jenks Jenkins and died near 
Prospect, New York. Pollie married David Morris and died at Prospect, 
New York. Thomas married and died at Kalamazoo, Michigan. Remsen 
and Prospect are in Oneida county , New York, and it was near Remsen that 
the Rev. Richard Jones had his farm and home. Jenks Jenkins, who mar- 
ried Hannah Jones, had a great-grandsou. Friend Jenkins, a lieutenant in 
the United States navy, attached to the Maine, who lost his life when that 
vessel went dowm in Havana harbor. 

David R. Jones, son of Richard Jones, pioneer and preacher, and father 
of the subject of this sketch, was born in \\'ales in 1787 and was thirteen 
years old wdien he came with his father's family to Philadelphia. He took 
naturally to education, but his educational advantages were limited. H^e 
learned much by reading and acquired much accurate and useful knowledge 
by observation. Under his father's instruction he learned the shoemaker's 
'trade, at which he was employed from time to time, but later he became a 
stone cutter and as such worked on many public improvements. He assisted 
in the construction of the Erie canal between Utica and Albany, New York, 
and often related an incident of his experience at that time. He and an 
Irish fellow workman made a wager with two other worknien that they 
could drill more holes in stones in a given time than the other pair, it being 
understood that the winners of the wager should spend the money thus ac- 
quired in celebrating on the approaching Fourth of July. A cup was used 
to pour water into the holes to clear them of dust, and at dinner time some 
one stole it; and in order to continue the work without interruption Mr. 
Jones removed his shoe and used it as a water vessel for the purpose indicated. 



542 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

While he was pouring water from it into the stone a son of Governor De 
Witt CHnton, the projector and promoter of the canal, stopped beside him 
and asked him why he made such use of his boot. Mr. Jones replied : 
"Some mischievous rascal stole my cup. Don't ask questions; I am drilling 
on a wager and have no time to answer them." Mr. Clinton treated the 
matter as a good joke, and it is probable that he did mot ,soon forget the 
stonecutter who was "too busy to answer questions." Mr. Clinton made 
Mr. Jones a present of fifty cents, which was highly appreciated. 

Miss Juan Thomas married David R. Jones, near Utica, New York, and 
they located in Remsen township, Oneida county, of which Utica is the seat 
of justice. (After marriage she was always known as Susan Jones.) In 
1837 they removed to Licking county, Ohio, and located on the Welsh Hills, 
north of Granville, in Granville township, where ]\Ir. Jones engaged in 
farming on a new farm. He was an expert workman on canal construction 
and he earned money by such work in Ohio to buy horses and wagons and 
other necessary equipments and to help pay for his land, at times hauling 
cordwood to Granville, where he sold it at one dollar and twenty-five cents' 
a cord. He died on that place in 1852, having attained prominence as a 
citizen, and his busy and successful career marks him as a prominent figure 
in the history of his family. His wife was born in 1793 and ^yas seventeen 
years old at the time 'of her marriage. 

Richard Jones, son of David R. and Juan (Thomas) Jones, was born 
in Remsen township, Oneida county. New Vork, j\Iay i, 1823, their seventh 
child in order of nativity. The others were as follow^s : Thomas D. Jones, 
the noted sculptor; Benjamin, who died in Hawaii; Janette, who married 
John T. Jones and died in Wisconsin; ]\Iaria, who married James Pittsford 
and died in Licking county, Ohio; Ann, who married Henry Booth and 
became the mother of H. J. Booth and died at Columbus, Ohio, where her 
son lives; and she also had a daughter Susan; Phebe, wdio married Isaiah 
Booth and died near Cedar Rapids, Iowa; William, who died in California; 
Hiram, who died in Licking county, Ohio; and David, who lives in Morrow 
county, Ohio. On account of his active interest in church work, the father 
of these children was known popularly as Deacon Jones. When he came 
with his family to Ohio, in 1837, his son Richard was fourteen years old. 
Ten years later, at the age of twenty-four, he married Sarah Keller, a native 
of Fairfield county, Ohio, and a daughter of Jacob and Ann (Miller) Keller. 
Their marriage was celebrated April 4, 1847. They have had children born 
to them as follows : Eli, who married Elizabeth Bidwell and lives in Madi- 
son county, Ohio ; Alvira, who married Henry Folmer, of Madison county, 
Ohio; Orlena, who married William McGlyncha, of Columbus, Ohio; Paul, 
who married Rose Thorn and for two terms filled the office of city solicitor 
of Columbus, Ohio; Diana, who died in 1877; Delia, who married Elmer 
Knauss, of Marion, Ohio; Nahum, who married Sophia Kastl and lives in 
Delaware county, Ohio; Janette and Juan, who are twins; and Lulia. 

Mr. Jones received the rudiments of his education in public schools near 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 543 

his learly bioyhood home in New York state, which he attended when he could 
be spared from work at home. His first employment after he came to Ohio 
was as a farm hand at ten dollars a month. Later he removed to Newark 
township, Licking county, where he married and acquired a good farm of 
one hundred and fifty acres on which there was a stone quarry. Early in 
1868 he bought his present farm in Brown township, Franklin county, on 
which he located in March of that year. For a time he lived in a log house, 
which, after he developed a fine farm of two hundred acres, gave place to his 
present modern residence. His barn, which covers a ground space of one 
hundred and oiie by ninety feet, is the largest in Franklin county. He for- 
merly gave much attention to breeding horses, but in more recent years has 
devoted himself to general farming. Politicallv he is a Democrat, and his 
first presidential vote was cast for James K. Polk. He has served his fellow 
citizens as justice of the peace for twelve ^years, has long held the office of 
township trustee and has for many years been prominent as a sc^hool director 
jn his township, in which capacity he has done much to advance the cause 
of public education. He is a member of the Grange at West Jefferson, and 
he and Mrs. Jones are members of the Baptist church. The first death in 
his immediate family occurred in 1877. His mother died in 1870. aged 
seventy-seven years. 

WILLL^M E. KNOX. 

To a student of human nature there is nothing of greater interest than 
to examine into the life of a iself-made man and analyze the principles by 
which he has been governed, the methods he has pursued, to know what 
means he has employed for advancement and to study the plans which have 
given him prominence, enabling him to pass on the hi,srhwav of life many who 
had a more advantageous start. In the history of Mr. Knox there iis deep 
food for thought, and if one so desires he may profit by the obvious lessens 
therein contained. 

William E. Knox is now succesisfully engaged in contracting and Iniild- 
ing in Columbus and he owes his rise to his own well-directed efforts. He 
was born in Gallia county, Ohio, August 19, 1868, and is a son of \\'. H. and 
Ellen (Davis) Knox. The father was a native of ^^^1les. born in 1824. and 
the mother was born in Utica, New York, in the year 1830. Their marriage 
was celebrated in Clinton county, Ohio, and soon afterward they removed 
to Gallia county, where they spent their remaining days. Their sen, Will- 
iam E. Knox, was there reared and acquired a good common-school educa- 
tion, receiving a thorough training in the fundamental knowledge which 
served as a foundation for successful effort in business life. After putting 
aside his text-books he learned the carpenter's trade with his father, who was 
a carpenter and builder, and continued to follow that occupation in the county 
of his nativity until 1890. when he came to Columbus, Ohio, and completed 
his trade under the direction of D. J. Anderson, a well-known representative 



544 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the building interests in the capital city. ]\Ir. Knox subsequently traveled 
over the state, working in the different cities as a journeyman, and later went 
to Denver, Colorado, where he engaged in building on the cattle ranches 
owned by some of the leading cattle kings of the west. 

On returning to Columbus Mr. Knox entered into partnership with his 
brother, S. F. Knox, under the firm name of Knox Brothers, contractors 
and builders. Almost from the beginning they enjoyed a large patronage. 
The business connection between them was maintained until the death of 
S. F. Knox, in September, 1900, since which time our subject has carried on 
luisiness alone. He has erected many of the fine residences of the city in 
recent years, took the contract and executed the w^ork of the Methodist 
Episcopal church and also the new Presbyterian church, which is one of the 
finest houses of worship in Columbus. Many isubstantial and beautiful speci- 
mens of architecture and the builders' trade stand as monuments to his enter- 
prise and handiwork. He is now well established in business, having an 
extensive and profitable patronage. In tlie Builders and _Trad'ers' Ex- 
change in Columbus he holds membership and is now one of the leading rep- 
resentatives of his line of work that contributes in greater meajsure than any- 
other to the beauty and substantial improvement of the city. 

On the 30th of October, 1900, Mr. Knox was united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret Morgan, of Columbus, a daughter of W. S. Morgan, a prom- 
inent early settler in Gallia county, Ohio. Her mother was Mrs. Ann Mor- 
gan. Mr. Knox is a member of the Phoenix Club, of Columbus, and is 
director of the music in the First Baptist church, in which he takes a great 
interest. He is well known socially and is popular with a large circle of 
friends. 

FRANK H. HOUGHTON, D. D. S. 

Dr. Frank H. Houghton, who is well known in Franklin county, has 
introduced a novel department in dentistry, being proprietor of a dental house 
boat, on which he sails the .rivers of Florida through the winter months. His 
superior skill and ability in the line of his chosen profession has gained him 
a liberal and constantly increasing patronage and his prestige has been wor- 
thily won. His wide acquaintance in Columbus, Westerville and towns in this 
portion of Ohio will render his life history one of interest to the .readers of 
this volume. 

The Doctor is a representative of an old New England family, his pater- 
nal grandparents being Samuel and Polly (Tyler) Houghton, wdio were 
farming people of Vermont. Their son, Benjamin W. Houghton, the Doctor's 
father, was born in Guilford, Vermont, in 1818, and w^as^ reared on the old 
homestead, acquiring a common-school education. Shortly after attending 
his majority he engaged in the manufacture of harness, ornaments, and 
various other metal ornaments, continuing in that business up to the time 
of his death and finding it a profitable source of income. His labors, how- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 545 

ever, were not limited alone to that line for he operated near the town a fine 
farm, which became celebrated fo.r the excellent qualities of its products, 
and the owner was accounted one of the mo'St capable agriculturists of his 
section. He was an active worker in politics, supporting the men and meas- 
ures of the Whig party, yet was never an office seeker and often times refused 
high political preferments tendered him by his fellow townsmen. He was a 
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a communicant of the 
Episcopal church, in which he was a recognized leader, holding many offices 
and zealously supporting its cause in all possible ways. He married Miss 
Mary A. Tylor, who was born in Vernon, Vermont, about 1822. His death 
occurred in 1864, but his widow is still living and now resides in Williams- 
town, Massachusetts, with his son Irving. Unto this worthy couple were 
born six children, but only three are now living, namely: Frank H., Irving 
B., who is connected with the Boston & Troy Railroad Company, and -resides 
in' Williamstown, Massachusetts, and Nathaniel T., who is in business in 
Boston, Massachusetts. 

Dr. Houghton was born in Guilford, Vermont, on the 12th of January, 
1840, and remained with his parents until his sixteenth year. His prehm- 
inary education was acquired in the common schools, supplemented by study 
in the Westminster Academy, at Westminster, Vermont, the home of Ethan 
Allen, and was graduated from that institution in the spring of 1856. Imme- 
diately following the completion of his literary course he came to Ohio, takmg 
up his abode in Springfield, where he found employment as a salesman m a 
dry goods house, remaining in that position for three years, -after which he. 
resigned and went to Louisiana. In company with Messrs. Cavalier and 
Owens, two young men. of about his own age, he established a planter's sup- 
ply house on the Mississippi river, three miles north of Milligan's Bend, 
and called his slilipping point Omega. From that place he shipped more 
than half of the cotton grown in Madison parish, Louisiana. They were 
meeting with a high degree of prosperity at the time Civil war was maugu- 
rated. 

When the first gun was fired upon Fort Sumter. Dr. Houghton at once 
left his business interests in the south, returned to Ohio, and on the 29th of 
July, 1862, enlisted in the Seventeenth Ohio Independent Artillery as sergeant. 
On the 5th of April, 1863, he was promoted to quartermaster sergeant and on 
the 20th of August, of that year, was commissioned second lieutenant of the 
company. During the last year of his service he had command of the battery, 
for Captain Rice and the first lieutenant were on detached duty. Dr. Hough- 
ton participated in the first attack on Vicksburg and the battles of Chickasaw 
Bayou, Arkansas Post, Fort Hindman, Port Gibson, Champion Hill. Jackson, 
Baker's Creek, Black River and the siege of Vicksburg. With the Thirteenth 
Army corps he was sent to the Department of the Gulf when that corps was 
consolidated with the Nineteenth and then took part in the Red River cam- 
paign, including Vermillionville and Carrion Crow Bayou, where Dr. Hough- 
ton had a horse shot from under him. He was in numerous other skirmishes 



546 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and minor engagements in that part of the country and then returned to 
winter quarters at New Orleans. In 1864 his command was assigned to the 
Sixteenth Army Corps and took part in the battle of Fort Morgan, where 
he was the first man on the works. He was also in the important engagements 
of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely (Mobile's last stronghold), the latter being 
the last battle of consequence of the war. At the time of the surrender 
of General Lee he was ini Mobile, Alabama, and was mustered out at Camp 
Chase, Ohio, on the i6th of August, 1865. 

After the war Dr. Houghton went to \Vorcester, Massachusetts, and 
took up the study of dentistry, which he had followed to some extent dudng 
his college days, under the direction of his uncles, Drs. Nathaniel and Levi 
Tyler, both of whom were noted men of the profession. After the war he 
continued his study with Dr. E. B. Nettleton for about a year and then 
went to Lidianapolis, Indiana, where he entered the office of Dr. Whiteside. 
In 1867 he eame to Westerville, Ohio, and began practice here. In 1870 he 
opened an office in Columbus, where he remained until 1895. Since that time 
lic has spent the greater part of his time in Florida and has passed most of 
his winters in that state since 1880. In the Peninsular state he has introduced 
the novel method of practicing his profession from a house boat. Each 
Avinter Florida is visited by hundreds of tourists who find it impossible to 
obtain good dental service and since 1880 Dr. Houghton has made it his 
practice to spend his winters in the south and continue the prosecution of his 
profession there. Having to reach the people by rail or steamer, which nec- 
essarily caused loss of time in transit and packing and unpacking his outfit, 
and as his practice increased and the modern ideas and improved methods 
required a greater amount of apparatus, he devised the scheme of fitting 
up a floating dental office. His friends discouraged him, saying that the vibra- 
tion and motion would be such that he could not operate with comfort, but 
in spite of this discouraging counsel and at the expense of several thousand 
dollars he constructed the vessel, using sixteen thousand feet of lumber, and 
gave to her the suggestive name of Dentos. The practicability of the plan has 
been well demonstrated ; his plan of notifying the people of his visits is usually 
by card or by some of the weekly newspapers along the coast. On several oc- 
casions he has easily operated at the chair for patients in transit. This is 
certainly novel and almost like a dream to know that one may have dental 
service performed while gliding up and down the rivers, amid stately palms 
and other tropical plants, the banks forming a constant changing panorama, 
while sail boats, yachts and launches add to the picturesqueness of the scene. 
The Dentos is a floating vessel fifty-three feet long, a deck twenty feet broad 
and a hull twelve feet broad and two and a half feet deep. The hull is made 
entirely of selected heart cypress and the cabin is! mada of Georgia pine, ceiled 
outside and inside. The cabin is thirty-eight feet long and fifteen feet wide, 
and is divided into four apartments'. There are intermediate staterooms with 
a capacity of three berths and everything is most complete, being supplied 
w^ith the modiern conveniences of a home and all of the equipments of a first 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 547 

class dental office. The route is along the Halifax, Hillsboro and Indian 
[fivers, the most beautiful, healthful and picturesque part of Florida. The 
Doctor has a large practice, constantly growing, and his success is certainly 
well merited, for he keeps in constant touch with progress and improved 
methods and has not only a complete understanding of the scientific principles 
of dentistry, -but is most skilled in his application of its mechanical princi- 
ples. Since 1872 he has been a member of the Ohio State Dental Association. 
On the 3d of December, 1868, the marriage of Dr. Houghton and Miss 
Rebecca D. Slaughter was celebrated, the lady being a daughter of the Rev. 
Dr. William Slaughter. They now have one child, Frank H., of Akron, Ohio, 
who is contracting freight agent of the Akron, Wheeling & Pittsburg district 
pf the Vanderbilt railroad system. In pohtics the Doctor is a stanch Repub- 
lican, never wavering in his allegiance to the party. Socially he is connected 
with Blendon Lodge, No. 339, F. & A. M., of Westerville, and Horeb 
Chapter, No 3, R. A. M. He also belongs to Cincinnati Commandery of 
the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. Of the Episcopal church he is a 
communicant. He owns one of the most attractive residences in Westerville 
and also has a beautiful home in Daytona, Florida, where he now spends the 
greater part of his time. While his professional career has; gained him 
distinction in the fraternity, his never failing courtesy, obliging manner 
and genial disposition have won him many friends in social life. 

IRA LEROY MILLER. 

This well-known and popular citizen of Columbus is now a member of 
the organization department of the state Republican headquarters for the 
campaign of 1900, and has always taken quite an active and prominent part 
in political affairs. A native of Ohio, he was born in Jackson county, the 
only child of Theodore and Jenny (Conner) Miller. The father, who served 
for two years in a W^est Virginia regiment during the Civil war, died when 
our subject w^as very young. The maternal grandfather, Rev. INIr. Conner. 
was a resident of Fayette county, this state, his family and the Millers both 
being early settlers of Ohio. They came^rom jMiller's Ferry, West Vir- 
ginia, now called Hawk's Nest. 

Reared in his native county, Mr. Miller of this review acquired his edu- 
cation in its public schoolis, and continued to make his home there until com- 
ing to Columbus, in 1889. On first locating here he traveled for a mercantile 
house, and then represented the New York Life Insurance Company from 

1895 to 1899. He was next bookkeeper and cashier with the Jones Shoe 
Manufacturing Company until July, 1900. For the past ten years Mr. 
IMiller has been prominently identified with Republican politics as an active 
member of city, count}^ and state committees, and during the campaign of 

1896 was vice-president of the Young Men's Republican Club, which was 
the most important organization of the kind in city or county, having about 
three hundred working members. His genial, pleasant manner has made 



548 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

him quite popular in business, social and political circles, and as a public- 
epirited and enterprising man he is recognized as a valued citizen of the 
community. 

Mr. Miller married Miss Maud Ennes, of Sandusky, Ohio, who presides 
with gracious dignity over his home. Religiously they are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 

WILLIAM HIRAM SIMONTON. 

In connection with hotel interests at Columbus, Ohio, the name of Simon- 
tton was long prominent and it has since been prominent in connection with 
official and business interests. One of its prominent representatives at this 
time is William Hiram Simonton, ex-county clerk of Franklin county, some 
account of whose antecedents and career it will be attempted here to give. 

Theophilus Simonton, grandfather of William Hiram Simonton, came 
to Ohio from North Carolina and served his country as a soldier in the war 
of 1812-14. Hiram Simonton, son of Theophilus Simonton, and father of 
the subject of this sketch, was born in Clermont county, Ohio, in 1804, and 
died in Columbus in 1892, in his eighty-eighth yeal\ He came to Columbus 
in 1849, from Milford, Clermont county, where he had been engaged in 
business, and at the request of John Noble, father of Henry C. Noble, who 
owned the Buckeye House oni Broad street on the present site of the board of 
trade, opened that hotel. In 185 1 he went to the United States Hotel, which 
yet stands at the corner of High and Town :streets, and managed it until 
1862, when he took charge of the Franklin House on High street, owned by 
the Hubbards, where he remained until 1867. From 1867 to 1871 he lived 
in Lithopolis, Fairfield county, Ohio, but returning to Columbus in 1871, 
he built an attractive home on Main street, where he died and which has 
since his death been the home of his son, William Hiram Simonton. He was 
one of the most popular hotel men of his time and was strongly and widely 
influential as a Democrat. . He married Elizabeth Snell. of a family well 
known in Ohio, who came from Pennsylvania. 

William Hiram Simonton was born in Milford, Clermont county. Ohio, 
in 1847, ^iTcl was two years old when his father removed to Columbus. After 
receiving a good education in the public schools, he became a clerk in the 
United States Hotel, and was later employed in the same capacity at the Zet- 
tler House, both of Columbus, the latter at the corner of Main and Fourth 
streets. In 1878 he became deputy county clerk of Franklin county under 
County Clerk Harvey Cashatt, and filled the office until 1890 with such effi- 
ciency that he was that year elected county clerk. He retired from that respon- 
isible position in August, 1894, since when he has lived retired, giving 
attention to his private interests and to Democratic local politics, in which 
he is influential. He married Miss Rosina Yaisle, daughter of the late 
Samuel Yaisle, and has a son, Mark Simonton, who is well known in con- 
nection with the Electric Supply & Construction Company of Columbus', 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 549 

and who is a graduate not only of the Cokimbus high school, but, as aa 
electrical engineer, from the Ohio State University. 

Alvah \V. Simonton, brother of William Hiram Simonton, is a promi- 
nent collector of Columbus. Another brother, Marcus Simonton, now a 
prominent citizen of Cincinnati, was during the Civil war post-quartermaster 
at Camp Chase under appointment by Governor Dennison. Mr. Simonton'e 
sister. Miss Mattie H. Simonton, has long been a successful teacher. She 
was principal of the public school at Third and: Rich streets, Columbus, and is 
now principal of the Ohio avenue e'chool, having charge of eight hundred 
pupils. 

FRANK A. CHENOWETH. 

The name of Chenoweth is one that figures conspicuously in connection 
with the history of Franklin county, for its representatives have long been 
residents of this portion of the state and have ever been people of sterling 
worth, numbered among the valued citizen»si of the comniunity. Frank Al- 
bert Chenoweth, of this review, was for some years an important factor in 
business circles in Harrisburg, but is now living retired. He is a son of 
William B. and Rebecca J. (Johnston) Chenoweth, and was born on the old 
family homestead at Harrisburg, May 31, 1856. He spent the days of his 
childhood and youth upon the home farm and after acquiring his pre- 
liminary education in the schools of Harrisburg, continued his studies in the 
Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio. During his youth he engaged in clerking 
in a store, and his training in that direction well qualified him to engage in 
business on his' own account in later years. In March, 1879, he opened a 
general store in Harrisburg and afterward his father became a partner in the 
enterprise, the association being formed in 1881 and maintained until August, 
1900, when they sold the store to Alfred Mead. At first they carried only 
groceries! and hardware, but afterward added a stock of dry goods and 
notions, and still later, boots and shoes'. The commendable business policy 
which they followed constantly increased the trade annuallv transacted over 
their counters. They were proprietors of one of the leading general mer- 
cantile establishments in this portion of the state and their success w^as well 
merited, for it was their honest desire to please their patrons. ]\lr. Cheno- 
weth, of this review, now gives his attention in some measure to the real 
estate business , and is the owner of some very valuable property. 

He was married in Westerville, Ohio, to Miss May Altman. a daughter 
of S. F, Altman. and their union has been blessed with two children. ]\Iilo 
Faxon and Marshall Frank.- Since casting his firsit presidential vote for 
James A. Garfield. Mr. Chenoweth has been a stalwart supporter of Republi- 
can principles, but has never sought or desired office, preferring to devote his 
attention to his private business affairs. He was made a Mason twenty-three 
years ago in Commercial Point, and about fifteen years later transferred his 
membership to Mt. Sterling, Ohio, where he is still an active member. He 



550 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

also belongs to Sherman Lodge, K. of P., and has been for several years a 
representative to the grand lodge. He is now a member of the state board 
of equalization, representing the tenth senatorial district. His advancement 
in business circles is attributable entirely to his own capable management and 
unflagging industry. He began to earn his living at an early age, and as he 
had no capital was forced to acquire the means which would enable him to 
lirst engage in merchandising on his own account. He is now classed among 
the substantial and reliable citizens of the community in which he resides, 
and his life history stands, in exemplification of what may be accomplished 
in a land where ambition and determination are not hampered by caste. 

WILLIAM J. MERRICK. 

William J. Merrick, who resides at No. 37 Greenwood avenue, Colum- 
bus, is a passenger conductor on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. 
Louis Railroad. A native of the Keystone state, his birth occurred in Car- 
bondale, Pennsylvania, on th'e 22d of March, 1859. His father, John 
Merrick, died February 14, 1877, and the mother, Ellen INIerrick, died Feb- 
ruary 17, i860, both passing away at their home in Carbondale. The fam- 
ily is of Irish lineage, and the paternal grandfather of our subject died on 
the Emerald Isle. His' wdfe afterward crossed the Atlantic to the new 
Nvorld and spent her last days in Carbondale, departing this life in JNIarch, 
1878, at the extremely advanced age of one hundred and nine years. The 
maternal grandfather of our subject, Thomas Murray, died in 1867, in Car- 
bondale, where also occurred the death of his wife, in i860. L'nto ]\lr. and 
]\Irs. John Merrick were born the following named : James, who is now 
a retired merchant of New York city, where he has resided for forty years; 
Thomas, a resident of Carbondale, Pennsylvania; John, who is engaged in 
the grocerv business in Carbondale; Alichael, who was an engineer on the 
Delaware & Hudson Railroad and was killed October 4, 1877. in a railway 
accident at Melrose, Pennsylvania, leaving a wife and son, who now reside 
at Union Hill, New Jersey, the latter being twenty-four years of age ; Patrick, 
now forty-six years of age, and who resides in Carbondale and has one son, 
but his wife is now deceased ; Maria, wife of Peter O'Neil, also a resident of 
Carbondale; Elizabeth, who died in that city in 1891, at the age of forty-one 
years; Kate, who is a young lady residing in Carbondale; and Ellen, who died 
in that city at the age of fifteen years. 

In the public schools of his native town William J. Merrick pursued his 
education, and when nineteen years of age he secured a position as brakeman 
on a freight train on the Erie Railroad, runnjng between Port Jervis, New 
York, and Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. He occupied that position for one 
year and afterward spent a year in charge of a construction train on the Lotig 
Island Railroad. He then came to the west and began braking on the Pan- 
handle Railroad west of Pittsburg, being a brakeman on a freight train for 
a year and a half, after which he spent six years as brakeman in the passenger 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5 5 1 

service. He was then promoted to freight conductor and a year later was 
made passenger conductor, which position he has held continuously since 
1889, being on the Pittsburg division, between Pittsburg and Columbus. He 
became a member of the Order of Railway Conductors in 1888, joining Hol- 
lingswoTth Division, No. 100, in which he was assistant conductor for one 
year, and during the past two years he has been the chief conductor of the 
division of the order. He has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for 
tJie past two years. 

On the 19th of June, 1883, Mr. Merrick wedded Miss Theresa A. Boylan, 
of Chicago, who was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1863. 
Her father, Patrick Boylan, w^as born in Ireland and died in Carbondale, 
Pennsylvania, March 30, 1897, while his wife, Mrs. Anna Boylan, departed 
this life in that city on the 28th of July, 1872. Their children were: Airs. 
Merrick; John and Thomas, who are engaged in mining at Victor, Colo- 
rado; Mary, wafe of Mark Brennan, of Carbondale; Jane, wife of James Crapo, 
a resident of Chicago; Margaret, wife of Albert Myers, an engineer now 
residing in Aspin, Colorado; Annie, wife of Thomas Barrett, of Chicago; 
Kate, wife of James O'Rourke, a railroad conductor on the Delaware & 
Hudson Railroad. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Merrick have been born seven chil- 
dren, namely: William G., born November 10, 1884; John Leo, born Oc- 
tober 18, 1886; Marguerite, born January 30, 1889; James Russell, born 
January 21, 1892; Joseph, born June 3, 1894; Philip B., born September 8, 
1896; and Andrew, born June i, 1897. The children attend the Sacred Heart 
school in Columbus and the family are all members of the Catholic church, 
of which Rev. Father Eis is pastor. For fourteen years they have resided 
in Columbus and now have a wide acquaintance and many friends. Mr. ]\Ier- 
rick enjoys the high regard of all with whom he has come in contact through 
business' as well as social relations, and is a popular conductor upon the road, 
owing to his willingness to aid those who ride over his line, his unfailing 
courtesy and his obliging disposition. 

ABSALOM BORROR. 

Among the leading citizens and representative farmers of Jackson town- 
ship, Franklin county, Ohio, is Absalom Borror, who was born in that town- 
ship, on th 27th of April, 1838, a son of Isaac and O'live (Babcock) Borror, 
natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. The father was a carpen- 
ter by occupation, and was one of the early settlers of Jackson township, 
this county, where he died at the age of forty-eight years, 

Absalom Borror is the third in order of birth in a family of eight children, 
consisting of five sons and' three daughters. During his boyhood and 
youth he w^as only able to attend school for about two months during the 
winter season. He was only ten years old when his father died and the 
responsibility of carrying on the home farm devoh-ed upon him and his older 
brother. To its improvement and cultivation he devoted his energies until 



552 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

twenty-five years of age, with the exception of the years spent in the army dur- 
ing the Civil war. In 1861 he enHsted in Company G, Fifty-fourth Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Fifteenth iVrmy Corps under com- 
mand of General Grant. He was first sent with his regiment to Camp Den- 
nison, fifteen miles from Cincinnati, Ohio, and from there went to Paducah, 
Kentucky. During the battle of Pittsburg Landing he was wounded by a 
rifle half through the right side, and Avas honoral^ly discharged from the 
service on account of this wound. Fie entered the army as corporal and wasi 
mustered out as sergeant. 

In 1863 Mr. Borror was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Swag- 
ler, and to them have been born eleven children, namely : Bertha, Edward 
L., Sadie, Dora D., Isaac N., Olive, Albert R., Clayton S., Prentiss H., 
Clifford JM. and Nella B. Soon after his marriage Mr. Borror sold his inter- 
est in the old homestead and bought a farm in Bond county, Illinois, where 
he lived for one year, but at the end of that time he disposed of his property 
there and returned to Jackson township, this county, where lie operated a 
rented farm for one year. Again he went to Bond county, Illinois, and^ 
engaged in general mercantile business there for three years. Since then he 
has made his home uninterruptedly in Franklin county, Ohio, having pur- 
chased a good farm of one hundred nine acres and a half in Jackson township, 
which he has placed under excellent cultivation and improved wdth good andl 
substantial buildings. His time and attention are devoted to general farming, 
in which he is meeting with good success. Socially is an honored member 
of Ed. Krous Post, G. A. R. For forty years he has been an earnest and 
consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, takes an active part 
in its work and contributes liberally to its support. 

JAMES A. MILES. 

James Alexander Miles is one of the ablest lawyers practicing at the 
Columbus bar, having the mental grasp which enables him to discover the 
salient points in a case. A man of sound judgment, he manages his cases 
with masterly skill and tact. He is a logical reasouer, has a ready command 
of English and has gained an enviable reputation. 

Judge Miles is a native of Eden township, Licking county, Ohio, where 
his birth occurred the 21st of September, 1844. His grandfather, Stephen 
Miles, was a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and when Ohio 
was the home of the red men and the haunt of wild beasts he made his way 
into the wilderness and aided in reclaiming its unbroken tracts O'f land for 
purposes of civilization. He married Miss Dush, and unto them was born 
a son, John Dush Miles, whose birth occurred in Licking county March i, 
1823. Amid' the wild' scenes of the frontier he was reared, and after 
attaining years of maturity he wedded Miss Sarah Games, a daughter of 
Robert and Sarah (Evans) Games. Fler father was a native of this country 
and a soldier of the war with England in 181 2, and when Ohio first became 




JAMES A. MILES. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 553 

the home of white mien he took up his abode within the boundaries of this 
commonwealth. He married Miss Sarah Evans, whose mother was an 
adopted daughter of Lord Bradley, of England. Coming to America, she 
was married to Mr. Evans in Virginia, and a large estate was left by the 
Bradleys which has never been claimed. Throughout his active business 
career John Dush Miles has followed farming. When his son James was 
a .youth of seven years he removed with his family to Delaware county, 
Ohio, w^here he has since made his home, his present residence being in Sun- 
bury. Although he is now seventy-eight years of age, he is still robust and 
vigorous. His wife, however, died in February, 1900, at the age oi eight)^ 
years. One of their children. Rev. John Miles, is now a minister of the 
United Brethren church. 

Judge Miles, whose name introduces this record, pursued his educa- 
tion in the public schools of Delaware county, and subsequently entered the 
university at Wester ville, Franklin county, where he spent one year as a 
student. Later he engaged in teaching for several years, and then took up' 
the study of law under the direction of the firm of Jackson & Beer, of Craw- 
ford county, Ohio. On the 4th of September, 1868, he was admitted to the 
bar and began practice in Franklin county, where he has won distinction^ as. 
a very able lawyer. His fitness for leadership has also led to his selection 
for public office, and for two terms he served as the mayor of Westerville, 
while in 1899 he acted as a police judge of Columbus. He has long been, 
a prominent and active worker in the ranks of the Democratic party, doing, 
all in his power to promote its growth and insure its success. 

The Judge was united in marriage to Miss Mary Esther Longwell, a.' 
daughter of James and Edith (Wallace) Longwell, of Johnstown. Licking 
county, Ohio. Her father was a very prominent farmer, who died some 
years ago. Unto the Judge and his wife have been born the following chil- 
<iren: Frank A., the eldest, is a graduate of the high school in Sunbury, and 
for some time was connected with farming interests in Licking county. On 
the 5th of August, 190Q, he started for the Philippine Islands to fill the 
position as clerk on the transport Warren, on which his brother, Captain 
Perry L. Miles, was quartermaster. The Captain is the second son and is 
now a captain of the regular army. He was appointed to West Point 
from Franklin county in 1891, and was graduated in 1895. He was com- 
missioned second lieutenant of the Fourteenth Infantry, after which he was 
stationed at Vancouver's barracks in Washington until the outbreak of the 
Spanish- American war, when he went to San Francisco, and on the 28th 
of May, 1898, he sailed for the Philippines as second lieutenant. However^ 
he was in command of Company I, for the first lieutenant and the captain 
were left behind on special duty. He participated in the battle of Malata. 
and was under fire and was present at the capture of Manila, where the 
Fourteenth Regiment lost forty-seven men in killed and wounded. He was 
also in the first engagements with the insurgents, and bv General Overshine 
35 



554 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was ordered to capture a block-house. .Itter the capture of Manila he was 
promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, in July, 1898. For some time he 
was in the trenches and on outpost duty in the Philippines, and on the loth 
of October, 1899, he was commissioned captain on account of bravery dis- 
played in the capture of the block-house, the promotion being- given him in 
recognition of "gallant and meritorious conduct in action." In Harper's 
Weekly appeared the following, under the title of "Ballad of Lieutenant 
JNIiles ■:' 

When you speak of dauntless deeds, 

When you tell of stirring scenes. 
Tell the story of the isles 
Where the endless summer smiles — 
Tell of young Lieutenant Miles 

In the far-off Philippines! 

'Twas the Santa Ana fight ! 

All along the rebel line 
From the thickets dense and dire 
Gushed the fountains of their fire; 
You could hear their rifles' ire, 

You could hark the bullets whine. 

Little wonder there was pause ! 

Some were wounded, some were dead; 
"Call Lieutenant Miles !"' He came, 
In his eyes a fearless flame. 
"Yonder block-house — that's our aim," 

The battalion leader said. 

"You must take it — how you will ; 

You must break this damned spell !" 
"Volunteers!" he cried. 'Twas vain, 
For in that narrow tropic lane 
'Twixt the bamboo and the cane 

'Twas a very lane of liell ! 

There were five stood forth at last; 

God above, but they were men ! 
"Come !" — ^oh, blithely thus he saith ! 
Did they falter? Not a breath! 
Down the path of hurtling death 

The Lieutenant led them then. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5 5 5 

TwO' have fallen, now a third ! 

Forward dash the other three. 
In the on-rush of that race 
Ne'er a swerve or stay of pace; 
And the rebels — dare they face 

Such a desperate company? 

Panic gripped them by the throat — 

Every rebel rifleman; 
And as though they seemed to see 
In those charging foemen three 
An avenging destiny, 

Fierce and fast and far they ran. 

So a salvo for the six! 

So' a round of ringing cheers! 
Heroes of the distant isles 
Where the endless summer smiles — • 
Gallant young Lieutenant Miles 

And his valiant volunteers ! 

The daughter of the family, Bertha, is a graduate of the Johnstown high 
school, and is residing iwith her grandmother in Licking county. Judge 
Miles was again married, his second union being with Miss Lena G. Witter, 
of Columbus, a native of Germany. Her father was a very highly educated 
man, and spoke seven different languages. He spent his entire life in his 
native country, and is now deceased. 



ALONZO B. COIT. 

The American progenitor of the family of Coit was John Coit. a ship- 
builder, who came to Connecticut from Wales in 1630. The Coits assumed 
prominence in the colonies. Benjamin Coit, the great-great-grandfather 
of Colonel A. B. Coit, of Columbus, Ohio, and Isaac Coit, Colonel Coit's 
great-grandfather, fought for American independence in the Revolutionary 
war. According to a record in possession of a member of the family. Isaac 
Coit was a sergeant in Captain Belcher's company in the First Regiment of 
the continental line from July 20, 1777, to July 20, 1780. From another 
record it would seem that at some time during the ^^•Br Isaac Coit was a cap- 
tain in a Connecticut Regiment, and' his father, Benjamin Coit, was a lieu- 
tenant in his company. Isaac Coit died at the age of eighty-nine years, Ben- 
jamin at the age of eighty-one. Harvey Coit, grandfather of Colonel Coit, 



556 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

married Miss Ston-e, of Northonipton, Massachusetts, and emigrated to 
Franklin comity, Oliio, and located at Worthington, where he died^ at the 
age of seventy-seven. His son, Harvey Coit, was born at Worthington, 
Massachusetts, in 1818, and is now hving at Columbus, Ohio, aged eighty- 
two, alert, active and in possession of all his faculties. He came to Columbus 
in 1837 and was a dry-goods merchant there until about 1870, and he and 
Harvey Bancroft are the oldest pioneer merchants of Columbus now living. 
During all his active career he gave his attention strictly to his business 
interests and declined to take any part in politics except as a voter. He 
married, at Worthington, Firanklin county, Miss Elizabeth Greer, daughter 
of Richard' Greer, a native of the north of Ireland, who was married there to 
Miss Dickson and settled in Worthington about 1812, where he was promi- 
inent as a farmer and as an Episcopalian. 

Colonel Alonzo B. Coit was born in Columbus, Ohio, a son of Harvey 
and Elizabeth (Greer) Coit. He gained his primary education in the public 
schools of bis native city and took a collegiate course at Yellow Springs, 
Greene county, where he was graduated in 1867. He identified himself with 
the manufacturing interests at Columbus and is now secretary and treasurer 
of the Columbus Brick & Terra Cotta Company, and president of the Col- 
umbus Trunk and Hand Luggage company, which he organized in 1882. 
He is a director in the Gallon' (Ohio) Water Works Company and is' a 
stockholder and otherwise connected with other important interests. He is 
a Mason and past master of his lodge and is past high priest of his chapter. 

Colonel Coit's military history began in 1882, when he became captain 
of Company B, Fourtenth Regiment, National Guard of the state of Ohio. 
He was promoted major in 1885, lieutenant colonel in 1886 and colonel in 
1887, and served as such until the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. 
He served with his regiment fourteen times on riot duty, occasioned by labor 
troubles in different parts of the state. He was indicted for manslaughter on 
five counts at Washington Court House, because of his part in defending 
negro prisoners against mob violence. His trial lasted one hundred and fifty- 
seven days and the jury acquitted him after only a few minutes' absence 
from the court room. He accomplished much toward breaking up mob rule 
in Ohio and, commenting on the charges against him, Governor McKinley 
declared that he had done only his duty and had done that fearlessly and with 
good judgment. 

At the beginning of the war with Spain, he was commissioned colonel 
-of the Fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which, July 29, 1898, 
embarked for Porto Rico with the Third Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infan- 
try, and the Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, under Gen- 
erals Haines and Brooke, and led the advance at Guayama, where he was the 
only colonel under fire. After the engagement at Palmasas he was given 
civil control of the eastern part of the island, which included thirty-one towns 
of more or less importance. He returned to Columbus November 2, 1898. 
having lost twenty-one men by sickness and had seventeen disabled by wounds, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 557 

and was placed on the retired list ofNational Guard colonels. He organized 
the Ohio Society of Spanish-American war veterans and was made its com- 
mander and the National Porto Rican Invasion Association, of which he is 
commander for the department of Ohio. He is a member of the Sons of the 
American Revolution. 

Until after the Spanish-American war in politics Colonel Coit was a 
Democrat of great independence, and though he has at different times been a 
member of state and county committees of its party, he has resolutely refused 
all offices proff'ered him, except that of police commissioner of the city of 
Columbus, which he has filled for two terms without compensation and that 
of a member of the board of education of his home township of Marion, in 
which his services have also been gratutitous. Colonel Coit said : "The theories 
of Populism attempt tci inflate the curency by free silver, and the unpatriotic 
attacks of the party leaders on the administration were not Democracy; and 
it was his duty to support President McKinley." He is a trustee of the 
First Universalist church of Columbus and is generously helpful in all of its 
material interests. 

Colonel Coit married ]\Iiss Annette Preston, of Columbus, daughter of 
Samuel D. Peterson, a pioneer merchant of that city. They have three children, 
named Harvey, Preston and Elizabeth. Harvey is the superintendent of the 
water-works at Gallon, Ohio. Preston was the youngest enlisted soldier in 
the Spanish-American war. At fourteen years of age he was a trumpeter in 
Company A, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and for four months was in a 
hospital. He is now completing his elucation at Columbus. Elizabeth mar- 
ried Harry Williams, of Youngstown, Ohio. 

WILLIAM DULLER. 

William Miller is a retired farmer of Columbus. He was born in Frank- 
lin township, Franklin county, Ohio, in 1845, and is a representative of one 
of the prominent pioneer families, for in the early part of the century his 
grandfather, Major William Miller, came from Virginia to Ohio and aided 
in laying wide and deep the foundation for the present prosperity and progress 
of the commonwealth. He served in the state militia at an early day and was 
a major in the war of 1812. After joining the state militia he was com- 
missioned captain by Governor Morrow, the paper bearing the date of April 
14, 1823, and appointing him to the command of the Second Company of the 
Second Regiment, of the Second Brigade of the Seventh Division of thg 
Ohio militia. He was identified with the interests of Franklin county dur- 
ing almost the entire first half of the nineteenth century and died in 1850, 
at the age of sixty-two years, his birth having occurred in 1788. He mar- 
ried Miss Christina Fisiher. a daughter of Michael Fisher, who came to Ohio 
in 1798, and was one of the first white men to invade this region to reclaim 
the wild land for purposes of civilization. 

Adam F. Miller, the father of our subject, was born on the old family 



558 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

homestead in Franklin township, January i, 1818, the farm being then the 
property of Major Wilham Miller, while at the present writing it is in the 
posisession of William Miller, the subject of this review. Throughout his 
active business career he carried on farming and stock-raising and his well 
directed efforts brought to him a comfortable competence. Recognized as 
one of the leading and influential citizens of the community, he was called 
upon to fill various offices, and discharged his duties' with promptness and 
fidelity. He wedded Mary Elizabeth Wolf, who came to Ohio from Wash- 
ington county, Pennsylvania, and died in 1855, at the age of thirty-four 
years. Her parents were Jacob and Margaret (Clark) Wolf, and the former 
served in the war of 1812, participating in several battles. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Miller were born four sons and one daughter. One son, Jacob, has for 
fifteen 3'ears been a member of the police force of Columbus, wdiile Fisher 
Miller is a farmer of Franklin township; Margaret is the wife of J. B, Mc- 
Donald; and George died in 1894. 

Upon the home farm William ]\Iiller spent the days of his early boy- 
hood and in 1862 became a student in the schoolsi of Granville, where he con- 
tinued his education until 1864, when, at the age of nineteen years, he re- 
sponded to his country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company 
G, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated 
in the battle of Monocacy and in several skirmishes, and when the country 
no longer needed hi.& services he received an honorable discharge and returned 
to his home, taking up the pursuits of peace. He was trained to habits of 
industry upon the home farm and early became familiar with the work of 
cultivating the fields, and continued to operate his land until 1890, when he 
left the old homestead and became a resident of Columbus, but still runs 
his farm. 

On October 16, 1867, wasi celebrated the marriage of Mr. Miller and 
Miss Emily House, a daughter of William and Julia (Moler) House. Her 
father was born in Franklin towaiship and is still living. He has filled the 
position of township trustee and is a well knowui and highly respected citizen. 
Her mother was/ a daughter of Rollin and Susan Moler, the former having 
been one of the pioneer settlers of Franklin township. On coming to Ohio 
he took up his residence in Franklin township and there spent his remaining 
days. He owned a water power, which he used in operating a gristmill, 
just south of Greenlawn avenue, carrying on busines's along that line for 
many years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller have lieen born three children: 
Mary Gertrude, the wife of Harry E. Bulen, who is a graduate of the high 
school of Columbus and was for seven years a successful teacher, but isi now 
the proprietor of the Bryden Hotel; Clara Julia, who is a teacher in the 
public schools and is also a graduate of the high school of Columbusi and 
Kindergarden School; and Alice Pearl, tlieir youngest daughter, who is 
engaged in pyrography — the new art of burnt wood. She was married 
May 27, 1901, to Herbert Rockinham Earhart and is living in Charleston, 
West Virginia. The family belong to the INIethodist Episcopal church 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 559 

and Mr. Miller is' a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
In politics he is a stalwart Democrat and for six years he was the township 
trustee. He belongs to Wells Post, No. 451, G. A. R., and in the 
year 1900 served as officer of the day, while now in 1901 he isi junior vice 
commander. As a citizen he is public-spirited and progressive, manifesting 
a commendable interest in everything calculated to prove of benefit to the 
community along social, material, intellectual and moral lines. 

GEORGE W. HOOVER. 

One mav travel far and see much, but it is doubtful whether any land 
presents more marked contrasts than our own, transformed from the wilder- 
ness of the primitive forests to the cultivated farms of the present. Interest- 
ing and instructive, indeed, are the stories of frontier and pioneer life, and 
none can tell them so well as those who literally hewed their way to civiliza- 
tion and comfort. 

Such were the parents of the subject of the present sketch, George \\\ 
Hoover, a resident of Jackson township, who was born in Franklin county, 
Ohio, September 23. 1824. His father, George Hoover, was a native of 
Kentucky, a son of John and Margaret (Smith) Hoover. The former took 
part in the Revolutionary war, and came to Franklin county in 1807. George 
Hoover was here married to the mother of our subject. Catherine Kious, a 
native O'f Virginia, who had accompanied her parents to Franklin county in 
1806. Her father, John Kious. was a native of Virginia, a natural mechanic 
and a soldier of the war of 181 2. 

Mr. and Mrs'. George Hoover after marriage settled upon the farm 
where George W. now resides, living a life of labor and struggle with nature, 
peacefully passing away in their seventy-sixth year. He was firm in his 
religious convictions and a consistent member of the Xew Light Christian 
church. In politics he was a Democrat, and highly esteemed in the com- 
munity, holding a number of minor pul^lic offices which he filled with a firm 
adherence to duty. Three children were born to ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. Hoover. Polly 
married William Neiswendere and died in her sixty-seventh year; and ]\Iar- 
gart married Jonas Smith and died when about ssventy-four. 

George W. Hoover was reared in Jackson township, learp.ing of his 
father the values of crop?, drainage, the raising of cattle and the various 
lines which make agriculture a success. He attended the district school and 
can relate many amusing and interesting details concerning the conveniences 
provided for the children of that early day in their pursuit of knowledge. 
His marriage to Miss Nancy Smith took place in 1 847. She was a native of 
Franklin county, Ohio, and came of sturdy stock and was a capable assistant 
to Mr. Hoover, moving into a log cabin and proving equal to the emergencies 
of pioneer life. The most of the land upon which Mr. Hoover now resides 
was cleared by himself, and he feels entitled to the comfort and rest he now 
enjoys. 



56o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. and ]Mrs. Hoover became the happy parents of a fine family of chil- 
dren, all of whom have grown to be esteemed and some of them prominent in 
educational centers. The names of these children are : Dr. Louis Smith, who 
is a practicing physician and surgeon at Laura, Miami county, Ohio; George, 
who settled on the home farm ; Dr. William, a practicing physician of Grove 
City, Ohio; Catherine, deceased; Laura J., deceased; Eliza E. ; Trevitt, in the 
grocery business in Columbus ; John, a druggist of Grove City ; Sarah ; 
Clement L., a prominent teacher of Portland, Oregon; Warren J., deceased; 
and Adah A., remaining at home. The death of Mrs. Hoover occurred in 
1887, leaving a vacancy in this family impossible to fill. 

Mr. Hoover commands the respect of the whole community in which he 
lives and is a remarkably preserved man for his years. An easy explanation 
may be found for this, as he has ever lived a most temperate life, having no 
perverted tastes, using no tobacco, and drinking only cold water. He cer- 
tainly gives a fine example of temperance and is an object lesson to many who 
do not follow his example and live sickly, unsuccessful lives. Mr. Hoover 
has been honored often with marks of esteem and confidence from his neigh- 
bors, having served three years as justice of the peace, tv^'o terms as town- 
ship clerk, and for thirty-three years was school director in his district. He 
is not identified with any religious organization, and since the last administra- 
tion of Mr. Cleveland has been independent in politics. 

JOSEPH N. BRADFORD. 

A representative of the educational interests of Columbus, occupying the 
position of professor of architecture and drawing in the Ohio State Uni- 
versity, Professor Joseph N. Bradford is well known in his adopted state 
as a man of strong mentality and sterling worth who has attained an enviable 
position as a representative of the calling which he has made his life work. 
He was born April 3, i860, near Placerville, then a mining camp of Cali- 
fornia. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bradford, now reside in Colum- 
bus. They were natives of Lincolnshire, England, and the father came to 
this country when twenty years of age, landing at New York city, whence he 
made his way direct to Columbus, arriving in Ohio's capital in 1850. His 
wife was a maiden of fourteen years when she came with her parents from 
England, the family locating in Oberlin, Ohio. The family name was Pick- 
worth, and their marriage was celebrated in Columbus in the year 1858. 
Unto them were born the following children: Joseph N., of this review; 
Samuel, who was born December 25, 1862, and was married, in October, 
1886, to Miss Winnie Nearevamer, of Columbus, where they now reside; 
Frank, who was born August 12, 1865, and is not married, and resides with 
his parents in Columbus; Helen, a teacher in the public schools of this city; 
Ernest, who was born September 7, 1869, and is now occupying a position 
in the city as an analytical chemist; and Herbert, born August 21, 1872, and 
married Catherine Mauk. They, too, reside in the capital city. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5^1 

Professor Bradford, whose name introduces this record, acquired his 
early education in the public schools of California, and in 1873 accompanied 
his. parents upon their return to Columbus. Here he entered the public schools 
and in the year 1877 matriculated in the Ohio State University, and after a 
six-years course was graduated with the degree of mechanical engineer. His 
high scholarship and ability are indicated by the fact that he is now occupymg 
the chair of architecture and drawing in that institution. 

On the 30th of December, 1885, was celebrated the marriage of Pro- 
fessor Bradford and Emma Walter, whose parents came to the United States 
from Paris, France, at an early date. Her father, Frederick Walter, has 
been dead for twenty-two years, having departed this life in Jersey City,_ New 
Jersey but her mother, Mrs. Victoria Walter, is still living and is now in the 
eio-htieth year of her age. She also has. a sister, Mrs. Marie Mocre, who is 
now a widow. Unto the Professor and his wife have been born two children, 
^Grace E. and Florence, — both of whom are in school. They attend Dr. 
Gladden's church in Columbus, of which Mrs. Bradford is a member, and the 
Professor is an active member of the Sigma Xi, the American Society for 
Advancement of Science and American Society for the Promoti(ni of Engin- 
eering Education. 

It would be almost tautological in this connection to say that Protessor 
Bradford is a man of broad intelligence and intellectuality, for this has been 
shadowed forth in the lines of this review. Added to his knowledge acquired 
in the collegiate course, he is constantly broadening his mind by study, read- 
ing and observation, and has more firmly fixed his knowledge by his work in 
educational circles. The surest way to prove one's understanding of a ques- 
tion is to explain to others, and his labors as an instructor have given him 
rank among those whose knowledge is sure and dependable. He has many 
friends in Columbus and among those who have come under his instruction, 
for his personality is one that makes him popular. 

JOHN McCLURE. 

The career of the subject of this sketch is' that of a self-made man, who, 
beginning in an humble way, has advanced by industry and perseverance to 
an assured position in his chosen avocation and as a citizen of Columbus, 
Ohio. His ancestors were of Scotch descent and they located early in V ir- 
ginia whence those of a later generation removed to Ohio-. His father, John 
McClure, died at Columbus, about 1852, at the age of thirty-five years, and 
his mother died in 1890, aged fifty-eight years, at the residence of her son, 
the subject of this sketch. 

John McClure, of Columbus, Ohio, was l3orn at old Frankhnton. near 
the west side market, Columbus. February 7, 1850, and received his early 
education in public schools in that neighborhood, where he lived until 1862, 
when his parents removed to the east side of the city. About his first employ- 
ment was as a bell-boy in the United States Hotel at Columbus, and as such 



562 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

he wasi on duty there during all the earlier days of the Civil war. July 12, 
1864, he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and enlisted in the United States Navy 
and was assigned to the Victory, No. 33, commanded by Captain Fred Reecl. 
The vessel was attached to the Tenth Division of the Mississippi Squadron 
and was as'signed to patrol duty on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. 
After considerably more than a year's arduous and dangerous experience the 
youth was honorably discharged from the service November 18, 1865, at 
Mound City, Illinois, and returned to Columbus, Ohio, in such a condition 
physically that he was unable to do any active work for several monthsL 

January i, 1866, Mr. McClure entered the employ of S. P. Elliott, a 
baker on High street, Co'lumbus, with whom he remained a year. During 
the succeeding two years he was employed in stone masonry construction and 
acquired a very good knowledge of the stone mason's trade. In December, 
1869, he became a stwitchman in the Columbus yards of the Baltimore & 
Ohio Railroad Company, and in the fall of 1871 he was employed as a brake- 
man on the Indianapolis division of the Pan Handle Railway. After ten 
months' service in that capacity he was, luly 22, 1872, given a position as 
fireman on the same road, which he held until August, 1874, when he re- 
signed it voluntarily and for a time was out of the railway service. In Feb- 
ruary, 1875, he wasi again employed in railroads yards at Columbus and later 
again accepted a position as fireman on the Pan Handle. 

Early in 1876 Mr. McClure was promoted to the position of yard engin- 
eer at Cohmibus, and a few months later was promoted to road service, a 
position which he held until January 27. 1883. From that time until May 
21, 1883, l^e was engineer on the Cincinnati Southern Railway, and after 
that was employed until July 5, 1883, on the Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis 
Narrow Gauge Railway. August 27, 1883, he became an engineer in the 
service of the Scioto Valley Railroad, now a part of the Norfolk & Western 
Railway, and has filled that position continuously to this time, having been 
a passenger engineer since September 25, 1887. He became a member 
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1880 and has been an active 
and helpful member of the order since, being chief engineer of Division No. 
72, one term. 

Mr. McClure was married December 10. 1868, to ]\Iissi Elizabeth Nowell, 
who died March 28, 1881, after having borne him three children as follows: 
Charles R. was born October 27, 1869, and is in the employ of the Pennsyl- 
vania Railway Company, and is not married. John F., born August 5, 1871, 
is married and is also in the Pennsylvania Railway service. Sadie G. married 
Thomas Heilman and lives in Pennsylvania. Air. j\IcClure's second wife, 
whom he married June 21, 1884. was Miss Hannah Blankinship, of fronton, 
Lawrence county, Ohio, whose Welsh ancestors early emigrated to Virginia. 
She was born at Coalgrove, Lawrence county, Ohio. Her father died there 
December 2, 1865. Her father was a member of the One Hundred aiid 
liighty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the last year of the 
Civil war, and after serving five months received a sunstroke, while on an 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5^3 

arduous march, from the effects of which he died. He had three brothers, 
Fusion Blankinship, now deceased; John, deceased; and Hiram Blankin- 
ship, of Portland, Oregon. Mrs. McChire's mother was born in Scott county, 
Virginia, and is living in Kimball county, Nebraska. Josephine Blankin- 
ship, Mrs. McClure's eldest sister, married Joseph Hoke, of Silver Lake, 
Indiana, and they have three children, named Bertha, Charles and John. 
Her sister Maud married John Klei, and is living at Portsmouth. Ohio. 
Blanche, her youngest sister, married James H. Lindsay, of New Cumber- 
land, West Virginia, and has a son named Edwin-. Mrs. McClure's brother, 
Chades Perry Blankinship, is living in California, is married and has three 
children: Charles, Josephine and Rowland. 

Mr. McClure has advanced to his present good position as a railroad 
man and his creditable standing as a citizen by his own unaided efforts. 
Though not a practical politician he has decided views on public questions 
and is not without influe'-'-.e in his party. 

LAFAYETTE WOODRUFF. 

A prominent phvsician of Columbus, Ohio, is the subject of the present 
sketch. Lafayette Woodruff was born December 27, 1830, in Warren county, 
Ohio, a son of Israel and Sarah (McNabb) Woodruff, and a grandson 
of Jesse Woodnrff, well known in early days in the state. Having obtained 
a preparatory education in the academy at Lebanon, Ohio, he read medicine 
under Dr. F. A. Williamson, at Harvey sburg. Ohio, beginning in 1848, later 
attending lectures at the Ohio Medical College, in Cincinnati, and Starling 
Miedical College, at Columbus, taking his degree in the latter in 1852. He 
located in Alton, Ohio, and continued there in practice until March 19, 1900, 
when he removed to his present location. 

Dr. Woodruff served as an assistant surgeon in the Civil war in 186 1-2, 
in the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Fie is a prominent 
member of many medical associations, belonging to the Ohio State Medical 
Society; the American Medical Association; the Central Ohio IMedical Society, 
of whi'ch he was president in 1883; the Madison County Medical Association, 
of wdiich he was president in 1875; of the Alumni Association of Starling 
Medical College, and a member of the board of censors of that college; and 
socially is also connected with the Masonic fraternity; the Grand Army of 
the Republic; and in addition is medical examiner for several life insurance 
companies. He is at present the president of the board of pension examining 
surgeons for Franklin countv and belongs to the military order of the Loyal 
Legion. Dr. W^oodruff is widelv known among the members of his profes- 
sion and the state at large, bv his literarv productions, including an address 
before the alumni of Starling Medical College, in 1884. published by the 
association in the Columbus Medical Journal ; Amounting, its importance as a 
symptom, published in July, 1894: Polypharmacy, published in December, 



564 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1894; Habitual Constipation, published in the Indiana jMedical Herald, in 
October, 1894; Heredity, in 1901, and other important papers. 

Dr. Woodruff wasi married, November 25, 1856, to Mrs. Maria L. 
Golliday, who died January 10, 1872. His second marriage occurred March 
4, 1874, to Miss Mary L. Miller, a daughter of Rev. John Miller, of Wauseon, 
Ohio, who died July 26, 1898. He married his present wife, who was Miss 
Catherine E. Williams, of Columbus, Ohio, March 15, 1900. Since the spring 
of 1900 our subject and his excellent wife have been residents of the city of 
Columbus, where he commands a lucrative practice. His residence on West 
■Broad street is situated in one of the finest localities in this beautiful city. 

MILTON NE^AR. 

Among the farmers of Jackson township who have grown up with the 
country and not only have seen the improvements in the section but have 
materially assisted in the same, is Milton Near, a resident of Stringtown 
Pike. He was born in Ross county, Ohio, April 30, 1856, a son of Philip and 
Sarah J. (Duff) Near, the form'cr a native of Ross county, the latter of Jack- 
son township, Franklin county. The grandfather of. Mr. Near on the paternal 
side was one of the old settlers of Ross county, having emigrated from Penn- 
sylvania at an early day. Philip Near was a farmer by occupation, but was 
the victim of a cyclone when only thirty years of age, dying before he had 
been able to provide for his family of three small sons. . The mother of 
the subject of this review, although born and reared in Jackson township, 
■located in Ross county after her marriage to Mr. Near. Later she married 
Solomon Swagler and is now a widow, living in Jackson township. Her 
father was one of the old settlers of Jackson township. 

The family of the parents of our subject consisted of three sons : Marion, 
who is a resident of Jackson township; William, who died at the age of 
eight years; and our subject, who was left fatherless at the tender age of 
two years. By her second marriage his mother became the parent of three 
daughters : Emma, now the wife of R. E. Shover, and now resides in Jack- 
son township upon the farm that her grandfather, William Duff', cleared 
and improved; Jennie, the wife of L. J. Kolter, resides in Wapakoneta, Ohio; 
Viola, the wife of Otis Borror, lives upon the farm where Mr. Milton Near 
resided for eleven years in Jackson township. 

When Mr. Near was' brought to Jackson township he was about three 
years of age, and here he grew to manhood, working on his stepfather's farm 
and attending the district school until the date of his marriage. This occurred 
November 7, 1878, to Clara E. Preston, who was born in Pickaway county, 
Ohio, May 2, 1856. She was a daughter of Solomon Preston, a farmer by 
occupation who had emigrated to Ohio at the age of sixteen and had settled 
in Muskingum county, afterward removing from there to Franklin county 
and locating in Jackson township. His first marriage had occurred in Frank- 
lin county, but his second wife was a resident of Madison township, Frank- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 565 

lin county, by the name of Rachel Kramer, and after this marriage Mv. 
Preston, senior, removed to Pickaway county, where he engaged in farming. 
The last years of his life were spent in Columbus, Ohio. 

Mrs. Near, the fifth child in a family of eight children, was reared in 
her native county, enjoying some superior educational advantages, having 
had a course of three years at Winchester. 

Milton Near, after marriage, located near Borror Corners, Jackson town- 
ship, where he rented his stepfather's farm and remained upon it for eleven 
years, leaving it to remove to his present farm which he had bought. Since 
that time he has successfully pursued agricultural pursuits, improving his 
land, which comprises sixty acres and has responded so generously that he 
also engages in marketing. Mr. Near's family numbered seven chil- 
dren: The oldest died in infancy, and the next one lived only to be three 
years old; and the others — Otto S., Guy C, Sheldon, Myrll and Ethel J. — 
are still at home with their parents. 

Mr. and Mrs. Near are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
where they are highly esteemed. He is a Republican in politics and is con- 
sidered one of the representative men of Jackson township. 

EDWARD J. MILLER. 

The scriptural declaration that he who is "faithful in few things" shall 
be made ''master over many," is exemplified in the advancement of every 
competent, honorable and deserving man who has a responsible position in 
a permanent business managed by appreciative and far-seeing employers. 
The name of Edward J. Miller, foreman of the mechanical department of the 
Panhandle machine shops at Columbus. Ohio, is presented as that of one who 
in his career has exemplified the truth of the declaration referred to above. 

Mr. Miller was born at Zanesville, Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1863, 
a son of Nicholas J. and Catherine (Gabel) Miller. His father, a native of 
Germany, came to the United States in 1858. A carpenter by trade, he for 
a time found employment at hisi trade in Zanesville, but eventually retired 
from active business. He had nine sons and daughters, of whom Edward 
J. IMiller was the second born. The boy was educated in the Zanesville high 
school and at the Zanesville Business College. In 1879 he apprenticed him- 
self to the H. & F. Blandy Machine Company, of Zanesville, builders of port- 
able and stationary engines, by which he was employed four years. After 
that he went to Newark, Ohio, and was for several months employed 
by the Newark Machine Company. We next find him in the emplov 
of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Company, in its machine shop at Garrett, 
Indiana. He afterward worked at Chicago, Illinois, and at Kansas City, 
Missouri. Later he returned to Ohio and entered the service of the Morgan 
Engineering Company, at Alliance. From there he came to Columbus and 
began work in the old Piqua shops west of High street as a machinist. In 
1886 the shops were moved on the hill, and he was also transferred. In 



566 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1887 the value of liis services was recognized l>y his appointment as acting 
foreman of the machine department of the Panhandle machine shops at 
Columbus, and he was soon afterward made foreman and given control of 
the shops and a large number of employes'. Being a skilled mechanic, thor- 
oughly acquainted with the construction and operation of machinery in all 
its parts, he is able to direct and assist officially in every department of the 
shops and virtually has oversight of thirteen hundred men. In 1889 Mr. 
Miller associated himself in business with P. C. Krouse, the firm being known 
as P. C. Krouse & Company, jewelers, at 232 North High street, which has 
grown from a small plant to its present magnitude. 

In 1897 Mr. Miller married Miss Anna Abrams, a daughter of Thomas 
Abrams, of ColumbuS'. Politically he is a strong Republican and takes a deep 
interest in all matters of public importance calculated to affect the interests 
of the people of his city, county or country. He is a Knight of Pythias and 
a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a popular 
Mason, who, after having been made a Master Mason, was exalted to the 
august degree of a Royal Arch Mason and constituted, created and dubbed a 
Knight Templar. 

WILLIAM A. HARDESTY. 

Honored and respected by all, there is no man in Columbus who occupies 
a more enviable position than William A. Hardesty in industrial and financial 
circles, not alone on account of the brilliant success he has achieved, but also 
on account of the honorable, straightforward business policy he has ever fol- 
lowed. He possesses untiring energy, is quick of perception, forms his plans 
readily and is determined in their execution ; and his close application to busi- 
ness and his excellent management have brought to him the high degree of 
prosperity which is to-day his ; and he has demonstrated the truth of the saying 
that success is not the result of genius, but the outcome of a clear judgment 
and experience. He is now president of the State Savings Bank and Trust 
Company, president of the Columbus Varnish Company and owner of the 
Capital City Mills, at Columbus. 

Mr. Hardesty was born at Malvern, Carroll county. Ohio, February 
14, 1848, and is a son of Thomas and Mary J. (Collins) Hardesty. Hisi 
grandfather was William Hardesty. The father was a native of Ohio and 
was a merchant and miller, continuing in those various lines of businessi until 
within a short time of his death, which occurred in 1870. His wife was a 
native of Virginia. 

The subject of this review spent his boyhood daysi in Malvern, Ohio, 
and attended the public schools there, acquiring his preliminary education, 
M'hich was supplemented by a business course in P. DufT's Business College, 
in Pittsburg. On leaving that institution he entered upon his business career 
in his nineteenth year, l3ecoming connected with the milling interests at 
Canal Dover. He operated his mills at that point successfully until 1872, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. S^7 

when he purchased an interest in another mill at the same place, continuing 
its conduct until 1880, when he came to Columbus and built the Capital City 
Mills, which are supplied vnth all the latest and best improved machinery, 
including a complete roller system as well as the best separators. The mill 
is operated by steam power and the capacity is five hundred barrels in twenty- 
four hours;. Mr. Hardesty has a large local trade, and the surplus, which is 
also quite extensive, is shipped to different cities throughout the United 
Kingdom. It is not difficult to find a market for their product, for it is of 
superior grade and quality and is thus easily sold. Mr. Hardesty is a prac- 
tical miller, his connection with the business dating from his early manhood, 
so that he is well versed in the mechanical operation, at the same time being 
fully competent to control its financial and trade interests. A man of resource- 
furability, his efforts have not been confined to this one line, for he has 
extended the field of his labors and his) counsel has proven an important 
factor in the successful management of other enterprises. He assisted in 
the organization of the Columbus Varnish Company, of which he is the 
president and one of the principal stockholders, and he is vice-president of the 
Hanna Paint Manufacturing Company, of Columbus, also a director in the 
Columbus Machine Company. In 1892 he joined with other promment and 
reliable citizens in the organization of the State Savings Bank & Trust_ Com- 
pany, and was thereupon elected its president, in which capacity^ he is still 
serving. A general banking business is carried on, and the institution has 
become one of the solid financial concerns of the county and its business 
returns a good dividend to the stockholders. 

In 1870 Mr. Hardesty was united in marriage to Miss Delia F. _AIoore, 
of New Philadelphia, Ohio, a daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Dickson) 
Moore. They now have three children,— Florence M., Thomas M. and 
Helen Josephine. Their home is a neat and substantial residence at No. 
91 Hamilton avenue. His career has ever been such as to warrant the trust 
and confidence of the business world, for he has ever conducted all trans- 
actions with the strictest business principles of honor and integrity. 

HUGH V. McDER^IOTT. 

So comparativelv few are the accidents which occur in railroad service 
that the public little 'realize how greatly indebted it is to the employes who 
have charge of the trains that daily carry their human freight from point to 
point The great corporations which control the railroad lines of the country 
demand of their representatives the most painstaking care and thus in safety 
the travel of the country continues day by day. Mr. McDermott is among the 
well known representatives of the Pennsylvania line, occupying the position 
of conductor. His home is located at No. 750 St. Clair avenue, in Columbus, 
and in the city, as well as among the patrons of the road, he has many warm 
friends. . . , . . , ., 

When twenty-four years of age the subject of this review began rail- 



568 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

roading, accepting a position as section workman on the Pennsylvania road 
May 14, 1881. in the summer of the same year he secured a position as 
brakeman and on the ist of October, 1883, he was promoted to that of a 
conductor, in which capacity he has since faithfully performed his important 
duties, his run being on the Pittsburg division between Columbus and Den- 
nision, Ohio. He has always been at the post of duty and has never sustained 
any personal injuries during his long connection with railroad service. He 
is now recognized as one of the most popular and efficient conductors on his 
line, his obliging manner, genial disposition and unfailing courtesy winning 
hmi the esteem and good will of all with whom he comes in contact. 

On the 15th of October, 1889, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
McDermott and Miss Olive Moody, of Dennison, Ohio, and unto them 
have been born four children: Helen, born September 12, 1890; Hazel, born 
August 3, 1892; Catherine, born August 2, 1897; and Hugh, born August 
15, 1900. In 1885 Mr. McDermott became a member of Division No. 100, 
of the Order of Railway Conductors, at Columbus, and in 1895 he was 
transferred to Division No. 278, at Dennison, Ohio. He is a prominent 
member of the Orders of Foresters and Hibernians. He and his family are 
communicants of St. Peter's Catholic church in the capital city. He has 
resided in Columbus since 1889 and 'has here a wide acquaintance among men 
whose respect he commands by reason of his sterling worth. 

FREDERICK WILLIAM STELLHORN, D. D. 

In the sphere of his special vocation, one of the most eminent of the 
citizens of Columbus is Frederick William Stellhorn, D. D., who has been 
connected with the Capital University as a professor of theology since 1881. 
His duty and his choice have limited his work and influence mainly to the 
church and theological learning, so that he is not so well known to the gen- 
eral public even in his own city ; but his ability is recognized in the Lutheran 
church throughout our land and other lands, and his labors have contributed 
much toward shaping the course of events in the congregations and synods 
of our country. His extensive learning, his profound thinking and his lucid 
speech have given him eminence which those who appreciate his sincere 
devotion and persistent work could not fail to accord. 

Frederick William Stellhorn was born in a little village of Hanover, Ger- 
many, on the 2d of October, 1841. His parents were poor and could do 
but little to give him an eminent position in the world, if they ever had any 
such thought : it is likely that they never had. They were devoted and 
therefore humble members of the Evangelical Lutheran church and were 
instructed in the ways of righteousness through faith in the Saviour of the 
world, in this faith they trained their boy. Having been baptized into 
Christ in infancy, he was sent to the village parochial school, where he learned 
besides reading, writing and arithmetic, the gospel truth unto salvation set 
forth in the Lutheran catechism, the^ Bible history and the beautiful hymns 




FREDERICK W. STELLHORN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 569 

of the church. This truth of God was the guide of his life and the joy of 
his heart in all his subsequent career. 

When he was not quite thirteen years old his parents in 1854 emigrated 
to this country with their family and located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. There 
his father died, of cholera, but a week after their arrival. The bereavement 
was great, but an older brother was enabled to supply the wants of the family, 
so that the orphaned boy could still have the advantages of a good educa- 
tion. He entered the parochial school connected with the Lutheran con- 
gregation then in charge of Dr. Sihler, and in the following spring, having 
attended a course of instruction by the pastor, was received as a communicant 
member by the rite of confirmation in the fifteenth year of his age. Not- 
withstanding the limited circumstances of the family, it was desired that he 
should have further educational advantages, and means were found to realize 
the desire. The practical seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Missouri: 
Synod for the Education of Ministers was then located at Fort Wayne, and 
he entered that institution as a student in the autumn of 1857. Two years- 
afterward he was sent to the Concordia College at St. Louis, where he grad- 
uated in 1862. He then entered the theological seminary of the same synod. 
in the same city and completed the prescribed course of three years and 
was graduated as a candidate for the Lutheran ministry in 1865. 

His first call was to become assistant pastor in the large congregation 
of Rev. J. F. Buenger, in St. Louis. Fie accepted this call, although he w^as- 
in doubt whether he could long endure the hot climate. His fears provedi 
well founded, for in little more than a year he was incapacitated for the work- 
by a sunstroke, from which he recovered slowly and which, notwithstanding; 
his efforts to go on with his labors, compelled him to resign, much against 
the wishes of the congregation. He then, in 1867, accepted a call to a sma!? 
congregation in Indiana, where the work was comparatively light and where 
he had ample opportunity toi recuperate and to continue his studies. But 
it was only a few years that he was permitted to enjoy this retreat. In 1869 
he was called to a professorship in the Northwestern University, at Water- 
town, Wisconsin, where he spent five years in teaching ancient languages. 
As this was in accordance with his inclinations, he, in 1874, accepted a call 
to a similar position in Concordia College, his ahna mater, where he expected 
to have a larger field of usefulness, though his present field of labor was 
quite congenial. 

After six years of work at Fort Wayne troubles came. They were not 
in his department of work, and were not of a nature to affect his position ; 
but as a member of the church he was interested in the controversies which 
arose, and as a constant student of theological subjects he was doubly inter- 
ested in them. The Missouri Synod, of which he was a member and under 
whose control the college was, in which he was a professor, promulgated a 
doctrine of predestination, which is essentially Calvinistic and which he. as: 
an earnest Lutheran, could not accept. He was therefore at war with his 
own synod, and was glad to accept a call which was extended to him to a 



570 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

higher position, by the synod of Ohio, which was not in harmony with the 
synod of Missouri. He accepted the call to a professorship of theology in 
Capital University, and since the spring of 1881 has been performing the 
duties of his office in quietness and in strength at Capital University, in the 
city of Columbus, a part of that time also serving as the president of the col- 
lege after the resignation of Dr. Schuette. 

It is only since Professor Stellhorn has come to Columbus that he has 
fully developed his strength. Here he has had a field of labor that has fur- 
nished the proper opportunities for his varied powers. In conn'ection with 
his college and semiiiary work, into- which he entered with a zeal that is born 
of faith and love, he became the editor of the German weekly journal pub- 
lished by the synod, and later of the theological bi-monthly, as well as a 
contributor to other periodicals and being active in other synodical labors. 
He has also published books of value to the church, prominent among which 
are a dictionary of New Testament Greek, a practical commentary on the 
four gospels for popular use in Enghsh, a commentary on the Acts of the 
-Vpostles, and an exposition of the pastoral epistles in German. His favorite 
studies and labors are in the line of exegesis, for which he has eminent quali- 
cations, both natural and acquired, his judgment being accurate and profound 
and his knowledge of the original languages of the Scripture being extensive 
and critical. He is engaged at present on a commentary on the Epistle to 
the Romans, which is appearing in parts m the Theological Magazine, and 
'will no doubt soon be published in book form. 

Dr. Stellhorn was married in 1866 to Miss Christiana Buenger, who 
was a faithful helper to him in all of his labors and trials, and with whom 
lie lived happily until her death, in 1899.. In this union eight children were 
born to him, four sons and four daughters. Three of these sons are pastors 
of Evangelical Lutheran congregations, respectively at Marion, Sandusky 
and Botkms, Ohio, and the oldest daughter is the wife of Rev. L. Hess, the 
pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran church at Crestline, Ohio. One daugh- 
ter died at the age of four years. One son and two daughters still remain 
with their father at the old home across the w'ay from the campus and build- 
ings of Capital University, and there he still continues to perform the ardu- 
ous and effective work which duty and love have laid upon him, and which 
the synod hopes will in the goodness of God be continued yet for many years. 

JOSEPH ^I. BRIGGS. 

One of the oldest residents and most prominent citizens of Franklin 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, is Joseph M. Briggs. the subject of this 
sketch. Mr. Briggs was born upon the land where his home is now located, 
in the village of Briggsdale, November 25. 1833. The grandmother of our 
subject. Alary Briggs, widow of Edward Briggs, a soldier in the war of 181 2, 
emigrated from New Jersey to Franklin county in 181 6, and settled on the 
west side of the Scioto river, four miles south of the present city of Colum- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 57i 

bus. She had a family of seven children, — ^John, Henry, Nicholas, Mary, 
Catherine, Lydia and George. The latter went to New York, and there 
became a prominent man in political and business life. He was three times 
elected to congress and was a strong Whig for many years, but later adopted 
the principles of the American party. The father of our subject was Nicholas 
Briggs, who was born on the 26th of February, 1807, and with his brothers, 
John and Henry, he bought a large tract of land in the vicinity of what is now 
Briggsdale. They improved the land, but had to contend with a great deal 
of sickness of a malarial nature, incident to the settling up of any new coun- 
try, and from this disease Nicholas Briggs died in 1843. He was a Whig, 
although he voted for Jackson in 1828, and in 1840 cast his ballot for Harri- 
son. The name of the mother of our subject was Martha Johnson Cham- 
bers, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Franklin county about 1825, mak- 
ing the journey on horseback. She was married in 1832, and lived a widow 
for twenty-one years, attending capably to the business of the estate, not only 
retaining it intact, but adding to it. . Her death occurred in 1864, when she 
had reached her fifty-third year. She was of Holland and Irish ancestry, 
while the Briggs family trace back a long English line and possess a coat of 
arms. The family of our subject's parents consisted of six children: Eliza- 
beth, deceased wife of H. C. Darnell; William, a resident of Columbus; 
Sarah, now the deceased wife of William H. Davis, a resident of Dublin, 
Ohio; Katherine R., the deceased wife of \Mlliam Armistead; and John 
Edward, deceased. 

Joseph M. Briggs, the eldest of the family, was reared on the home farm, 
hisi time being divided between its duties and his attendance upon the district 
school. He also attended the grammar school in Columbus, completing his 
schooling at the Ohio Wxsleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio. He early 
displayed a taste for public life, resulting in his election as township assessor 
at the age of twenty-one years, this being followed by six years' service as 
treasurer. In 1857 he visited Kansas for the purpose of investing in land, 
the trip resulting in a purchase of eleven hundred acres, from which he sold 
a few lots at a large advance in price. In 1864 he became interested in the 
purchase of cotton, making a trip to Vicksburg, ^Mississippi, v.-here he met 
with excellent success. Mr. Briggs is a large land and property OA\ner in 
Briggsdale. He also possesses much property in the city of Columlxis, which 
is of high value, including twenty-seven residences. The rental from all 
of this property aggregates a large amount annually. In 1861 Mr. 
Briggs' was elected first lieutenant of a militia company of one hundred and 
seven men, — Company B, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Militia. — going out to 
defend the state against Morgan's raiders. He was afterward commissioned 
captain of this company by Governor Brough. 

The public services of ]\Ir. Briggs are well known in the county. In 
1880 he was elected county commissioner, his re-election following in 1883. 
His term of service covered more than six years, in which many of the most 
necessary and substantial county improvements were brought to a satis- 



572 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

factory end. It wasi during his administration that the Broad street and 
State street bridges were buih, also the bridge at Diibhn and many others 
through the county, making such permanent improvement that his .services 
earned the thanks of the community. While Mr. Briggs had influence on the 
board the land was bought for the county poor farm and the buildings erected, 
as was also the new court house. Mr. Briggs has taken a great interest in 
the town that bears his name, contributing largely to its interests, and has 
been one of the active promoters of the street railway that runs through it. 
Since 1887 he has been the postmaster of Briggsdale, with the exception of a 
period of nine months, being reappointed to the office, although he has always 
been a Democrat. 

Mr. Briggs was married, October 16, 1867, to Miss Louisana Rans- 
burgh, a native of New Madrid, Missouri, whose father, John Ransburgh, 
many years ago was a citizen of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Briggs have 
reared seven children, — William Irving, John R., Joseph M., Lillie (who is 
the wife of L. W. Morehead), Claud N., Martha and Josephine. During the 
period of thirty-five years Mr. Briggs has been a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, also belongs to the Woodmen and for three years 
has been the president of the Franklin County Pioneer Association. He is 
a consistent and esteemed member of the Methodist church, in which he is a 
trustee. He and his associate trustees are now building a six-thousand-dollar 
church in Briggsdale. No one in the county is more highly regarded than 
the subject of this review, his public services having been acceptable and his 
private life has been without reproach. In all matters pertaining to the 
commercial growth of his iSection he has been earnest and progressive, and 
much of its development may be directly traced to his influence. 

ANDREW G. PUGH. 

Andrew G. Pugh, a contractor for street-paving of all kinds, sewers, 
masonry, etc., was born in this (Franklin) county June 5, 1857, the third 
son of Richard and Elizabeth (Jones) Pugh, who were born and married in 
Wales. Leaving their native country in 1854, the latter sailed for the United 
States. Arriving in New York, they at once proceeded westward, locating 
here in Franklin county, Ohio, where the father engaged in farming pursuits. 
Both his father and mother are still living. 

After his education in the Columbus public schools our subject was 
engaged for about a year in the employ of Brown Brothers, civil engineers. 
In December, 1873; he entered the city engineer's office, under John (Graham, 
civil engineer, and was employed in this office until April, 1878, w^hen he 
entered the service of Kanmacher & Denig, contractors for building the 
Indiana statehouse, under Thomas H. Johnson, the chief engineer for the 
contractors on masonry foundations for the Indiana statehouse at Indianapolis. 
Next he was under W. H. Jenningsi, the chief engineer of the Hocking Valle^y 
Railroad, for a short period, on the location of branch coal lines in Hocking, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 573 

Perry and Athens counties, Ohio. Then he was the clerk for Chief Engineer 
M. J. Becker, of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Raih'oad 
Company, until the spring of 1880, when he was detailed as assistant engineer 
master of work on Indianapolis division of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago 
& St. Louis Railway vuitil the spring of 1882, then appointed superintending 
engineer on the construction of the northeast main trunk sewer at Columbus, 
under John Graham, city engineer, which work was completed December 
15, 1883; diameters of sewers from nine to six feet. Next Mr. Pugh was 
with Thomas H. Johnson again, the principal assistant engineer of the above 
mentioned railroad, on special surveys on the Chicago division. In the 
spring of 1884 he was appointed assistant city engineer, in special charge of 
sewer construction for two years, until the spring of 1886. He vvas the 
superintendent of block stone paving on High street from Xaghten street to 
Livingston avenue for contracts made by Booth & Flinn, of Pittsburg, Penn- 
sylvania, in October, 1886, and built for that firm the first brick roadway in 
Columbus on Spring street from High street to Third street. 

November i, 1886, Mr. Pugh went to New York city, as supermtendent 
for Booth & Flinn, on a large contract they had there for laying gas mains 
for the Standard Gas Company, and completed this work with a large force 
of men by December 31, that year. Next, under M. J. Becker, the chief engin- 
eer of the Pennsylvania lines, Mr. Pugh was the superintending engineer on 
the sev/er system built at the Columbus shops in January. February and 
March, 1887, and superintendent of masonry on the Little :\Iiami, Louisville, 
Richmond and Chicago divisions until the close of the year 1887. During 
the next March, 1888, he commenced work as a contractor, and is still engaged 
in business wherever contracts can be secured. He laid the first concrete 
foundation for brick streets in Columbus, in 1899, and for the street railway 
in this city on Neil street from Spring street to Naghten street in 1899. 

October 25, 1882, Mr. Pugh was married to IMiss ^Mary Helen Black, 
a daughter of John and Edna (Mann) Black, of Richmond, Indiana, and 
thev have had two children,— Edna Helen and Grace Black. ]\Its. Pugh 
died July 12, 1894, and Mr. Pugh was again married, this time, September 
I, 1896, to Miss Jessie Miles, a daughter of Yearsley and Minerva (Fitz- 
water) Miles. Mr. Pugh is a member of Goodale Lodge, No. 372, F. & 
A. M., and has attained the Knight Templar degrees, also the thirty-second 
degree of the Scottish rite; and^ he is also a member of Aladdin Temple, 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. 

In his professional work he has his office rooms at Nos. 41 and 42 
Dispatch Butler block, and his residence is at No. 875 Franklin avenue. 

LORENZO D. ALLEGRE. 

Lorenzo D. Allegre, deceased, was. one who for many years exerted a 
strong influence for good in Franklin county. As the morning of hope, the 
noontide of activity and the evening of completed effort ending in the grate- 



574 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ful rest and quiet of the night, so was the hfe of this good man. He was 
born in Madison county, Kentucky, March 25, 1805. His father, James 
Allegre, born in Kentucky, was a prominent farmer of Albany, Delaware 
county, Indiana, through a number of years, removing to that place from 
Highland county, Ohio, and here he spent his remaining days. His children 
were: Matilda, who became the wife of John Mann and died in Indiana; 
Lorenzo; Lucinda, deceased; Erasmus, married, and Asbury, married, both 
of whom died in Indiana; Rhoda, deceased' wife of Evan Evans; Mary, 
deceased wife of William Denton; and Minerva, deceased, the wife of 
Simeon Long; Calista, the deceased wife of ^^'ade Posey, a Methodist 
minister; and James and Emily, deceased. 

Lorenzo Dow Allegre spent the first eleven years of his life in the state 
of his nativity and then accompanied his parents' on their removal to High- 
land county and soon afterward to Fayette county, Ohio, so that he became 
a resident of the state in 18 16. On leaving that county he took up his abode 
on his farm in Franklin county in 1850, upon which he spent his remaining 
days. Throughout his business career he carried on agricultural pursuits and 
was the owner of a good tract of land which yielded to him an excellent liv- 
ing in return for the care and labor he bestowed upon it. As a companion and 
helpmeet on the journey of life he chose Angeline Taylor, their wedding 
being celebrated on the 21st of June, 1827. For more than sixty-two years 
they lived happily together, their mutual love and confidence increasing as 
the years went by. Mrsi. Allegre was a daughter of Aquilla Taylor, who 
was born August 8, 1764, in Frederick county, Maryland, and with his wife, 
Rachel E. Taylor, came to Ohio, locating in Clermont county in 181 7, where 
they made a permanent home. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Allegre were born eight 
children : Emily, who died at the age of fifteen ; Francis Marion, of Ander- 
r-on county, Kansas, is married ; Angeline, the wife of William Kern, is 
deceased ; Wesley, married, who died in Indiana ; Mary, the wife of Joseph 
W. Tipton; William, who was a member of the Sixtieth Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and died in 1881 ; Emily, the wife of Isaac Tipton, o'f Columbus; 
and Rachel Elizabeth, the wife of James Butler Taylor. 

Mr. Allegre was to his family a devoted and affectionate husband and 
father. He endeavored to instill into the minds of his children lessons of 
industry, uprightness and probity. He counseled them to love one another 
and especially to care for their mother. He was always doing service for 
others, always appreciated what was done for himself and he expressed much 
gratitude to his friends and neighbors for attention during hisi last illness. 
In early manhood he was specially impressed with the immortal declaration 
*'all men are created free and equal," and he regarded African slavery as 
barbarous, advocated its overthrow, always felt that the down-trodden colored 
man and the poor and needy of every race had a claim upon him and in dis- 
pensing hist charities he learned that "it was more blessed to give than to 
receive." By acts of kindness and benevolence he laid the foundation of the 
respect which in his old age was constantly shown him throughout the com- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 575 

munity in which he Hved. A home of poverty was always sure to attract his 
attention and received from him a measure of rehef proportionate to his: means 
and to the necessities of those whom he aided. For many years he was a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church and was a devout Christian gentle- 
man. He died in the faith of that denomination, at his home in Prau'ie 
township, October 14, 1889. 

"His life was noble, and the elements 
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up ^ 
And say to all the world — This was a man." 

Mrs. Allegre died at the old home in Prairie township November 26, 
1893. She wa's born in Frederick county, Maryland, and at the age of four- 
teen years came with her parents to Ohio, where she experienced many of the 
hardships and privations of pioneer life. She was a lady of quiet disposition, 
with no trace of revenge or enmity in her nature. She possessed a wonder- 
ful memory and could relate many incidents of the early days m Franklin 
county During her childhood she joined the Methodist Episcopal church 
and was ever afterward one of its faithful members. She loved to read her 
Testament and all good books. Her influence was marked, although quietly 

Mrs Taylor the youngest member of her family, was born in Fayette 
county March 6, '1846, and was four years of age when brought by her par- 
ents to Franklin county. She attended the district schools, her first teacher 
beino- William Beech. At heme she was trained by her mother m the duties 
of tbe household and on the 5th of January, 1868, she gave her hand m mar- 
riage to James B. Taylor, by whom she had two children : Daisy Dell, who 
died in infancy ; and Lorenzo Erwin, who was' born on the home farm Sep- 
tember o^ 1871. There he was reared and attended the district schools imtil 
eighteen years of age. His grandfather died about that time and the labors 
of the old homestead devolved upon him. He has since carried on general 
farming and is a worthy representative of his honored ancestry. He was 
married, October 24, 1894. to Miss Chloe Doherty, a daughter of Jame.j M. 
Dohertv now deceased. They have two children: Daisv Gertrude, born 
July 11V1897; and Norman, born November 5, 1900. In his political views 
Lorenzo E. Taylor is a stanch Republican. 

JAMES E. CRUM. 

Well known as a prominent farmer of Prairie township. James E. Crtim 
Is certainly worthy of mention in this volume. He was born eight miles 
northwest of Columbus on the i6th of December. 1848. He is a grandson 
of Cornelius Crum. and a son of Samuel D. Crum. The latter was born in 
Huntingdon county, Pennsvlvania, near Enosville, and there resided until 
nineteen years of age, wheii he left the Keystone state and became a resident 



576 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of Ohio, acconipanyino- his parents on their removal to this state. The edu- 
cational privileges which he enjoyed were those afforded by the common 
schools and his life was spent in the usual manner of farmer lads who assist 
in the work of field and meadow. He was married in Norwich township 
to Miss Martha Gray, a daughter of James Gray. After his marriage he 
engaged in farming for a number of years, when he purchased .Fishinger's 
mill in Norwidi township, on the Scioto river, following that pursuit for 
five or six years. He afterward was a resident of Hilliard, and later removed 
to Columbus, where he established a grocery store, which he conducted for 
four years. In 1869 he traded his store for farm property in Prairie town- 
sliip, becoming the owner of the tract of land which is now in the posses- 
sion of his son James E. He operated his fields for a number of years, 
and then sold' that property and again took up his abode in Hilliard, where 
he was engaged in the grain business. In connection with Mr. Koehler 
he engaged in dealing in stock for a time. He afterward engaged in farming, 
liaving a six-acre tract of land near Hilliard. He died in that town in 
ylugust, 1888, respected by all who knew him. He was twice married, his 
first wife passing away in 1859. Two years later, in 1861, he wedded Miss 
Jane C. Parker, a native of the Empire state, who survived him for some 
time. Unto Samuel and Alartha (Gray) Crum were born eight children, 
namely: Cornelius, who was accidently killed by the cars' in Hilliard, when 
seventeen A^ears of age; Mary E., the .wife of Hosea Romick, of Hilliard; 
James E., of this review; Jobn and Sarah, who died in infancy; Samantha, 
the deceased wife of David Hamilton; and William R. and Edward T., both 
of whom are residents of Kansas. 

James E. Crum has spent nearly his entire life in Franklin county. He 
pursued his education in the public 'schools through the winter terms and in 
Delaware College, where he was a student for a year. The summer months 
or vacation were passed upon the home farm, where he took his place in the 
fields. At the age of nineteen he completed his literary course and put aside 
his text^books in order to enter upon the responsible dutiesi of life. He 
continued as his father's assistant until his marriage, which was celebrated 
on the 5th of December, 1872, Miss Julia M. McWilliams becoming his 
wife. She is a daughter of John W. and Ellen (Postle) McWilliams, and 
by her marriage has become the mother of three children, one son and two 
daughters: Harry Clyde, Leonora and Edna E., all yet with their parents, 
the family circle remaining unbroken by the hand of death. 

After his marriage Mr. Crum located upon his farm of thirty-five acres, 
one mile west of Alton, and there resided for seven years, when he sold that 
property and rented a 'farm in Norwich township, belonging to his uncle, 
William Crum. He resided there for two years and then purchased his 
present farm comprising sixty acres of the rich land of Prairie township. 
He has made all of the improvements upon the place, has built fences, sub- 
stantial buildings, laid many rods of tiling and has added the modern acces- 
sories and improvements found upon a model farm of the twentieth century. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. S77 

He carries on general farming and stock raising and is meeting with cred- 
itable success in his undertakings. Mr. Crum is a citizen of worth who 
v;ithholds his support from no measure or movement calculated to prove of 
general good. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church 
of Galloway. He takes an active part in its work and has served as steward 
and trustee. He joined the church at the age of sixteen years, and his wife 
has also long been a member. Socially he is connected with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows in Galloway, and in politics he is a stanch Republican, 
unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the party. 

ROGERS k ROGERS. 

One of the oldest representative law firms in Columbus is that of Rogers 
& Rogers. The members of the firm, John F. and Charles M. Rogers, are 
brothers, 'belonging to one of the oldest and most respected and honored 
pioneer families of Franklin county. 

The Rogers family is of English lineage, some of whom emigrated to 
America and settled in New England at an early period. William Rogers 
and his wife Mary located at Bradford, Connecticut, about 1690, from whom 
are descended Jonathan and his son Eli, who was born at Westfield, ^lassa- 
chusetts, in 1740. Eli Rogers moved to Lowville, New York, and his son 
Eli, born October 15, 1769, married Abigail Moore, from which union there 
were born three daughters and nine sons, of whom Apollos Rogers, born 
July 22), 1792, the grandfather of the subject of this review, was the second 
son. 

Apollos Rogers married Keturah Hough and resided at Houseville. 
Lewis county. New York, until her death, September 3, 183 1, leaving four 
children. After her death he married Emily (Clapp) Rogers, and in the 
fall of 1836 removed from Lewis county, New York, to Franklin county, 
Ohio, buying and settling on three hundred acres of heavily timbered land 
on the west side of the Scioto, which is now known as the Marcellus Rogers 
farm in Norwich township. His family consisted of the following children : 
Milton, who has always been a farmer and now resides on a part of the old 
home farm; Martin, the father of our subjects; Marcellus, who was a farmer 
and died at the old homestead April 15, 1890; and Amanda, who is the wife 
of E. C. Stevens, of Grandin, North Dakota. Afterward, by the second 
marriage, twin sons, Eli A., a farmer near Hilliard, Ohio, and Ela C, of 
Daytona, Florida, were born. Apollos Rogers' died September 17, 1840, 
and was survived by his wife, Emily, who died February 9, 1871. They 
were devoted members of the IMethodist Episcopal church, and in the com- 
munity where they resided enjoyed the confidence and respect of all with 
Avhom they came in contact. 

Martin Rogers, the father of our subjects, was born in the Empire state 
September 2, 1824, and was therefore twelve years of age when he came 
with his father to Ohio. He was reared upon the home farm, became a 



578 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

farmer and has alway.s followed that occupation. He married Miss Abigail 
Merriss, who was born near Dublin, Franklin county, Ohio, February 23, 
1826, and died May 20, 1890. Her father, Benjamin J. Merriss, was a 
native of Vermont, and married in Franklin county, Ohio, Angeline Strain, 
a native of Virginia. The Merriss family were originally from England, 
and became early settlers of New England. Benjamin J. Merriss was a 
farmer wlio resided near Hilliard, Franklin county, Ohio, and died there 
July 13, 1865. The marriage of Martin Rogers and Abigail Merriss was 
blessed with the following children: John F. and Charles M., of this review; 
Ion Elhvood and Adella May, all of whom reside in Columbus. 

John F. Rogers was born March 21, 1853, spent his boyhood days on 
his father's farm and attended the common schools of Norwich township. 
He became a student of the law under the direction of William C. Stewart, of 
Columbus, Ohio. His reading was subsequently directed by William J. 
Clarke, and on the 2d day of June, 1880, he w^as admitted to the bar by the 
supreme court of Ohio, and began the practice of his chosen profession. 
Charles M. Rogers was born November 30, 1854, attended the common 
schools and was later graduated at Otterbein University, in the class of 
1877. He then read law with the firm of Harrison, Olds & Marsh, of 
Columbus, and was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of Ohio in 
]^\Iarch, 1880. The brothers at once formed a partnership and opened offices 
in Columbus, under the firm name of Rogers & Rogers. They have ever 
since been engaged in the general law practice, and have gained a reputation 
of high standing as representatives of the legal profession in central Ohio. 
In 1898 Charles M. Rogers was appointed referee in bankruptcy for Frank- 
lin county by Hon. George R. Sage, judge of the United States district court 
for the southern district of Ohio, and has since filled that office with efficiency 
and distinction. He is recognized as a high authority on bankruptcy law. 

Throughout their business career John F. and Charles M. Rogers, by 
their thorough knowledge of the law and their careful preparation and suc- 
cessful management of important litigation, have won and retained the respect 
and admiration of their contemporary lawyers. Their many sterling traits 
of character, their strict integrity, their courteous, unostentatious manner 
and their conscientious counsiel have given them the full confidence not only 
of the members of their profession but also of their fellow citizens. The 
acquaintance of such men is a pleasure and their companionship a favor. 

JOHN FREDERICK HORCH. 

All that can be said in praise of American citizens of German nativity, 
and that is a good deal, applies to the subject of this sketch, a well-known 
and successful farmer of Washington township, Franklin county, Ohio, who 
was born in Baden, Germany, May 11, 1839. Mr. Horch's grandfather in 
the paternal line was a farmer and lived and died in Germany. Abraham 
Hoirch, father of John F. Horch, was born in Baden, Germany. November 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 579 

21, 1805. He left school at fourteen years of age and devoted himself to 
farm work, and in due time married Margaret Neu. In 1846, with his wife 
and children, he came to the United States, sailing from Havre, France, to 
New York city, where he landed after a voyage which had consumed thirty 
days. From New York they w^ent to Buffalo, and thence to Cleveland, Ohio, 
by lake. From Cleveland they made their way by canal to Columbus, and 
thence to Washington township, where they stayed for a short time under 
the roof of Mr. Horch's brother Jacob, who had come to the United States 
two years earlier and was then living on his own farm. In the fall of 1846 
Abraham Hoirch and his family located on a farm in the southwestern part 
of Washington township, which he had purchased and which became a land- 
mark in that part of the county when the Lutheran church was built on it. 
It consisted of eighty acres of land, one-half of which was cleared, and the 
family began their life there in a hewed-log house, thirty by forty feet in area, 
which was divided into two rooms and which had a big wide fireplace in 
which huge logs were consumed. Mrs. Ho-rch died on that pioneer farm 
before the close of the year of her arrival there, and Mr. Horch later mar- 
ried Miss Annie Miller, who was a native of Germany. 

By his first mardage Mr. Horch had children as follows : Jacob, who 
married Mary Fladt, and died in Norwich township, Franklin county ; Mary, 
who became Mrs. Samuel Paulus, of Dublin ; Henry, who married Charlotte 
Wolpert, and died in Dublin; John F., who is the immediate suliject of this 
sketch; Barbara; and Laura, who died of cholera in 1848. Abraham and 
Annie (Miller) Horch had born to them the following children: Carolme, 
who became Mrs. George Geyer, of Franklin township, Franklin county; 
Michael, who married Mary Ring, and lives in Perry township; Samuel, 
who married Margaret Datz, and lives in Washington township; George, 
who married Margaret Smith, and lives on the family homestead in Wash- 
mgton township. 

John F. Horch attended school one year in his native land, and was 
seven years old when his parents came to the United States. He was reared 
to manhood on his father's farm in Franklin county and attended school in 
a log schoolhouse in his district when his services were not required on his 
father's farm, where he remained until he was twenty-one years old. He 
then worked for a year on the farm of John Thomas in Perry township, and 
after that for two years as a brick mason for his brother-in-law, Samuel 
Paulus, of Dublin, Franklin county. Mr. Thomas paid him one hundred and 
forty-five dollars for his year's service in addition to his board, and Mr. 
Paulus paid him one hundred dollars the first year and one hundred and 
twenty dollars the second vear. He now returned to farming, renting from 
his father a tract of land'iust west of the Horch home farm. He worked 
rented land for eleven vears. and then bought eighty acres now owned by 
Philip Wolpert and John A. Horch, on which he lived until 1879. when he 
exchanged it for one hundred acres of his present farm, to which he has 
since added twenty acres. His residence was completed iu its present form 



58o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in 1887, and he has made many other improvements on the place, incUiding 
fencing- and tihng. He also owns a farm of one hundred and six acres on 
Hayden run in Norwich township, Franklin county, and is everywhere recog- 
nized as a good farmer and a useful citizen, indutrious, intelligent, hospita- 
ble, public spirited and helpful to all local interests. 

In politics he is a Democrat, and he is a member of the Lutheran church 
of his township, whose present house of worship was dedicated October 14, 
1900, and which he was influential in erecting as an active member of the 
building committee. His father, Abraham Horch, died on his homestead 
in Washington township, Franklin county, July 24, 1898, at the age of ninety- 
three. 

John F. Horch was married December 16, 1862, to Miss Barbara Wol- 
pert, who was born in Hesse, Germany, April 4, 1843, ^ daughter of Chris- 
tian VVolpert, and died June 19, 1865. His second wife, whom he married 
April 6, 1866, was Catherine Scheuer, a daughter of George Peter and 
Christina Scheuer. She was born December 14, 1841, in Hesse, Germany, 
and emigrated w4th her parents to America in 1847, finally locating in Mor- 
row county, Ohio. By his first marriage he had children as follows : Mary 
M., born January 19, 1863, who married John Orb, of Columbus, Ohio; and 
Christian, born August 17, 1864, who died at Chicago, Illinois, in 1899. 
We give a few items concerning the children of the second marriage as fol- 
lows: Abraham, born February 25, 1867, died in infancy; Jacob Abraham, 
born February 16, 1868, concerning whom more is said further on; Will- 
iam, who was born February i, 1870, married Emma Finch, and lives in 
Washington township; George Philip, born April 19, 1872, is a successful 
school teacher; Michael was born July 4, 1874, married Lena Pretz in August, 
1900, and lives in Washington township; Anna Margaret, born October 
20, 1876, John Samuel, born March 3, 1879, and Clara, born October 2^, 
1881, are members of their father's household. 

Jacob Abraham Horch, son of John F. Horch, was educated in the public 
schools near his home in Washington township, Franklin county. Ohio, and 
at Ringsville school, and was reared to farm work. After a course in teleg- 
raphy at Sheridan's school of telegraphy, at Oberlin, he entered the employ 
of the Baltimore Railroad Company as a telegrapher at Sterling, Ohio. After 
seven months' service there he went to Seville, Medina county, Ohio, and 
after working there for a time returned home. He soon went to Minnesota, 
however, as telegraph operator for the Great Northern Railroad Company 
at Granite Falls, Yellow Medicine county, and from there he went to Sioux 
City, Iowa, where he worked for a short time in the train dispatcher's ofiice 
of the Sioux City & Northern Railroad. Afterward he was employed for 
a time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in the spring of 1893 he enlisted in 
the United States army and was sent to Chicago. After the World's Fair 
closed he was sent to Columbus, where he was for three months under in- 
struction, and was then assigned to service in the Eighteenth Regiment, 
United States Infantry, at FoTt Clark, Texas, whence he was ordered nine 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 581 

months later to^ Fort Sam Houston, at San iVntonio, Texas. In ]May, 1896, 
he was given a three-months furlough with permission to go to San Fran- 
cisco, California, and at its expiration was discharg'ed because the end of the 
term of service for which he had enlisted had arrived. He returned home 
Lo Ohio, and before the close of that year enlisted at Columbus in the Seven- 
teenth Regiment, United States Infantry, and was stationed at the Ohio 
capital for eighteen months afterward. At the outbreak of the Spanish- 
American war his regiment was sent to Tampa, Florida, and assigned to the 
Fifth Army Corps, under General Shafter, and arrived in Cuba June 27,, 
1898. Mr. Horch participated in the fighting at El Caney July i, at San 
Juan hill July 2, and at Santiago July 3, 10 and 11. While in camp he was 
taken with yellow fever, from which he recovered in fifteen days, and when 
Roosevelt's regiment was threatened with annihilation by the Spanish and 
was saved by the Tenth Regiment, Colored Cavalry, the Seventeenth Infantry 
arrived on the scene as the final shots were being exchanged, and Mr. Horch 
was a witness of the end of the engagement. From Cuba the Seventeenth 
Regiment was sent to camp at Montauk Point to recuperate, and from there 
went to Columbus barracks. January 15, 1899, it left Columbus for New 
York, and four days later it sailed for Manila, Philippine islands. A four 
days' stop was made at Gibraltar, and after passing through the canal and the 
Red sea, the next stop was made at Aden, Arabia, for coal, thence the regi- 
ment proceeded to Ceylon, landing at Colombo for coal and provisions, 
thence to Singapore, and thence to Manila by way of the Chinese sea, arriv- 
ing J\Iarch 10, 1899. The regiment was put in the Manila trenches, where 
it fought nightly for a time. It then went on a raid up the Rio Grande, 
and for a time was under command of the late General Lawton. Thence 
it went to San Fernando, where it was assigned tO' General McArthur's 
division and saw arduous service. June 16 it participated in the battle of 
San Fernand'o, which it was claimed marked the turning point in the Philip- 
pine rebellion. August 9 the regiment was in another important engage- 
ment there, and many of its members fell, among them Joseph Thackeray, 
of Hilliard, Franklin county, Ohio, who was shot through the neck ; and Tod 
Ballinger, of Plain City, Uni'on county, Ohio, who was killed instantly. 
Later fights in which the regiment participated were at Calulute, August 
II, and at Angelese, August 12. After the last battle mentioned the Sev- 
enteenth Rtegiment was ordered back to Calulute to guard the town, and 
Mr. Horch was honorably discharged from the service October 2, 1899, at 
the end of the period for which he had enlisted. 

He took passage at Manila October 7 for the United States on board the 
City of Pueblo, and sailed by the way of Nagasaki, Japan, and the inland 
sea, and arrived at San Francisco, California, November i, and at Columbus, 
Ohio, November 9. He was taken sick at Columbus, of typhoid fever, and 
did not reach his home until November 21. His record as a soldier is one 
of which his friends are proud, and he is regarded as one of the most promis- 
ing young men of his township. 



582 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

WILLIAM R. GAULT. 

Among the most widely known residents of Columljiis is W' illiam Rogers 
Gault, vice president of the Market Exchange Bank and president of the 
Columbus Driving Park Association. He possesses untiring energy, is quick 
of perception, forms his plans readily and is determined in their execution, 
and his close application to business and his excellent management have 
brought to him the highest degree of prosperity which is to-day his. 

M(r. Gault w^as born in Columbus in 1840, at the family home at the 
corner of Grant avenue and Main street. The family is of Irish lineage, 
the paternal grandparents having emigrated from the Emerald Isle to Balti- 
more, Maryland. James Gault, the father of our subject, came to Ohio from 
Baltimore in the year 1838, and at once engaged in the butchering business, 
which he continued until 1856, w^hen his life's labors were ended in death. 
He was then about forty-five years of age. In Maryland he married Miss 
Ellen Coleman, of Baltimore, who is a native of Ireland and became a resident 
of Baltimore when twelve years of age. She is still living in Columbus, 
at the age of eighty-one, retaining her mental and physical faculties to a 
remarkable degree. 

In his youth William Rogers Gault attended the public schools, and 
since 1865 has been continuously connected with the business affairs of Co- 
lumbus. In 1863, however, he enlisted in the cavalry service of the Civil 
war as a member of the Fifth Ohio Battalion, and in that command served 
in Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1864 he was discharged, but re-enlisted 
as a member of the navy, and was assigned to Farragut's fleet, doing duty 
at New Orleans. With that command he participated in the engagements 
at Spanish Fort, Fort Morgan and Mobile, and the Milwaukee, upon which 
lie served, was blown up in the last named action. At the close of the war, 
in 1865,' he received an honorable discharge and with a creditable military 
record he returned to his home. 

In 1865 Mr. Gault became connected with the butchering business, in 
which he continued until 1885. He had the best conducted meat market in 
the city ,and his trade was therefore very extensive. It brought to him 
excellent success, but on account of his health he was forced to abandon 
further effort in that line. Since then he has been engaged in the live-stock 
commission business, and is connected with agricultural interests, ow^ning 
a large farm of two hundred acres on the Winchester pike in Franklin county, 
and one of t^v'o hundred and fifty acres in Fairfield county. He was one of 
the organizers of the Columbus Driving Association in 1892, has since served 
as a member of its board, and' for the past five years has been its president. 
This association has one of the best tracks in the world and holds some of 
the best trotting meets in the United States. At the one of 1900 they lowered 
the record for the three fastest heats hitherto made. The purses amounted 
to forty thousand dollars, and about two hundred and fifty horses were en- 
tered. Mr. Gault is also the president of the Columbus Stockyards Com- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 583 

pany, which was organized in 1896, and previous to that time, for fifteen 
years, he was the president of the Central Ohio Stockyards Company. lie 
is an excellent judge of fine stock, and has done much toward encouraging 
the raising of a good grade of animals. He has also been a director and 
the vice-president of the Market Exchange Bank since its organization. 

Mr. Gault married Miss Mary Bower, a daughter of David Bower, 
who in 1849 went from Columbus io California, in which state his death 
occurred. His wife passed away in 1893. Both were natives of Germany. 
Mr. Gault is a member of the Presbyterian church, although for a number of 
generations the religious faith of the family was that of the Lutheran de- 
nomination, and his wife belongs to the German Lutheran church. Since 
1865 Mr. Gault has been identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows. In political sentiment he is a stalwart Republican, unswerving in his 
advocacy of party principles. He was the candidate 'for sheriff in 1892 and 
is well known as a worker in Republican ranks. In business circles he sus- 
tained- an enviable reputation by reason of his straightforward methods. 
His life history most happily illustrates what may be obtained by faithful 
and continued effort in carrying out an honest purpose, and while his labors 
have been of personal benefit, at the same time they have contributed to the 
material welfare of the community in no uncertain manner. 

SAMUEL A. DECKER. 

The family of Decker which was represented at Columbus, Ohio, by the 
late August Stoner Decker, mayor of the city from 1846 to 1850. and by his 
son, Samuel Decker, is an old one in the United States, especially in Penn- 
sylvania, where the late Mayor Decker's ancestors settled when they emi- 
grated from Germany many years ago, and where his grandfather was born 
and enlisted iov service in defense of American liberty in the Revolutionary 
war. There Michael Decker, son of this pioneer and father of the late Au- 
gust S. Decker, was born, and there he married Mary Stoner; and their son, 
the future mayor of Columbus, was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 18 18. 

In 1822, when their son was four years old, Michael and Mary (Stoner) 
Decker emigrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio and located at Columbus, 
where Mr. Decker, wdio was a millwright, carried on business until his death, 
in 1858. Be was a pushing, energetic man, and no less patriotic than pro- 
gressive, and, following in the footsteps of his father, he did what he could 
to help America to whip the British in the war of 1812. August Stoner 
Decker was educated in the public schools at Columbus, and while yet a mere 
youth became a clerk in a dry-goods store. In 1840 he engaged in the dry- 
goods business on his own account, and in 1853. with a Mr. Hibbs as a 
partner, he embarked in the wholesale grocery business, which he continued 
until his retirement, about 1868. Politically he was a Whig, later a Repub- 
lican, and he took an active part in politics and held many positions of honor 
and trust. He was for twelve or fourteen 3'ears a member of the city council, 



584 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

served as mayor from 1S46 to 1850, was director of the Franklin county 
infirmary, was a member of the board of education of the city of Columbus 
from 1846 to 1850, and was for many years a trustee and steward of the 
Town Street Methodist Episcopal church, while for twenty-six years he 
was superintendent of its Sunday-school, giving much time and contributing 
liberally of his means to advance the interests of his church. In all these 
positions he sustained a high character and was noted for his firmness and 
integrity. He was a man of great industry and faithfulness, and never 
counted any work beneath him in fulfilling duties devolving upon him, and 
from his youth was most temperate in all his habits. 

Mr. Decker married Miss Martha Crum, a daughter of Christian Crum, 
who came from Virginia to Ohio about 1822 and located at Franklinton. 
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Decker were born the following children: Harriet E. 
married Olmsted Gates, formerly a jeweler at Columbus, now a resident of 
Hartford, Connecticut. Samuel August was born in 1842 and was edu- 
cated in his native city, Columbus, In 1861, at the age of nineteen, he went 
from college to the seat of war as a member of the Eighty-fifth Regiment, 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served as first lieutenant of Com- 
pany H for three months in the Army of the Cumberland. Later he was 
appointed general delivery clerk in the Columbus postofiice, in which position 
lie served eighteen years or until his retirement in 1887. Charles Decker 
also served in the Eighty-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a pri- 
vate. After the war he engaged in business at Nelsonville, Athens county, 
Ohio, where he died in 1880, leaving a widow, Mrs. Mary (Cotton) Decker, 
now of Columbus. Another daughter of our subject married Ottowell 
Hoffman, who is a well-known druggist at Columbus. Michael Decker, 
deceased, was for some years in the jewelry business in Columbus in connec- 
tion with his brother-in-law, Olmsted Gates. 

Samuel August Decker was born on East Rich street, and for many 
years lived on that thoroughfare, where his father located in 1852. He is 
now a resident of Nyack, New York. 



GEORGE D. FREEMAN. 

One of the prominent citizens of Columbus, Ohio, who has taken an 
active part in many of the improvements which have made it one of the 
most beautiful cities in the state, is George D. Freeman, the subject of this 
sketch. He was born at Ovid, Franklin county, Ohio, August 11, 1842. 
Flis father. Usual W. Freeman, together with his mother, Margaret (Christy) 
Freeman, came from New Jersey to Ohio in 1833. Usual Freeman served 
with distinction in the New York militia during the war of 181 2, and was 
also an assistant engineer for the city of New York during the platting of 
the part of the city north of Canal street; and his father, William Freeman, 
was a soldier of the Revolution. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 585 

George D. Freeman took advantage of the limited educational opportu- 
nities afforded by the common schools of his early days, at a later period sup- 
plementing the instruction thus obtained by attendance upon night schools. 
When but six years of age he lost his father, and at the age of eleven 
years he became the only support of his mother, and bravely did he assume 
the responsibility. 

When still a lad he entered the studio of D. D. Winchester, then the 
leading artist of Columbus, but left the employ of this gentleman to become 
a page in the Ohio house of representatives, at the last session held in Odeon 
hall and the first held in the present capitol building. He received his ap- 
pointment from Nelson H. Van Vorhees, the speaker of the first Republican 
legislature of Ohio. From here he entered the dry-goods house of Headly 
& Elerly, with whom he remained until 1866, when he was admitted as a 
junior partner in this firm. Later years found him the senior partner of 
Freeman, Staley & Norton, who were the successors of Headly & Elerly. 

In 1880 Mr. Freeman withdrew from the dry-goods trade and entered 
the furniture business as a member of the firm of Halm, Bellows' & Butler, 
who were succeeded by Freeman, Halm & McAllister. Later Mr. Freeman 
withdrew from this business to establish the George D. Freeman Mantel 
Company, engaged in the manufacture of mantels and interior furnishings. 

In 1878, on the organization of the state militia into the Ohio National 
Guard, Mr. Freeman, at the urgent request of the regiment, assumed com- 
mand and became the colonel of the famous Fourteenth Ohio National Guard, 
in which capacity he served the state for thirteen years. The period of his 
command was marked with many trying ordeals, where bravery, good judg- 
ment and a cool head were very necessary attributes in a commanding officer. 
The well-remembered Cincinnati riots were among these occasions, and .it 
was at this time that Colonel Freeman's abilitie;s as a commander were 
shown. He brought peace and order out of the turbulent mob that surged 
through the streets of the city, endangering life and property. In 1890, 
through press of business, Colonel Freeman was obliged to resign his post. 
At the breaking out of the Spanish-American war Colonel Freeman was 
called tO' the position of acting assistant quartermaster general, and was. 
active at Camp Bushnell in equipping the troops for the front ; in fact, put up 
the camp. From there he was ordered to the duty of superintendent of the 
'State arsenal, where he is still on duty; and he had two sons in the same 
Spanish war, — one son now in the Philippines, a lieutenant in the Nineteenth 
Infantry. 

Our subject has taken a prominent part in all public enterprises, serving 
for some years on the county board of agriculture, and took an active interest 
in securing to the city the beautiful spot known as Franklin Park. This 
was not a political service, nor has he held any political office, although fre- 
quently pressed to do so. 

Colonel Freeman has been before the public, in this state, for many 
years, and his reputation for integrity, energy and stability is unquestioned. 



586 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Colonel Freeman was married October 31, 1865, to Miss Julia A. Die- 
mer, whose parents were pioneers in the settlement of central Ohio. A 
family of four children have been born of this union, — Harry D., Stanton 
S., George D. and Julia E. 

FRANK P. DILL. 

Frank P. Dill was born July 12, 1852, in Blendon township, and is a 
representative of one of the honored pioneer families of the county that in 
the earliest period of development in this section of the state came to the 
county, and through identification with its early interests aided" in its devel- 
opment and progress along lines of material and substantial improvement. 
These were strong men and true that came to found the empire of the west — 
these hardy settlers who built their rude domiciles, grappled w-ith the giants 
of the forests, and from the sylvan wilds evolved the fertile and productive 
fields which have these many years been furrowed by the plowshare. On 
both the paternal and maternal sides Mr. Dill is descended from pioneer 
ancestry. John Dill, the grandfather, was a native of Nova Scotia, and his 
wife was also born in the same country. In early life he w'as a seafaring 
man, and, having accumulated some money, he purchased a ship of his own, 
which was shortly afterward sunk at sea, so that he lost all that he had ac- 
quired. Subsequently he came to the United States, locating in Baltimore, 
]\laryland. While on the voyage one of his two children died and was buried 
in the ocean. After arriving in Baltimore Mr. Dill took a contract to build 
an underground race for a mill, an extensive and important piece of work at 
that time. He successfully completed it, but his partner proved dishonest 
and defrauded' him of most of his profits. Later Mr. Dill erected a mill 
and carried on business on an extensive licale, but the commission men 
who handled his flour failed when heavily in debt to him, and thus Mr. Dill 
again suffered great loss. He saved just enough out of the wreck of his 
fortune to buy a farm of one hundred acres, and made the purchase in Mifllin 
township, Franklin county. Here he devoted his time and energies to agri- 
cultural pursuits, and his industry and perseverance concjuered an adverse 
fate, so that at his death he left a fortune valued at ninety thousand dollars. 

The parents of Frank P. Dill were Edward and Jane (Cooper) Dill. 
His father was born in Baltimore, Maryland, about 1820, and there grew 
10 manhood, learning the miller's trade in his youth. When a young man 
he came to Ohio with his parents and his first employment here w-as on the 
construction of the canal which was then being builded through Columbus. 
After about a year spent in the capital city the family removed to Mifflin 
township, where the grandfather purchased a farm, and there he and his wdfe 
spent their remaining days. He became a prosperous agriculturist, acquiring 
seven hundred acres of land. Soon after the family took up their abode on 
the old homestead in Mifilin township Edward Dill went to the south and 
for four years conducted a wood yard on the Mississippi river, in the state 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 587 

of Mississippi. He then returned to Ohio and engaged in the operation of 
a portion of the home farm. After his marriage he purchased a farm of one 
hundred acres in Blendon tOAvnship, in the Cherry bottoms, and began agri- 
cultural pursuits on his own account, making his home there until called to 
Ins final rest. He was the owner of three hundred acres of rich land prior 
to his demise. In ante belliim days he supported the Whig party and was a 
strong opponent of slavery. Later, when the Republican party was formed 
to prevent the further extension of slavery, he joined its ranks and earnestly 
advocated its principles. In the Presbyterian church he held membership, 
and his life was loyal to its teachings. He married Jane Cooper, who was 

ead where our subject now resides Ocl 
ily of nine children, but only Mar>' Ann now 



born on the old family homestead where our subject now resides October 
II, 1815, and was one of a family of nine children, bul 



survivi 



'ives. Her father was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, June 11, 
1777, and there he was reared, learning the carpenter's trade in early life! 
In 1808 he came on horseback to Ohio and purchased between four and five 
hundred acres of land, a strip extending from the Hart road to the township 
line. He made the purchase for himself and his brother, William Cooper, 
and a brother-in-law, Isaac Harrison. All of this land is still owned by their 
descendants excepting one hundred and ten acres, which is known as the 
Harrison tract. 

After making the purchase Mr. Cooper returned to Virginia, and on 
the 22d of September following he was married. Two weeks later he started 
with his bride for Ohio, making the journey in a four-horse wagon loaded 
with their household effects and those of Isaac Harrison. Mrs. Cooper and 
Mrs. Harrison rode on horseback and drove the cattle. On^ their arrival the 
grandparents of our subject spent the first winter in Tobeytown, Fairfield 
county, and the following spring came to Franklin county,' living in their 
wagon while their log house was being built. The land was very heavily 
timbered, and wild game was found in abundance in the forests. Mr. 
Cooper was very fond of hunting, and kept the table well supplied with all 
kinds of wild meat. On their arrival they made sugar from the maple sap, 
and that was all the sugar they had through the following twelve months.' 
The nearest church was at Franklinton, but the minister would often stop 
at a house in the country and its owner would then notify his neighbors to quit 
work and congregate at his home in order to engage in service. Everything 
was primitive and new. The groceries were purchased in Chillicothe. but 
they depended mostly upon the farm and upon wild game to supply the table. 
Many hardships, inconveniences and trials were endured by the early settlers, 
but the land was made to yield its tribute under the effective endeavors of 
tlie pioneer. To establish a home amid such surroundings and to cope with 
the many privations and difiiculties which were the inevitable concomitants 
demanded an invincible courage and fortitude, strong hearts and willing hands. 
All these were characteristic of the pioneers whose names and deeds' should 
be held in perpetual reverence by those who enjoy the fruits of their toil. 
Mr Cooper was a Democrat in politics and for several years held the ofiice 



588 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of township treasurer. A man of influence in the community, he was highly- 
respected for his integrity, upright dealing and genuine worth. Of the 
Presbyterian church he was a leadmg member, and died in that faith October 
30, 1861. His wafe, who was born in Augusta county, Virginia, April 27^ 
1783, was a sister of Robert Craig, one of the w^ealthy rolling-mill operators 
and extensive slaveholders of Virgmia, and' a prominent figure in the cause of 
the Confederacy during the Civil w^ar, contributing largely to the cause of 
the south at that time. 

It was to the Cooper family that came to Ohio in pioneer days that Mrs. 
Dill belonged. Grandmother Cooper died August 21, 1863. A member of 
the Presbyterian church, she was loved and respected by all wdio knew her. 
Mrs. Dill had six children, of whom four are yet living, namely : James, a 
resident farmer of Blendon township; Crawford, now a resident of Central 
College; Marcella, the widow of Huston T. Gould, who was a stock dealer 
of Blendon township; Frank P.; and Melissa, who was the wife of Charles 
Gastinger, of Blendon township, but is now deceased. 

The subject of this review was only eighteen months old at the time of 
his mother's death. He then became an inmate of the home of his maternal 
grandfather, where he was reared to manhood. His education was acquired 
m the common schools, in Central College and in Westerville Union school, 
where he pursued a complete course of study. He was also a student in 
Otterbein University. On putting aside his text-books he spent one year on 
the farm with his uncle, William Cooper, w^ho then owned the old family 
homestead. His uncle was well known in Franklin county as a prominent 
Democrat, and for four years he was one of the commissioners of Franklin 
county. He died in 1882. 

In 1878 Mr. Dill went to Texas, wdiere for three years he was engaged 
in farming and stock-raising, and also aided in building the Western Pacific 
Railroad from Weatherford, Texas, to the southern plains. In December, 
1 88 1, he returned to Ohio, after disposing of his stock and interests in the 
south, and assumed charge of the farm belonging to his uncle, William Cooper, 
who was ill. He has since managed the property, and he and his aunt, Mary 
Ann, the only survivor of the family, own together two hundred and sixty-five 
acres of land. He is one of the prosperous agriculturists of the community, 
progressive in his methods of work and carrying on his labors along the line 
of advanced thought. 

Mr. Dill is also identified with a number of fraternal organizations, 
including Blendon Lodge, No. 339, A. F. & A. M.; Mizpah Chapter, No. 
38, Order of the Eastern Star; Rainbow Lodge, No. 327, I. O. O. F. ; Twi- 
light Lodge, No. 383, of the Order of Rebekah; of Westerville Lodge, No. 
2yT,, K. of P.; Blendon Grange, No. 708, Patrons of Husbandry; and also 
of the Pomona Grange of Franklin county. No. 22. 

He keeps in touch with improved methods of farming and stock-raising 
through his membership connection with the Farmers' Institute, with the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 5^9 

State Horticultural Society and the Franklin County Horticultural Society. 
He has filled many offices in the lodges with which he is identified, and is 
regarded as a valued representative of those organizations. 

JACOB BORROR. 

Success is determined by one's ability to recognize opportunity, and to 
pursue this with a resolute and unflagging energy. It results from continued 
labor, and the man who thus accomplishes his purpose usually becomes an 
important factor in the business circles of the community with which he is 
connected. Mr. Borror, through such means, has attained a leading place 
amcpg the wealthy and representative men of Jackson township, and his well- 
spent and honorable life commainds the respect of all who know him. 

In the township where he still makes his home, Mr. Borror was born 
April 14, 1832, in his father's house in the yard where he now resides, and is 
a representative of one of the oldest families of the county. His father, Jacob 
Borror, a native of Virginia, located here in 1809, being one of the first set- 
tlers of Jackson township, there being only two houses between his home and 
Columbus. On coming to the county he was accompanied by two brothers, 
and soon afterward was joined by his mother. Ln the midst of the unbroken 
forest he erected a cabin, and at once began to clear and improve his farm. 
He married Catherine Conrad, also a native of the Old Dominion, who died 
at the age of seventy-eight years, while he passed away at the age of forty- 
eio-ht. They ^\^ere the parents of nine children, all born on the old homestead 
where our subject now resides, but only three are now living, these being Joel, 
Jacob and Silas, all residents of Jackson township. 

Of this family Jacob Borror is the sixth in order of birth. _ Reared m his 
native township, he assisted in the work of the farm for about mine months out 
of the year, while during the remaining three months: of winter he attended 
school in the primitive log school houses of that early day, beginning his 
education, however, in a church. He was about thirteen years of age when his 
father died and upon him and his brothers devolved the arduous task of clear- 
ing and improving the home farm. 

On the 26th of January, i860, Mr. Borror was united in marriage with 
Miss Isabel T. German, who was born, reared and educated in Hamilton town- 
iship, this county. Unto them were born seven children, six of whom are 
still living, namely : ^larv Alice, wife cA Michael Duff, of Hamilton town- 
ship; Ida Belle, wife of S.'R. Shover, who lives with our subject; James M., 
who' married Mary Hagans and resides in Pickaway county ; Jacob C, wdio 
married Laura McCord aind makes his home in Jackson township; Otis H., 
who married Viola Swagler and also lives in Jackson township; Albert B., 
who married Leona Harvey and resides in the same township: and Xora ^lay, 
who died at the ag-e of thirteen months. 

Upon his marriage Mr. Borror brought his bride to the old homestead in 
Jackson township, where they have resided uninterruptedly ever since. 



590 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Throughout his entire business career he has followed general farming and 
stock raising, and has met with marked success in his labors. He has invested 
largely in land, and is now the owner of eighteen hundred and thirty-five acres, 
all of which is now operated by his children with exception of one hundred and 
ninety acres in Pickaway county which he rents to other parties. He also has 
money out at interest, and is to-day the wealthiest man in Jackson township. 
His success is the result of honest, persistent effort in the line of honorable 
and manly dealing, and he has mack an untarnished record and unspotted repu- 
tation as a business man. In his political at^liations Mr. Borror is a Demo^ 
crat, and has filled the office of school director in his district. 



RANDOLPH WILSON WALTON. 

The subject of this; sketch, Randolph Wilson Walton, correspondence 
clerk in the office of Governor Nash, is ecjually known as a writer and as an 
orator, and is one of the most prominent of the younger generation of politi- 
cians and journalists at Colum'bus, Ohio-. He was born at Woodsiield, Mon- 
roe county, Ohio, in a house which stood on the present site of the Lude home, 
October 15, 1870, a son of Dr. William Walton. The latter was a son of 
William Carlisle Walton, who was born at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1802, 
and when a boy located with his father, James Walton, on a farm in Monroe 
county, Ohio, where hie rose to prominence as a citizen and as a Democrat. 
His death occurred in 1852. William Carlisle Walton studied law at Woods- 
field and practiced his profession as long as he lived. He represented his 
fellow citizens in the state legislature and in the state senate, and at the time 
of his death was a candidate for congress. Governor Shannon was nominated 
in his place and was elected, and later became governor of Ohio. He mar- 
ried Miss Sidney Kygier, a daughter of Sidney Kyger, a pioneer settler o£^ 
Ohio. 

Dr. William Walton w-as born in ]\Ionroe county, Ohio', in 1835, wasi 
educated at Washington, District of Columbia, and was graduated in medi-' 
cine in the medical department of Columbia College about 1859. Imme-i 
diately afterward he began the practice of his profession at Woodsfield. In 
1863 he became snrgeon, with the rank of major, in the Tw^enty-fifth Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until 1866, when he re- 
sumed practice at Woodfield. In 1877 he removed to Clarington, Monroe 
connty, Ohio, where he died in 1890. He gave strict attention to his profes- 
sion and gained a high reputation as a surgeon and a general medical practi- 
tioner. He married Virginia Fitz-Randolph, daughter of Joel Fitz-Randolph, 
who came to Monroe county from Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1827, and 
died there in 1865, aged seventy-one years. He w^as the first abolitionist in 
the county, was a "station master" on the underground railroad and was 
sheriff of the county. He developed from a Whig to a Republican, and was 
prominent not only as a politician but as a business man. He was born in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 59i 

New Jersey, a son of James Fitz-Ranclolph, a Quaker, who lived near Plain- 
field. His wife was a daughter of Jeremiah Williams, who was born in Cum- 
berland county, Pennsylvania. He married Alary Ewart, who was lx)rn 
September 8, 1778, and came to ^^>tzel county, West Virginia, in 1785, locat- 
ing on land on which he was buried, and which in the sixth generation of his 
descendants is owned by some of them. He was' a surveyor, filled the ofiice of 
justice of the peace and was commissioned lieutenant by Governor Beverly 
Randolph. Mr. Waltom's brother, William W. Walton, is also interested in 
politics, and hasi become well known as a member of a popular Republican 
glee club. His brother, Thomas E. Walton, is a resident of Boston, Massa- 
chusetts. His mother is the head of his household in Columbus. 

Randolph Wilson Walton passed his childhood at Woo,dsfield and lived at 
Clarington from 1877 to 1893, '^^'hen he and his mother and two brothers 
removed to Columbus. His education was. obtained in the public schools at 
Clarington and at a business college in Columbus. He learned much in the 
office of the Clarington Independent, and more by reading, to which he devoted 
all his spare time. He began the study of medicine with his father, but the 
death of the latter two years later rendered it impossible for him to continue. 
At Columbus he acquired a knowledge of stenography, and while working 
in a drug store devoted himself to the study of law and hopes soon to be 
admitted to the bar. 

Politics has always had a fascination for him, and though most of his 
relatives and some of his warmest friends were Democrats, he has always 
been a thorough and consistent Republican and has battled manfully for the 
principles of that party. He has contributed many able political articles to 
tie jMonroe Gazette, the New York Tribune, Ohio State Journal, Wheeling 
Intelligencer, American Economist and other well known journals. He made 
stump speeches before he was old enough to vote, and the first ticket he voted, 
in 1 89 1, had his name on it as a candidate for town clerk. In 1892 he made 
a hopeless race for the office of recorder of Monroe county on the Republican 
ticket. In 1893 ^^^ was one of the three delegates from Alonroe county to the 
state convention that nominated William McKinley for his second term as 
governor of Ohio. He has worked in every campaign since he has lived in 
Columbus, and in the fall of 1898, when Mr. Huggins was a candidate for 
congress, he made a favorable impression as a speaker. In the campaign of 
Mr. Swartz for the mayoralty he made about twenty speeches, at times two 
or three in an evening. He was one of Judge Nash's original supporters for 
governor before the convention, and was one of the organizers of the Young 
Men's Nash Club, and at its organization sounded the keynote to the Judge's 
canvass, and during the campaign that followed had numerous assignments as 
a speaker, which he filled in a manner that pleased his audiences and the state 
and county committees of his party; for his speeches were not confined to 
Columbus and Franklin county, but were made in other parts of the state 
upon assignments by the Republican state committee. The Ohio State 
Journal and other papers complimented him on, his success as an orator. He 



592 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was active in the presidential campaign of 1900 and his services were in 
demand in Ohio, Illinois and West Virginia. He was appointed correspond- 
ence clerk im the office of Governor Nash January i, 1900. 

EDWARD EVANS. 

Among the well-to-do and successful farmers of Brown township is 
numbered the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. A native of the 
north of Wales, he was born in Montgomeryshire, January 21, 1837, a-^'^d is 
a son of Edward and Jane (Hughes) Evans, also natives; of the same place, 
and the latter a daughter of Edward Hughes, a farmer of that country. 
Our subject's father was born about 1798 and throughout life followed the 
occupation of farming in his native land, where he died in 1848. The 
death of his wife occurred about 1866, when she was seventy-three years of 
age. To them were born seven children as follows : Evan went to the gold 
mines of Australia, and after working there for a time he obtained employ- 
ment at his trade of puddler. He is now a resident of Wallaroo, of which 
town his son, John Evans, is mayor. Sina married John Griffiths and died in 
Wales. Edward, our subject, is next in order of birth. John married 
Miriam Jones and lives in Lancastershire, England. Thomas married Mar- 
tha Ann Barlow and resides in Logan county, Ohio. Jane married John Jones 
and died in Columbus, Ohio. Mary first married David Jones and second 
\\'illiam Thickstone and died in Liverpool, England. 

Edward Evans attended the common schools of his native land until 
fifteen years of age, but not being satisfied with the education he had acquired 
he afterward pursued his studies in night school for a time. The children 
were all young when the father died and were forced to earn their own live- 
lihood at a tender age. Our subject began a seven-years apprenticeship to 
the stonecutter's trade, but at the end of three years he went to Liverpool, 
where he worked in a tea warehouse for three years. At Liverpool, England, 
April 14, 1859, he took passage on a sailing vessel. Monarch of the Sea, and 
after^ a voyage of four weeks landed in New York city, penniless, having 
had just enough money to buy his ticket to this country. After seven weeks 
spent in that city, he proceeded to Cincinnati, where he worked' in an iron 
foundry. 

In 1861 Mr. Evans came to Franklin county, and was employed by farm- 
ers in Btowu township by the day and month until the fall of 1863, when 
he entered the service of his adopted country by enlisting in the First Ohio 
Cavalry, which became a part of Sherman's army and participated in the 
Kilpatrick raid around Atlanta and also in the Wilson raid and the battle of 
Selma, Alabama. Mr. Evans was mustered out at Hilton Head, South Car- 
olina, in September, 1865, and returned to this county, where he worked 
as a farm hand until 1867. 

In that year he married Miss Mary Ann Jerman, who w^as born in the 
city of Columbus, May 7, 1847, a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Evans) 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 593 

Jerman. By this union were born the fohowing children: Elizabeth Jane, 
wife of Jewett Bancroft, of Columbus; Alargaret Ann, wife of Christian 
Traftzer, of Brown township; Sarah, wife ot Edward Elliott, of Norwich 
township; Hattie, a school teacher; Bessie, at home; Emma, who died in 
July, 1900; Mary, who died in infancy; and a son, who also died in infancy, 
unnamed. 

For twelve years after his marriage Mr. Evans engaged in farming on 
rented land, but in 1877 he purchased fifty acres across the road from his pres- 
ent farm. Upon that place he made his home from 1879 until 1890, when he 
moved to his present farm in Brown township. He owns one hundred and 
twenty-eight acres of valuable land divided into two farms, both under a 
high state of cultivation and wtW improved with good buildings. In 1897 
his house w'as totally destroyed by fire, but has since been replaced by the 
beautiful residence which he now occupies. For the success that he has achieved 
in life he deserves great credit as he came to the new world empty-handed, 
and by industry, perseyerance and good management has acquired a good' 
home and comfortable competence. Religiously he is a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church of Alton, and politically is identified with the Republi- 
can party. He has filled the office of school director and has served as trustee 
of his town for the long period of twenty years with credit to himself and to 
the entire satisfaction of all concernied. Fraternally he is an honored member 
of West Jefferson Post, G. A. R. 

JAMES ROSS. 

The value of faithfulness in small things has exemplification in these new 
century days in the advancement which is given public officials who have 
been conscientious in the performance of the duties seemingly trivial and unim- 
portant. This idea is illustrated in the career of James Ross, of Columbus, 
Ohio, a brief account of which it will be attempted to give in this connection. 
Mr. Ross was born in Reynoldsburg, Truro township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, July 10, 1862, a son of Frederick and Christina (Grossman) Ross, 
both natives of Germany, who came to America in 1849, landing in New 
York and proceeding thence to Franklin county, Ohio, where they settled 
on the place now known as the Sullivan farm, west of Columbus, where Mrs. 
Ross died in 1862, 'Soon after having given birth to the subject of this sketch 
and where Mr. Ross died in 1866, when James Ross was scarcely more than 
four years old. 

The child was taken by relatives and cared for until he was a sturdy 
boy with an early de\'eloped ambition to make his own way in the world. 
After that he lived principally among strangers, doing farm work and such 
other work as his hands found to do. He attended district schools and later 
the high school at Columbus and he managed to secure a commercial course 
in Bryant's college, at Columbus. After he completed his studies he was 
for a time employed as a clerk in a store, and later became deputy clerk under 



594 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

John J. Joy€, clerk of the court of FrankHn county, at Columbus, In 
1888 he was appointed deputy sheriff under Sheriff Brice W. Custer and served 
in that capacity for four years. So satisfactory to the people was his perform- 
ance of the duties thus devolving upon him that they elected him sheriff of 
Franklin county in the fall of 1891 and he began his administration of that 
high and honorable office, January i, following, and was re-elected in 1893, 
serving through a period of four years altogether. In 1897 he took a very 
active part in the campaign and defence of Horace L. Chapman, candidate 
for governor of Ohio and was a member of the Democratic state executive 
committee. He was a courteous opponent. 

After his retirement from the oiffce of sheriff' he turned his attention to 
real estate operations, handling chiefly city property, in w-hich he has been 
successful, dividing his time between this interest and public interest of the 
county and state. He has served as chairman of the Democratic county 
executive committee and has done otherwise much effective political work. 
He is an Elk and a Knight of Pythias, and, while very popular in these 
orders he is no less so in business, political and social circles. 

WILLIAM J. CLARK. 

William J. Clark, who is an engineer on a passenger train running be- 
tw^een Columbus and Indianapolis, was born in Springfield, Ohio, in the year 
1857, and is a son of Samuel and Jane D. Clark, who have resided in Xenia, 
Ohio, since i860. His father lost both of his arms in the year 1863, but by 
determined purpose he worked on, his resolute spirit enabling him to con- 
tinue his labors althofugh thus hindered'. He provided for his family, who 
have now grown to years of maturity. Llis children are : Mary Bell', Will- 
iam J., Samuel R., Margaret and Martha, Mary Bell died when two years of 
age. Samuel R. is now a bookkeeper of Xenia, Ohio; Margaret, a normal 
school graduate, is engaged in teaching and is living in Xenia"; while Martha 
died in that city July 9, 1899. 

William J. Clark, whose name introduces this record, acquired his edu- 
cation in the public schools of Xenia and afterward learned the moulder's trade 
at that place. His railroad service dates from 1875, at which time he secured a 
position as brakeman on the Pennsylvania road, running out of Xenia. He 
was employed in that way for two months Avhen he met with an accident, 
breaking his collar bone. That caused him to abandon that occupation and 
he became a fireman on the same road, under engineer Nathaniel Collins. 
After four years he was made a freight engineer and subsequently promoted 
to passenger engineer, in which capacity he has since served. He has never 
had an accident since becoming fireman nor has he missed a day's' pay, for he 
has always! been found at his post of duty. He now has one of the best and 
most responsible runs on the limited trains between Columbus and Indiana- 
pohs. His promotion was well merited by close application, carefulness and 
ability. On the 25th of November, 1898, Mr. Clark was married, in Spring- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 595 

field, Ohio, to Miss Cora Belle Rideiiour. Her father, Cyrus Rideiiour, 
was born in Graceham, Frederick county, Maryland, March lo, 1843, and her 
mother was born at Woodrick, Kent, England, January 9, 1848. They were 
married in Springfield, Ohio, and became the parents of the following chil- 
dren : Charles Edward, born September 27, 1871, was married in Springfield, 
Ohio, to Miss Minnie Smith, by whom he has two children. Charles and 
Mildred, and he is now engaged in the plumbing business in Springfield ; Flor- 
ence May, born July 15, 1873, is at home; George Frederick, born March 23, 
1876; Grace Vernon, the youngest, wasi born January 17, 1880, and died March 
19, 1900, in Springfield, Ohio, at the age of twenty years. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Clark have been born one son, William Earl, who was born August 13, 
1899, and has one daughter, Grace Vernon, born on the 6th of February, 
1901. 

Two years ago J\Ir. Clark removed with his family from Xenia to Colum- 
bus, and they now occupy a new and attractive residence at No. 153 North 
E\ighteenth street. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and is a Royal Arch 
Mason, having held membership in Xenia Chapter, R. A. M., for many years. 
His wife is a member of the Eastwood Congregational church, of Columbus. 
They are people of genuine worth, whose many excellent traits of character 
have gained them many friends, whose high regard they have no difficulty to 
retain. 

HERMAN H. BUCK. 

One of the practical, enterprising and progressive farmers of Blendon 
township is Herman H. Buck, who is numbered among the native sons that 
the fatherland has furnished to Franklin county. He was born in Hanover, 
Germany, April i, 1850. His father, Frederick Buck, waS' also a native of the 
same province, born in 1826, and there he was reared to manhood and mar- 
ried. He wedded Miss Christina Bahne, who was born in Hanover, about 
1824. In order to provide for his family the father followed agricultural 
pursuits, having been familiar with the work of the farm from early youth. 
In 1852, after the birth of our subject, their first child, he came with his wife 
to America, locating first in Schenectady-, New York, where he learned the 
trade of a broom-maker, following that pursuit in the east until 1854. In 
that year he came to Columbus with Charles Schwenker and Henry Behren 
and established the first broom factory ever conducted i'n Columbus. He 
followed that pursuit until about ten years ago, when he retired from active 
business life a.nd has since lived among his children. In politics^ he is a stanch 
Democrat. His wife died in 1899. They had eight children, of whom four 
are yet living, namely: Herman H. ; Frank; Mary, wife of Herbert Leech, 
of Blendon township; and Henry, also a resident farmer of Blendon township. 

Herman H. Buck came to America in 1857 with his grandparents, and 
then joined his parents. His youth embraced a period of business activity, 
for at the early age of nine years he began work in his father's broom maiiu- 
factory. His education was so badly neglected that when eighteen years of 



596 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

age he could nut write his own name, and he had come to rcahze how neces- 
sary and important is education in the world and he therefore began a course 
of study at night school in Columbus. Thereby he acquired a good knowl- 
edge of the branches of English learning wdiich fit one for practical duties, 
and in later years reading, study, experience and. observation have made him 
a \\t\\ informed man. When twenty years of age he left the parental roof 
and entered upon a business career in the employ of Toll & Wolfley, 
broom manufacturers, wdth whom he remained for about six months. On 
the expiration of that period he purchased the business, wdiich he removed to 
Toledo-, Ohio, wdiere he remained for four years, during which time he was 
united in marriage to Miss Regina Gillmeister, a native of Mecklenburg, Ger- 
many. In 1874 Mr. Buck returned to Columbus and after a short period' 
spent at his trade he was appointed on the police force, where he served for one 
year. He then resigned and again engaged in the manufacture of brooms. Ini 
1884 he came to Blendon township, Franklin county, where he turned hisi 
atention to farming in connection Avith broom manufacturing, his home being 
upon the J. Geigle farm for three years. On the expiration of that period he 
removed to the Howard farm, where he followed his dual occupation for five 
years, and in 1892 he purchased the Sammis farm in Blendon towaiship, 
upon which he has since made his home. There he engaged in broom-mak- 
ing, following farming in only a limited degree until July, 1900, when he ac- 
cepted the position of foreman in the factory of the penitentiary, operated by 
the National Broom Company. His thorough understanding of the business, 
excellent workmanship and superior executive ability well qualified him for 
this position and he has given excellent satisfaction asi manager oi the broom 
making interests there. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Buck have been born eleven children, namely : Dora, 
the wife of William H. Budd, of Columbus ; Minnie, the wife of A. C. Long- 
shore, a farmer of Blendon township ; Frank, Kate, Edward, Elizabeth. Her- 
man H., Carry and Lydia, all of whom are yet under the parental roof, and 
Mary and Tilly died when young. 

Mr. Buck is a stanch Democrat in his political affiliationsi and has served 
as township trustee, land appraiser and for many years has been a member 
of the school board, serving at 'the present time in that capacity. The cause 
of education finds in him a warm friend. He ha=i a iust appreciation of its 
importance and value in the practical affairs of life and lends his support and 
influence to the advancement of all measui^es wdiich he believes will prove of 
practical good to the schools. Socially he is connected with Blendon Lodge, 
No. 339, F. & A. M., and is also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, 
while with Deerfoot Tribe, No. 113, Order of Red Men, he is also associated. 
While he does not held membership in any church, he and his wife are regular 
attendants on the services of the Lutheran church, and be contributed very 
liberally to its support. A publ'c spirited and prosfressive man, he wdthholds 
not his aid from any movement which he feelsi will contribute to the general 
good. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 597 

CHRISTOPHER DAVIS. 

Among the residents of Franklin county who have reached the age of 
sixty-eight years, few can claim the honor of being a native son of the locality, 
but Christopher Davis, now a well known farmer of Pleasant township, was 
borni in Prairie township, September ii, 1833. The family is of Welsh 
lineage. His grandfather located in North Carolina and thence removed to 
Cynthiana, Kentucky. In 1808 he came to Ohio, locating on the present 
site of Galloway, in Prairie township, trading his Kentucky property for five 
hundred acres oi land. The journey to this state was made by wagon, and 
everything was in the primitive condition left by the hand of nature. After 
making some improvements upon his new farm Mr. Davis learned that some- 
one had a prior claim to the land and he was forced tO' lose it. He then pur- 
chased a tract of ninety acres west of that place and erected a log cabin. He 
was probably the first settler in his section of the county. He afterward 
bought two hundred and fifty acres of military land, a part of which he sold 
and among his children divided the remainder, but again he learned that he 
had an imperfect title to the property and once more lost all that he had 
invested therein. The Indians were still quite numerous in the neighbor- 
hood when he came to Ohio, but he always maintained pleasant relations 
with them and they occasioned him no trouble. He aided in the arduous task 
of reclaiming the wild country for purposes of civilization and assisted in lay- 
ing the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of this portion of 
the state. One of his sons, Simon Davis, resided in the eastern portion of 
Prairie township, on part of the grandfather's farm. 

Christopher Davis, the father of our subject, was born in North Carolina, 
December 30, 1783, and during his boyhood accompanied his parents to 
Kentucky, residing at Cynthiana, where he married a Miss Locket. With his 
wife he came to Ohio and after a time settled on what is now the Lavely farm 
in Prairie township. At the time of the uprising of the Indians he enlisted 
for military service and the troops were on their way to reinforce Hull when 
they learned of the surrender. Christopher Davis, Sr., received a good 
education for his time. In an early day he would frequently go to Franklin- 
ton and aid in mustering in the men for frontier service. After coming to 
Ohio he lost his first wife, and on the loth of July, 1828, he married America 
Hickman, who was born in a little log cabin on the site of Franklinton, 
November 25, 1807, a daughter of Joseph Hickman, of Loudoun county, 
Virginia. At that place her father enlisted in the Colonial army and served 
throughout the war of the Revolution. He afterward came to Franklin 
county, Ohio, locating in Franklinton, where it i& supposed that he died of 
paralysis. When only twelve years of age Mrs. Davis had to begin earning 
her own living and for a long time she was employed as a domestic in the 
home of Michael Sullivan. She possessed excellent ability as a nurse, being 
particularly proficient in the care of little children, and she was often sent for to 
visit the homes of neighbors and pioneer people for miles around, making the 



598 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

necessary journey on horseback. Mr. Davis, the father of our subject, died 
December 31, 1856, in his seventy-third year, and his second wife passed away 
November 10, 1879. From the age of twelve years she was a member of 
the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church, to which Mr. Davis also belonged, and they 
lived earnest and consistent Christian lives. In politics he was a Whig and 
was much interested in political affairs. By his first marriage he had four 
children : John, who died in Missouri ; Obediah, who died in Pleasant town- 
ship, about 1874; William, whose death occurred in Franklin county in 1850; 
and James, who passed away at his home in Whitley county, Indiana, in 
1865. The parents of our subject had nine children. The eldest, George 
Washington Mahlon, of Barton county, Missouri, served as a captain in an 
Ohio regiment, enlisting at the call for one-hundred-day men. Elizabeth 
became the wife of James Ward and removed to Indiana, where her husband 
joined a regiment for service in the war of the Rebelhon. He died in a 
hospital in Kentucky, and she was afterward twice married, her third husband 
being Christopher Smeltz. Their home is now in Walkerton, Indiana. Chris- 
topher, of this review, is the next of the family. Jeremiah died in childhood. 
Joseph makes his home in Walkerton, Indiana. Smith W. died in that place 
in 1892. Ruhama became the wife of John Lavely and died in Prairie town- 
ship; Jennie is the wife of George Burton, of Terre Haute, Indiana. Jesse 
died in Terre Haute, December 26, 1900. 

In the midst of the wild scenes of pioneer life Christopher Davis was 
reared to manhood. The family home was a log cabin and few were the 
privileges and luxuries wdiich were enjoyed by the frontier settlers. Pie 
acquired the greater part of his education in the subscription schools. The 
first school which he attended was held in a private dwelling and was taught 
by Miss Sarah Ann Welsh. Later a hewed-log building was erected to be 
used as a school and therein he pursued his education, under the direction of 
Mr. Frisseil and Mr. Neff. He attended only through winter terms, for in 
the summer months his services were needed upon the home farm. He began 
lo work in the fields when a small boy and soon became familiar with all 
the departments of farm labor. In those days he would break the corn off 
the stalks and it was then taken to the barn, where the merry corn huskings 
were held. Mr. Davis also attended many log rollings, at which all the men 
and larger boys of the neighborhood would gather. Two men would then 
choose sides and divide the ground, and the side which succeeded in accom- 
plishing its work first was proclaimed victorious. On account of his father's 
ill health Mr. Davis assumed the management of the home farm and after his 
father's demise he cultivated the place for his widowed mother until his 
marriage, which important event in his life occurred on the 2d of April, 1861, 
the lady of his choice being Miss Lydia Ann Scott, who was born on the farm 
where our subject now resides, her parents being William and Martha (Upp) 
Scott. 

After his marriage Mr. Davis took up his abode on the farm just east of 
Galloway, known as the Isaac Neff property. On the 15th of August, 1862, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 599 

he responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting as a member of Company 
H, Nmety-fifth Ohio Infantry, under Captain Wiley and Colonel McMillan. 
He served for five months and was then discharged at Camp Chase, February 
lo, 1863, on account of disability. After joining the army he went to Coving- 
ton, Kentucky, and thence to Richmond, participating in the battle at that 
place. There nearly all of the members of the regiment were captured by 
the forces of General Kirby Smith, but soon afterward Mr. Davis was paroled, 
together with many of his regiment. They then returned on foot to Cov- 
ington, Kentucky, and to Cincinnati, finding the latter city in charge of the 
"Squirrel Hunters." From Cincinnati Mr. Davis made his way home by 
train, and at Camp Chase received an honorable discharge. He then resumed 
agricultural pursuits, operating on shares the farm owned by F. A. McCor- 
mick. In the following autumn he removed to the Chrisman farm in Pleasant 
township, where he resided for two years and then went to Vermilion county, 
Illinois, spending the winter in Danville. In the spring he located on Eight 
Mile Prairie, fourteen miles from Danville, where he purchased one hundred 
and twenty acres of land, continuing its cultivation until the winter of 1872, 
when he rented his farm and returned to Franklin county, locating en the old 
homestead. He afterward sold his Illinois property. For three years he 
remained on the old home place and then purchased his present home, moving 
into a hewed-log cabin, which had a frame addition. This building was 
burned December 6, 1879, and two years afterward he erected his present 
beautiful brick residence, one of the most tasteful homes in his section of the 
county. He has one hundred and sixty-two acres of line farming land, all 
under a high state of cultivation. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Davis were born six children : Amelia, wdio died in 
infancy; William E., of Madera, California; George C, who died at the age 
of eight years; Leander, who died in childhood; Alletta, the wife of Charles 
Ruppel, of Indiana ; and Scott, who is living in Terre Haute, Indiana. After 
the death of his first wife Mr. Davis was again married, on the 22d of June, 
1875, his second union being with Miss Malissa Gardner, who was born in 
Pleasant township, November 5, 1857, and is a daughter of James and 
Mary (Norris) Gardner. Her father is now deceased, but her mother is 
still living. The children of the second marriage are: Arthur, who died 
in 1896; Nellie E. ; Rosalie; Oliver; Theodore, who is a student in Wester- 
ville; Laura Ann; Emma May; Ada Florence; Theressa Mary; and Grover 
Cleveland. 

Mr. Davis is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of 
Galloway. He was a Republican during the Civil war and supported that 
party until President Grant's second term, when he joined the Democracy, 
with which he has since voted. He served as school director for eleven years 
and has taken an active interest in educational affairs. He served as a dele- 
gate to the state conventions of 1896 and 1900. and on the 12th of February, 
1 90 1, in connection with W. J. Bryan, Charles A. Towne, D. E. Armand 
and many other distinguished men, he became a member of the Jefferson, 
Jackson and Lincoln League. 



6oo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

DANIEL W. McGRATII. 

The field of business offers limitless opportunities to men of energy, 
determination and ambition. To a student of biography there is nothing 
more interesting than to examine the life history of self-made men and to 
detect the elements of character which have enabled him to pass on the high- 
way of life many of the companions of his youth who at the outset of their 
careers were more advantageously equipped or endowed. The subject of 
this review has, through his own exertions, attained an honored position 
and marked prestige among the representative men of the west, and with 
signal consistency it may be said that he is the architect of his own fortunes, 
and one whose success amply, justifies the application of the somewhat hack- 
neyed but most expressive title, "a self-made man." He was a native O'f 
New York, born on the 15th of September, 1854. His father, Patrick 
McGrath, is a native of Ireland, and in early manhood he married Miss 
Mary Magher, who was also born on the green isle of Erin. On crossing 
the Atlantic to the new world they located first in Genesee county. New 
York, and from^ Lewiston, that state, they emigrated to Ohio about 1856, 
taking up their abode in Madison county, upon a farm. At the present 
time they are residents of Columbus, and are communicants of the Sacred 
Heart church. 

Having completed his educational course, Daniel W. McGrath began 
learning the mason's trade, and after mastering tjiat business worked as a 
journeyman for a time. In 1874 he came from Madison county to Colum- 
bus, where he was employed at his trade until 1884, when he began contract- 
ing and building on his own account. He has since carried on an independent 
business career and has won prominence in his chosen calling. A great 
many of the school buildings erected in Columbus during the past sixteen 
years stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He also erected the 
jail in Madison county, and he now has under contract the fire-proofing and 
mason work on the new addition to the Ohio state house, He built the only 
four "sky-scrapers" of the city, these being the Wyandotte, the Spah, the 
Schultz and the Olentangy, all fine office buildings. He is to-day regarded 
as one of the most prominent builders in this portion of the state, owing 
to his thorough understanding of the practical work, to his close application 
to business, to his fidelity to the terms of a contract and to his honorable effort. 
He did all the mason work on the National Steel Plant, also on the Martin 
Furnace Works, and secured and executed the entire contract for the Glass 
Works. He is now duplicating the same plant. 

In 1883 Mr. McGrath was united in marriage with Miss Mary Jane 
Hunter, of Sidney, Ohio, a daughter of William and Mary (Gallagher) 
Plunter. Mr. Hunter was a prominent farmer of Shelby county, Ohio, and 
died in 1878. at the age of seventy-five years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McGrath 
have been born six children, three sons and three daughters: Edward, Frank. 




DAHIEL W. McGRATH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 6oi 

John, Marie, Lillian and Annie. They are now attending private schools, 
some of the family being students in the Sacred Heart parish school. 

In his political affiliations Mr. McGrath is independent, and sociahy he 
is a member of the Elks and Knights of Columbus. His time and attention, 
however, are practically given to his business affairs, in which he has met 
with signal success. Regarded as a citizen he belongs to the public-spirited^ 
useful and helpful kind of men whose ambitions and desires are centered 
and directed in those channels through which flow the greatest and most 
permanent good to the greatest number, and it is therefore consistent yvith 
the purpose and plan of his work that his record be given among those of the 
representative men of the capital city. 

ADAM TRISH. 

A well known and highly respected farmer of Norwich township, Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, is Adam Trish, the subject of this sketch. He was born in. 
Truro township. May 4, 1852, and was the son of one of the most highly es- 
teemed citizens of that section. His father, also Adam Trish, was a native- 
of Germany, born there in 1823, who was sent to school until he was fourteen 
years old, at which time his uncle came to America, bringing the lad with him. 
He remained at Tiffin, Ohio, engaged in farming, but when a boy he had. 
learned the trade of weaving. In that place he met the mother of our subject, 
Elizabeth Shafer, a daughter of John Shafer, of Tiffin, and after marriage, 
Mr. and Mrs. Trish moved to Truro township where he engaged in work as. 
a day laborer. 

In 1858 Adami Trish, the elder, bought a tract of land containing one 
hundred acres, upon which wasi built a log cabin of two rooms. By industry- 
he managed to get this land cleared and in 1876 built upon it the substantial 
residence now occupied by our subject. He was a man who took an intelli- 
gent interest in politics, but never wished office, consenting to serve only on the 
school board. Other members of hi& family probably came to the United 
States, but separation had caused him to lose knowledge of their movements- 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Trish were members of the religious sect known as the 
River Brethren. His death occurred in July, 1885, and that of Mrs. Trish, 
August 7, 1888, the children born to them being Emmeline, Mrs._ Joshua 
Armstrong, of Mercer county, Indiana ; John, of Licking county, Ohio ; Bar- 
bara, Mrs. Christian Myer. of Licking county, Ohio; our subject; Margaret, 
Mrs. George Somers, of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio ; Joseph- 
ine, Mrs. William Somers, Of Newark, Ohio ; and Marie, MrS'. John Hummel, 
of Columbus. 

Our subject was about five vears old when his father located .ipon his 
present farm. His parents were anxious to have him take advantage 
of all school privileges that were provided, and he recallsi his first experience 
at the old Brumley school and the name of his first teacher, Joseph Godo^wn. 
As soon as he became large enough he v:as obliged to take part in the work 



602 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the farm and his school opportunities were Hmited to three months in the 
winter. Until his marriage, Mr. Trish continued to work for his father, but 
after that event he rented the farm from him and also rented other land, buy- 
ing the home farm in 1893. He has been very successful in his efforts, and 
much credit must be given him, for he began without a dollar of his own. 
A great amount of pluck, energy and honest labor is required to obtain the 
comforts of life which are now enjoyed by Mr. Trish. 

The marriage of our subject took place January 17, 1877, to Miss Louisa 
Carl, daughter of Christian and Mary (Selbert) Carl, wdio was born in Prairie 
township,' March 10, 1854. Mr. Carl came from Germany with his parents, 
when he was eighteen years old, they being Louis and Elizabeth (Koerchner) 
Carl, who died in Prairie township, this county. The family of our subject 
and his esteemed wife are: Elizabeth M., born August 28, 1877; Marie 
A., born September 14, 1S79; Emmerson R., born December 11, 1882; Nettie 
Forest, born March 12, 1886; Maggie F., born February 22, 1889; and Adam 
Carl, born February 25, 1893. 

Mr. Trish is a stanch Democrat in his political convictions, and has always 
been ready to assist in the councils' of his party. He has served on the school 
board several terms, and in 1898 was elected township trustee. Mrs. Trish 
is a most estimable lady, a valued member of the Methodist church and a 
kind neighbor and friend. 

EDWARD E. MILLER. 

The history of an industrious, honorable and useful life is always valua- 
ble reading, inculcating lessons which must be beneficial to young men wase 
enough to learn from the experience of others and conscientious enough to 
desire to emulate the good example of others. Such a well spent life as is 
here suggested is that of Edward E. Miller, of Jackson township, Franklin 
county, Ohio; 

Mr. Miller was born in Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio, May 
2, 1836, a son of Isaac and Fannie (Holloway) Miller. His father, who 
was a native of Virginia, came with his parents to Clark county, Ohio, when 
he was seven years old, and he was there educated in the common schools 
i.nd reared as a farmer boy of all w^ork. After his marriage, in 1834, he 
came to Jackson township, Franklin county, and locating in the w^oods he 
lived for some time in a little log house wdiich he built there, then sold the 
place and bought another which he cleared and improved, and on which he 
lived until his death, at the age of seventy-one years. He was successful 
in a W'Orldly way, and as a citizen was popular and influential. He was a 
Whig until the Whig party was merged into the Republican party, and after 
that he voted the Republican ticket and worked for Republican principles 
until the end of his life. For many years he ably filled the office of justice 
of the peace. In religious affiliation he w^as a Methodist, active in the work 
of his church and generous and helpful in the support of all its interests. He 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 603 

was a class-leader, a steward, a Sunday-school superintendent, and in one 
capacity or another was always laboring for the advancement of the cause 
of Christ in his denomination. He not only donated the land on which 
Concord church stands, but was a liberal contributor toward the maintenance 
of worship there until the end of his days, and he was largely instrumental 
in replacing with a modern frame structure the small primitive church orig- 
inally erected of logs cut on his land. Abraham Miller, his father, was 
born in Virginia, of German ancestors, and spoke the German language. 
Mr Miller regrets that he knows little about the family history of his mother, 
Fannie (Holloway), who died in the sixty-second year of her age, after hav- 
ing brought into the world six sons and six daughters, all of whom married 
and reared families, and four sons and three daughters of whom are now 
living. 

The subject of this sketch was the third 'fon and fifth child of his par- 
ents in order of birth, and was reared to farm work in Jackson township 
and was there educated in public and subscription schools, and has a 
vivid recollection of the early log schoolhouses, which had greased-paper 
windows which admitted some light but would not permit the children 
to look out, seats were of split logs, the rude slab desks were supported 
ion pins driven in the walls, there were big fireplaces' and stick-and-mud 
chimneys, and other crude and unattractive furnishings. Notwithstand- 
ing the fact that the teaching in those days was as primitive as the 
schoolhouses, the boy acquired a fair education, and at the age of twenty 
lie hired a man to work in his place for his father until he should be twenty- 
one and began life for himself as a teacher. He taught five years continu- 
ously, and some years later, after his marriage, he taught two winter terms. 
Ehza A. Demorest, who became his wife October 2, 1866, was a native of 
Piatt county, Illinois, and was born at Whiteheath, April 4, 1839. Her 
father, Isaac Demorest, was born in Ohio, of French ancestry, and was twice 
married, first to Margaret Alkire, who bore him a son named \\'illiam, who 
died at the age of twenty-one years, and after her death, to Clarissa Kerr, 
a native of Franklin county, Ohio. Miss Kerr, who was born and reared 
at Harrisburg, descended from Irish ancestors. On the paternal side his 
mother was Leah Goetchius, a native of the state of New York, and of Ger- 
man ancestry. Isaac and Clarissa (Kerr) Demorest had four daughters 
and one son. A biographical sketch of their son, Russell B., appears else- 
where in this work. The daughters were named Margaret, Emeline. Eliza 
A. and Jennie. 'Mrs. IMiiler was the third daughter and fourth child of 
her parents in order of nativity, and was four years old when they came to 
Franklin county. She received a collegiate education at Delaware, Ohio, 
and after her graduation taught school one year. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. IMiller located on the farm upon 
which they now live and began housekeeping in a weatherboarded log house 
•of four rooms, which in 1874 was replaced by their present more modern 
and much more commodious residence. His original farm consisted of one 



6o4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

hundred and thirty-four acres. By purchase of the old family homestead 
he increased his holdings to almost three hundred acres, which is devoted 
largely to general farming. Besides being a successful farmer, Mr. Miller 
has achieved considerable reputation as a stockman, and he had on his place 
an establishment for the manufacture of drain tile, of which he sold consid- 
erable quantities to neighboring farmers and some of which he utilized for 
the improvement of his own farm. Politically Mr. Miller allied ^limself 
with the Prohibition party more than a quarter of a century ago, and since 
then he has worked consistently for the advancement of the interests of that 
organization. In 1874 he was the candidate of his party for the office of 
county treasurer. He is an active member of Concord Methodist Episcopal 
church, and was its recording secretary for twenty years, and has filled every 
other office in the chi^rch except that of pastor, and has been superintendent 
of its Sunday-school since 1867. He is a prominent member of the local 
post of the Grand Army of the Republic, and has a good record as a soldier 
in the Civil war. He enlisted in 1862 as a private in Company B, Ninety- 
fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was promoted to the office of 
corporal. At the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, he was shot through the 
foot, and in January, 1863, he was honorably discharged from the service 
on account of disability, and for two years afterward conducted a photograph 
gallery at Camp Chase, and for a short time after that was in the same busi- 
ness in Coilumbus. He is a man of much public spirit, whO' takes a real 
interest in his township and county, and works conscientiously for their 
moral, educational and political advancement and prosperity. Mr. and Mrs, 
Miller have three children, named Marcus R., Merritt F. and Clara Ethel. 
Two others died in infancy. 

FRANCIS WHARTON BLAKE, M. D. 

One of the prominent and representative members of the medical pro- 
fession of Columbus, Ohio, is Francis Wharton Blake, the subject of this 
sketch. He was born in Gambier, Knox county, Ohio, in 1858. His father, 
the Rev. Alfred Blake, D. D., was a native of New Hampshire, born in 1809, 
and his later years were devoted to the ministry of the Episcopal church. 
For a number of years he was the proprietor and principal of a boys' school 
in Gambier, where he is still gratefully remembered. 

He moved to Ohio in 1827, entering the junior class of Kenyon College. 
His grandfather was a native of New Hampshire, and died in 1827, after a 
life of agricultural pursuits. His wife was a member of the Jilson family. 
The mother of onr subject was Anne J. (Leonard) Blake, a daughter of 
Joseph Leonard, who for many years was agent for the Lloyds at Amster- 
dam. Her mother was Ann (Peake) Leonard. Mrs. Blake was born in 
Llolland, and came to America in childhood. She still resides in Gambier, 
although her early home in Ohio was at Circleville. 

Our subject spent his boyhood and received his preparatory education 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 605 

in the schools of Gambier, later entering Kenyon College, from which he 
was graduated in 1880. Choosing medicine as his life profession, Dr. Blake 
began its serious study with Dr. j. \\\ Hamilton, of Columbus, and gradu- 
ated at the Columbus Medical College in 1883. Following this successful 
termination of his college course, our subject then went to New York city, 
where he became associated with the New York Hospital for Ruptured and 
Crippled, remaining two years and gaining invaluable knowledge and ex- 
perience. Still pursuing his profession in other lines, he became an assistant 
in the New York Ophthalmic and Aural Institute, and also in the New York 
Polyclinic. He returned to Columbus in 1886, thoroughly prepared to prac- 
tice his profession. Since that time Dr. Blake has earned most gratifying 
success and the esteem of the community. 

Dr. Blake is connected with the Columbus Academy of Medicine, 
the Ohio State Medical Association, the American ^^ledical Association and 
the American Academy of Medicine. 

LEWIS MOREHEAD. 

There is something in the way of example in the life of every man who 
triumphs over obstacles and gains an enviable place among his. fellow citizens 
that should not be withheld from others who are struggling for success, for 
there is much of encouragement in the trite declaration, "\Miat man has done 
man may do again," and many a man who has succeeded in life acknowledges 
indebtedness to it. The career of Lewis Morehead, ex-county commissioner 
of Franklin county, Ohio, is that of a worthy self-made man, and as such 
deserves a place in a work of the character and scope of this. 

Lewis Morehead was born in Hamilton township, Franklin county, Ohio, 
November 26, 1843, ^ son of Lewis and Charlotte (Wright) jMorehead. 
Lewis Morehead, Sr., was born in the same house in which his son was born 
and was reared in Hamilton township and educated in its public schools, and 
he wasi there married and passed his days as a general farmer and a leading 
citizen and died in 1844. aged about thirty-eight years. Ferguson More- 
head, his father, was a native of Kentucky and one of the early pioneers 
in Hamilton township. Charlotte ^^'right, who married Lewis Morehead, 
Sr., and is the mother of Lewis Morehead. was born in Pennsylvania, the 
daughter of Thomas' and Elizabeth (Watt) \\Tight, and was of mixed Eng- 
lish and Scotch blood. At the age of nine years; she was brought to Franklin 
county by her parents, who were among the early settlers there. She is still 
living. 

Lewis Morehead was the only child of his parents and was reared and 
educated in his native township and brought up to the laborious and honorable 
life of a farmer. He was' married, January 14, 1869, to Elizabeth Williams, 
a native of Hamilton township, Franklin county, and a daughter of Benjamin 
and Catharine (Weight) Williams, who were among the earlv settlers in the 
county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. ]\Iorehead were born three children, but Carrie 



6o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and Catherine died in infancy, Lewis, the second child, being the only sur- 
vivor. 

After his marriage Mr. Morehead settled on the Williams homestead' 
and farmed there successfully until 1898, when he located at Shadeville. In 
1880 he went on the road for the Aultman concern, selling agricultural imple- 
ments, and was thus employed in connection wdth farming until 1886, when he 
was elected county commissioner of Franklin county. His performance of 
the duties of that important office was characterized by so much honesty and 
efificiency that his re-election was demanded by the people and he was elected 
again in 1889. He has also held the office of township trustee and in that 
capacity he showed the same devotion to the public interests that marked his 
administration of the office of county commissioner. In his political views 
he is a Democrat, and he is fully in accord with the best principles of his 
party, past and present. 

Mr. Morehead owns five hundred and twenty-six acres of land, all under 
a good state of improvement, and ranks with the well-to-do farmers of his 
part of the county and is honored as a citizen of integrity and influence and 
as an ex-soldier of the Civil war, for he enlisted May 2, 1864, in Company 
K, One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for 
one hundred days^, and served the term of his enlistment, and re-enlisted for 
one year or during the war and attended faithfully to his soldierly duties until 
discharged from the service on accoimt of ill health contracted in the army. 
Since he has retired from active life it is fitting that proper reference to his 
achievements in his official capacity should be made in this connection. Dur- 
ing his service as county commissioner the county courthouse was finished, 
the new county jail was built, more needed bridges were constructed than in 
any like period' of the history of the county, the soldiers' monument was 
erected, noteworthy provision was made for the county's unfortunate and 
deserving poor and numerous other reforms, and improvements were insti- 
tuted. In all the good public w^ork indicated ]\Ir. Morehead took a prcminent 
part, which will not soon be forgotten. 

Mr. Morehead is a thirty-second-degree ]\Iason, and his son, Lewis W. 
Morehead, who manages his father's farming interests since the latter's retire- 
ment, took all the degrees wdth him. They are well informed and enthusi- 
astic Masons who exert themselves in every way for the benefit of their 
beneficent order, and, through it, for the good of their fellow men, and are 
well and widely known in the fraternity and are popular not only in Masonic 
circles but in all circles in which they move. 

After the death of Lewis Morehead, her first husband, Mrs. Morehead 
married Lockhard Ramsey and bore him two children, one of whom is living 
— Lockhard Ramsey, Jr., a w^ell known farmer of Hamilton township. Lock- 
hard Ramsey, Sr.. died in 1852, and for twenty-one years Mrs. Ramsey has 
been a member of the household of her son Lewis IMorehead and is accorded 
the honors due to one of the early born women of the township, a living link 
between the old order of things and the new. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 607 

CHARLES E. TURNER, M. D. 

A native of Ohio, Dr. Turner was born in Zanesville, on the 19th of 
April, 1874. But Httle is known concerning the ancestral history of the family 
save that the first of the name in America came from England. John L. 
Turner, the father of our subject, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and in 
early manhood engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods in his native 
state. He afterward retnoved to Zanesville, Ohio, where he is still living. 
The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Elizabeth A. Mile and w^as 
born in Ellicott City, Maryland. 

Dr. Turner spent the days of his youth in his parents' home in Zanes- 
ville and attended the common schools. He was graduated in the high school 
of that city and then, preparing for professional life, became' a student in 
the office of Dr. J. M. Easing, of Zanesville, who directed his preliminary 
reading until he was enrolled among the students of Starling Medical Col- 
lege, being graduated there in 1896. Later he went to New York city, where 
\\t took a post-graduate course in the Post-Graduate College, completing the 
same in September of that year. Returning to his home in Zanesville, he 
made arrangements to remove to Columbus, and through the past five years 
has conducted a general practice here with good success. 

On the 1st of June, 1898, Dr. Turner was united in marriage to Miss 
Wilhelmina von der Auf, of Columbus, a daughter of John von der Auf. 
Their pleasant home is a hospitable one and their friends are numerous. The 
Doctor be'longsi to Mentor Lodge, No. 642, K. P., and in the line of his pro- 
fession holds membership in the Columbus Academy of Medicine and the 
Ohio State Medical Society. He entered upon his professional career well 
prepared for its arduous and responsible duties. He is most faithful to the 
trusts reposed in him, and his persistent efforts have led to his continued 
advancement. 

ROBERT D. GRANT. 

This, well-known general merchant of Grove City and one of the leading 
business men of that place has shown in his successful career that he has the 
ability to plan wisely and execute with energy, a combination which, when 
possessed bv men in any walk of life, never fails to effect notable results. He 
is a native 'of Franklin county, born in Jackson township August 28, 1847. 
and is the eighth child and second son in the family ot Hugh and Leah 
(Deamer) Grant, more extended mention of whom is made in the sketch of 
A. G. Grant on another page of this volume. . 

Our subject was. reared in his native township, and obtained his educa- 
tion in its district schools. On the seventeenth anniversary of his birth he 
joined the boys in blue of the Civil war, enlisting in 1864 as a private of Com- 
pany E One Hundred and Eightv-second Ohio Volunteer Lifantry. with 
which he served until the close of the war, taking part in the battle of Nash- 



6o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ville, which was a two-days engagement. When hostihties ceased he was 
honorably discharged at that place and returned home. 

Mr. Grant then learned the plasterer's trade in Grove City, but after 
completing his apprenticeship plastered one house and then retired from the 
business. For about five years he was engaged in mercantile business with hisi 
brother, A. G. Grant, and then formed a partnership with him, which lasted 
about the same length of time. He then sold his interest in the business to his 
brother, A. G. Grant, but a month later purchased the establi-hme'nt, and has 
since engaged in business alone; being the oldest merchant in Grove City. 
He Carrie's a large and well-selected stock of groceries and dry goods, and en- 
joys an excellent trade. For about ^ix years he was also interested in the 
manufacture of brick at Mt. Sterling and Grove City, and was engaged in the 
grain and coal business three years. 

Mr. Grant has been twice married. In 1871, he wedded Miss Isabel 
Stranahan, by wdiom he had four children, but Adelbert arid Lillie May are 
both deceased. Those living are Nellie, wife of Dr. F. C. Wright, a practic- 
ing physician of Grove City; and Elizabeth at home. In 1887 he married his 
present wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Caroline Rowles. 

Mr. Grant is five feet, four inches and a half in height, and now weighs 
three hundred and fifty pounds, while at one time he weighed three hundred 
ninety-eight and a half. Socially he is an honored member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Grove 
City, and politically is identified with the Republican party. For eleven years 
he was the efficient and popular postmaster of Grove City, and has been a 
member of the school board twelve years. By his untiring industry and sound 
judgment Mr. Grant has won me'rited success in business affairs, and is in 
all respects worthy the high regard in which he is held by his fellow men. 



GEORGE A. NICHOLS. 

George A. Nichols, one of the younger engineers in the employ of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 
28th of January, 1866, a son of Daniel and Caroline Nichols, who were mar- 
ried April 16, 185 1, His grandfather was a native of New Jersey and 
removed to Ohio at an early day, while his original American ancestors were 
of Holland birth. His father, who was born in Fairfield county, on the 4th 
of November, 1829, has devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits. Mrs. 
Caroline Nichols was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, February 2, 1831. 
Their children are : Ellen, Eliza, Kate and George A. The last named was 
married October 2, 1871, in Avondale, Ohio, to Miss Carrie Nelson and 
they have since resided in Columbus. Her parents, Samuel and Sarah Nel- 
son, were born in Coshocton county, Ohio, and now reside in Evansburg, 
this state. Their children are : Jacob, who is now a fireman on the Atchison, 
Topeka & St. Louis Railroad; John, an express messenger on the Pan Handle 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 609 

Railroad; Robert, who is engaged in clerking; Clarence, who is also in the 
railway employ; Agnes, wife of James Drafton; and Carrie, the wife of our 
subject. 

Mr. Nichols entered the railway service February 2, 1889, as an employ 
of the Pennsylvania road. He has acted as fireman on both passenger and 
freight engines, and after ten years spent in that way he was made an engineer, 
in which position he has since served. On the 2d of July, 1898, he met with 
an accident. The train was going at the rate of forty-five or fifty miles an 
hour, and Mr. Nichols jumped from his engine and escaped with a broken 
nose and a bruised head, while his fireman had an arm broken. He is a 
member of Division No. 445 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen of 
Columbus. He has a wide acquaintance among train men and also has many 
friends in other walks of life. 

JOHN WARNER. 

On one of the fine farms of Hamilton township resides John Warner, 
who is classified among the leading agriculturists of his community. For 
forty- nine years he has 'been a resident oif Franklin county. To-day he owns 
and operates two hundred and ninety acres of land, and his progressive 
business methods have made his property very valuable. 

Mr. Warner was born in Hanover, Germany, August 22, 1835, his 
parents being John and Elizabeth Warner. The mother died during his 
infancy, while his father died when he was a small boy, so that he was early 
left an orphan and was reared by his brothers and sisters. When about 
seventeen years of age he came to America with his brother Henry, making 
his way direct to Columbus, Ohio. This was in 1852. He began working 
by the day or [month at anything he could get to do in or near Columbus, 
and was employed in that manner until his enlistment in the Union army, 
as a member of Company B, One Hundred Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry. He joined the service as a private, was promoted to corporal, 
afterward to sergeant and later became color bearer of his regiment, which 
position he filled until the close of the war, in 1865. He was at the front 
for almost three years, and at Chickamauga was slightly wounded, but did 
not leave his post of duty. He was never in a hospital or in a southern 
prison, and with loyal spirit he followed tlie stars and stripes on many a 
southern battlefield, participating in the engagements at Chickamauga, Look- 
out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, the siege of 
Atlanta and- the battle of Jonesboro, together with many otlver engagements' 
of less importance. He was with Sherman on his famous march to the sea 
and was at the battles of Evansburg and Bentonville. He also participated 
in the grand review at Washington, and was mustered out at Louisville. Ken- 
tucky, receiving an honorable discharge at Columbus, Ohio. 

Again Mr. Warner began work by the day or month in and near Col- 
umbus, being thus occupied for about a year. He was in the employ of Wash- 



6iQ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ing-ton Rees for a year and then began operating land for him on the shares, 
Mr. Rees furnishing ah supplies and implements and giving to Mr. Warner 
his' board and one-third of the crops. 'I'he succeeding year he operated Mr. 
Rees' land for one-half the crops, our subject furnishing the supplies, and 
boarded with Mr. Rees until 1872. He thus followed farming on the shares 
until about 1890, when he purchased of Mr. Rees the farm upon which he is 
now residing, comprising one hundred twenty-five and a half acres. How- 
ever, he had previously purchased the McLish farm of eighty acres,, but never 
lived upon the place and afterward sold it. He has purchased one hundred 
and sixty-five acres of the Kelly farm, on the Chillicothe or High street pike, 
and that land is now operated by his son. 

Mr. Warner was married May 16, 1871, to Elizabeth Franck, a native 
of Franklin county and a daughter of Samuel and Jane Franck, who were 
early .settlors of this; locality. Her father came to Ohio from Pennsylvania, but 
her mother, who bore the maiden name of Jane Adams, was bcrn on the farm 
where Mr. Warner now resides, the Adams family being among the first to 
locate in Franklin county. Unto our subject and his wife have been born 
five children, two sons and three daughters : Nellie, now the wife of Henry 
Constant, by whom she has three children, Clark, John P. and William Ray, 
their homes being near Columbus ; Henry, who married Ida Fisher, by whom he 
has a son, Horton, and resides on his father's farm on the High street pike ; 
Clara, the wife of Charles Hann, a farmer of Hamilton township, by whom 
she has' a son, Raymond Claytoni ; John, at home ; and Effie, who is attending 
school. All were born in Hamilton township. The family is one of prom- 
inence in the community and the members of the household enjoy the high 
regard of many friends. Mr. Warner belongs to Johnson Watson Post, G. 
A. R., of Groveport. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and is now serving 
in his third year as trustee of Hamilton township. He is also school director, 
and is a citizen who takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the wel- 
fare of the community, its progress and upbuilding. Coming to this country 
empty-handed, he owes all that he possesses to his own efforts and his success 
is creditable and well deserved. 

DAIWALT MACHLIN. 

Daiwalt Machlin, a retired farmer of Pleasant township, is numbered 
among the native citizens of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in York 
county, that state, on the i8th of ^August, 1834. His grandfather, George 
Machlin, was also born in the same county and. was a farmer by occupation. 
His ancestors came to America from the Netherlands, in 1727, and located ini 
Philadelphia, thus founding the family in the new world. George Machlin 
married Elizabeth Achenbach. He is a native of York county, where they 
spent their entire liveS'. Daiwalt Machlin, a brother of the grandfather, left 
Pennsylvania for Ohio and died near Lancaster, this state. Another brother 
became a resident of Perry county, while a third took up his abode near 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 6ii 

Cleveland, and among the early settlers of the state they were numbered. 
Daniel Machlin, the father of our subject, was born in York county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1 813. His educational privileges were limited, but his trainmg 
at farm labor was not meager. He married Mary Linebaugh, who was born 
in York county, Pennsylvania, about 181 3, and was a daughter of Abraham 
and Elizabeth ( Wikle) Linebaugh. The latter's father came to America from 
Germany before the war of the Revolution. After his marriage Daniel Mach- 
lin. rented land for a time and then purchased a farm from the Furnace Com- 
pany, which cut timber from the place and used it for charcoal for fuel. 
Throughout his active business career he carried on agricultural pursuits, 
but died in early manhood, passing away in 1846. His wife, long surviving 
him, died in York county, Pennsylvania, in 1894. She had again married, 
becoming the wife of Genesis Glassick. Both the parents of our subject held 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and in his political affiliations 
the father was a Whig. Their children were five in number, namely : Dai- 
walt; Silana, who bcame the wife of Howard Linebaugh, of York county, 
Ptennsylvania ; Mary, the wife of John Fishel, also of York county; Sarah, 
wife of Solomon Wire, of the same county ; and Susan, who married Henry 
Kochenaur, who died in York county soon after her marriage. By her second 
marriage the mother had twO' children : John H. and William D., both of 
York county, the latter a practicing physician. 

'Mr. Machlin, whose name introduces this record, began work early in life 
as an assistant upon the home farm. He attended school for about three 
months during the year, but the teachers were often incompetent and the 
studies were of a limited character. He remained under the parental roof 
until eighteen years of age, when he spent one summer on a farm twenty- 
five miles from his home. In the following spring he came to Ohio, having 
twenty-five dollars above the expenses of the journey . He worked his way 
to the home of an uncle, John Linebaugh, of Columbus, with whom he learned 
the carpenter's trade, remaining with him as an apprentice and journeyman for 
ten years. Mr. Machlin was then married in Jackson township, on the 24th 
of August, 1864, to Miss Catherine Gantz, who was born in Jackson town- 
ship, OctoiDer 24, 1836. Her girlhood days were here spent, amid the wild 
scenes of the frontier life and her education was acquired in a log schoolhouse, 
seated with sdab benches and supplied with a slab writing desk, which rested 
upon pins driven into the wall, and there were windows along three sides of 
the building. Her first teacher was Miss Christina Yates and the school was 
upon his father's farm, about a mile from her home. The way lay t'lrough 
the woods and as the land was swampy she often had to jump from log to 
log to keep out of the wet. Her father, Adam Gantz, was born m Washing- 
ton county, Pennsylvania, in 181 2, and Avas married there to Miss Catherine 
Pinix, a native of the same county. They removed to Jackson township, 
Franklin county, taking up his abode in a log school building, the teacher 
dismissing the scholars in order to allow them to move in. Mr. Gantz pur- 
chased two hundred acres of wild land and later became the owner of an 



6i2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

additional tract of three hundred acres. He died upon the home farm whicH: 
he developed in 1878, and his wife passed away in 1876. The paternal grand- 
parents of Mrs. Machlin were John and Mary ^(Horn) Gantz and both died 
in Pennsylvania. 

Mr. and Mrs. Machlin became the parents of twins^, who died in infancy. 
They now have an adopted daughter, Alice Machlin, the wife of Dr. G. W. 
Helmick, of Harrisburg. After their marriag^ Mr. and Mrs'. Machlin took 
up their abode upon a rented farm on the Harrisburg pike, south of Grove 
City, and in 1864 he purchased his present farm, but coiild not obtain posses- 
sion of the same until the following year. His home place comprises seventy- 
two acres and he also owns another tract of thirty-eight acres in Pleasant 
township and a farm of one hundred acres in Pickaway county. He has 
done very little carpentering since his marriage, but from 1886 to 1894 he 
was agent for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company at Pleasant Corners. 
His careful management and his energetic industry in the active affairs of life 
brought to him a very desirable competence so that he is now enabled to live 
retired. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church 
at Grove City, in which he is serving as elder. He has frequently visited his 
old home in York county since coming to Ohio, but is well content to make 
the Buckeve state the place of his abode, and he has long been classed among 
the representative citizens of his adopted county. 

IRVI^ BUTTERWORTH. 

Honored and respected by all. there is no man in Columbus who occupies 
a more enviable position in commercial and financial circles than Irvin Butter- 
worth, whO' until recently resided in Columbus but is now living in Denver. 
He was born on a farm near Loveland, Ohio, July 7, i860, of Quaker an- 
cestry, and when he was but two years old his father removed to a farm near 
\Vilmington, where his son remained until he had attained his majority, at- 
tending school through the winter and working upon the farm in the summer 
months. While pursuing his education he daily walked to^ and from school 
— a distance of three miles. He w^as' nineteen years of age at the time of his 
graduation. 

In 1 88 1 Mr. Butterworth came to Columbus wdiere he entered upon what 
has been a brilliant business career. He filled successively the following 
positions : stenographer for the Hon. George K. Nash, then attorney-general 
of the state and chairman of the Republican state executive committee and since 
governor of Ohio. In the fall of 1881 he became private secretary to Colonel 
Orland Smith, then general manager of the Columbus, Hocking Valley & 
Toledo Railroad Company, leaving his employ in 1883 to accept a similar 
position with M. M. Greene, then president of the same company. In 1887 
he \vasi offered and accepted the position of bookkeeper and cashie'r in the 
office of the Columbus Gas Company and was promoted to the superintendency 
of the works in 1886. In the previous year he was chosen secretary of the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 613 

Ohio Gas Light Association, in which capacity he served for nine years, acting 
as president of the association in 1894. In 1889 he was chosen general man- 
ager and a director of the Cohimbus Gas Company, acting as such until 1900. 
In 1893 he was elected vice president of the company and in 1898 was elected 
its president, to which office was added that of treasurer in 1900. He con- 
tinued to discharge the duties of both positions until the ist of June, 1901, 
when he was elected president and general manager of the Denver Gas & 
Electric Company, of Denver, Colorado, whither he removed with his family. 

His attention and efforts, however, have been by no means confined to one 
line and his discriminating judgment has proved an important factor in man- 
aging successfully many enterprises. During the past decade he has served a 
term of years as director of the Western Gas Association, and a member of the 
council of the American Gas Light Association, having also been vice-presi- 
dent of the latter. In January, 1901, he was elected president of the 
Columbus board of trade, of which he had previously been a director for 
two years. He was also one of the organizers of the Engineers' Club, of 
Columbus, and served as its president in the year 1900. To the various gas 
associations of which Mr. Butterworth is a member he has from time to time 
contributed papers on technical subjects pertaining to the gas business, as fol- 
lows : Natural Gas; A Regenerative Furnace Adapted to Small Works; 
Does Ohio Want a Gas Commission ; Governor Burners ; Gas Franchises and 
Other Topics; Street Main Pressures; Ventilation of Gas-lighted Rooms; 
A Curious Gas Explosion; A New Purifying Box; and Vitrified Clay Pipes 
Instead of Iron for Gas Mains. These papers have been of great value to those 
connected with the gas business^, setting forth new ideas and improvements, 
and Mr. Butterworth has contributed in no small measure to the advancement 
of the enterprise which he represents. 

In 1887 Mr. Butterw^orth was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Adelaide 
McMillin, a daughter of Emerson McMillin, of New York city. Unto them 
have been born three children: Paul, Corwin and Emerson, aged respec- 
tively thirteen, eleven and six years. Mr. and Mrs. Butterworth were very 
prominent in the social circles of Columbus, where their very extended ac- 
quaintances gained for them the hospitality of the best homes of the city. 

FRANK L. FALLOON. 

Frank L. Falloon, who is one of the popular passenger conductors' on the 
v;estern division of the Pennsylvania railroad and resides at No. 753 Leonard 
avenue, Columbus, was born in Athens, Ohio, November i, i860. His father, 
James H. Falloon, was a native of Canada, born in Ottawa, and his mother 
was born in Montreal. In the public schools of his native county Mr. Falloon 
of this review began his education. He continued his studies in the high 
school at Athens, and afterward was graduated in the High University of 
that place. In 1880 he began his railroad career by working as a brakeman 
on the Ohio Central Railroad and was afterward baggage master and served 



6i4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in those two capacities for five years. In 1885 lie was made brakeman on the 
Panhandle Railroad and on the western division, running through Colum- 
bus, in 1887, he was promoted to freight conductor. Alter eight years of 
faithful service, in 1895, he was promoted to passenger conductor and in 
that way has since been continuously connected with the road. He has a 
very exceptional record, having never been even 'slightly injured, never been 
in a wreck or collision and never had a man injured on his train. 

In 1895 Mr. Falloon was married, in Columbus, to Miss Margaret 
Lauber, whose parents (are now both deceased. Unto our subject and h'is 
wife has been born one child, Margaret L., whose birth occurred February 
15, 1898, the very day the battleship Maine was blown up. Mr. Falloon 
is a member of the Order of Railway Conductors and of the Knights of 
Pythias fraternity. He has resided in Columbus since 1882 and has a wide 
acquaintance among railroad men and in other walks of life. 



JAMES H. HESS. 

Among the prominent and influential citizens of Clinton township no 
man in his day was more popular than James H. Hess, who' as a teacher and 
officer was actively identified wuth public affairs for many years. He was 
born August 21, 1839, at the old homestead in that township, where his wudow 
and daughter still reside, and was the second son of Moses Hess by his third 
wdfe, Elizabeth Grayless, and' grandson of Balser Hess, who came to this 
county from Bedford county, Pennsylvania, in 1802, and in the midst of 
the unbroken forest purchased four hundred acres of land. He fought for 
American independence in the war of the Revolution, and during the battle 
of Staten Island was captured by the Hessians and imprisoned in the old 
sugar house in New York city for seven days without anything to eat. Out 
of the seven hundred prisoners incarcerated there only fifty survived ! Balser 
Hess was in the service seven years, and took part in many important engage- 
ments, among which was the battle of Brandywdne. He w^as with Wash- 
ington at the crossing of the Delaware, and remembered hearing the general, 
say, "God will build us a bridge before morning." 

James H. Hess was the; eldest child in his father's family, and before 
he attained his seventeenth year lost both parents. His early education, 
acquired in the common schools, was supplemented by a full course at Otter- 
bein University, at Westerville, Ohio. While a student there he paid his 
own way by teaching in that institution. After completing his education he 
was the principal of the Westerville public schools for a ishort time, and 
then accepted the superintendency of the Shelby ville (Illinois) Seminary, 
which position he retained for about two years. On returning tO' his home 
in this county, he was appointed a deputy clerk of the common-pleas court, 
and when he retired from that office engaged in farming on his father's old 
homestead, the pioneer farm of Clinton township. For several years he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 6 1 5 

served as county school examiner, and at the time of his death was justice 
of the peace, succeeding Justice John Starrett, who had succeeded Thomas 
Jeffries, all three of whom, strange as it may appear, died during the last six 
months of their respective terms of office. Mr. Hess was also deputy dis- 
trict commander of the Grange, in the prosperity of which he evinced great 
interest, as well asi in that of the Central Ohio Farmers' Association, of 
which he was vice-president and a frequent lecturer. Politically he was an 
uncompromising Democrat. He was a man of sterling integrity, and was 
identified with all the leading public enterprises of his neighborhood. He 
died from blood poisoning, February 13, 1889, at the age of forty-nine 
years, five months anfl seventeen days, leaving a brother, John Moses Hess, 
and an only sister, Mrs. William P. BroAvn, of New York city, and many 
friends and his immediate family to mourn their loss. 

On the 26th of October, 1871, Mr. Hess was united in marriage with 
Miss Eliza Jane Kenny, and to them was born one child, Mary Eve, who 
lives with her mother at the old home. 

John Kenny, the grandfather of Mrs. Hess, and one of the honored 
pioneers of Franklin county, was a native of Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, 
where he was married, April 11, 181 5, to Miss Nancy Criswell, and where 
he continued to make his home until after the birth of two of his children, — • 
Benjamin C. and James. In 1819 he brought his family to this county, and 
in Perry township purchased three hundred and thirty-seven acres of heavily 
wooded land, for which he paid five dollars per acre. During the construc- 
tion of their cabin home they lived in a covered wagon. In this wagon they 
made the journey from Pennsylvania, it containing their entire worldly pos- 
sessions. After living for twenty years in the log house it was replaced by 
the commodious brick residence which now stands upon the farm, it being 
constructed of brick burned upon the place and lumber from the trees stand- 
ing there. The highest-priced w^orkman at that time — the boss carpenter — 
received but fifty cents per day for his labor, while everything was done by 
hand. When completed Mr. Kenny said to his men, "Well, boys, I guess 
I shall have to pay you ofif in castings." Then was heard muttering enough 
to create a strike at the present time. He was as good as his word, however, 
and paid them in castings, — from the mint, — gold and silver! 

He w^as a successful farmer and acquired a large acreage, which he 
placed under cultivation and improved with good buildings, becoming one of 
the wealthy land-owners of Perry township. He died on the old homestead 
February 7, 1873. at the age of eighty-two years, and his wife departed this 
life in March, 1866, past seventy years old. Both were devoutly religious 
and attended divine worship at Worthington, being communicants of the 
Presbyterian church at that time. In early years they became members of 
the Union church, which was erected by the Episcopal and Reformed denom- 
inations, which alternated in holding services. In the construction of the 
house of worship Mr. Kenny bore a prominent part, giving both of his time 
and means to its erection, and was afterward one of its principal supporters. 



6i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

For a good many years he was officially connected with the church in the 
capacity of deacon and elder, iand in the discharge of his Christian duty bore 
himself in a manner becoming a Christian gentleman. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Kenny were born the following children: Hannah, 
born January 12, 1823, married William Fairfield, of this county, and died 
December 6, 1847, leaving t\vo children: Adelman, and Hannah, wife of 
John M. Hess. Eliza Jane, born November 30, 1825, died unmarried April 
20, 1847. Benjamin C, born March 8, 181 7, died unmarried September 4, 
1866. He was a well-educated man who followed teaching in the schools 
of this! county for some time, and was later one of the successful farmers 
and representative citizens of Perry township. Jam^s, born in Pennsyl- 
vania, January 26, 1819, was only nine months old when brought by his 
parents to this county, and was educated in its common schools. On the 
13th of June, 1848, he married Miss Elizabeth Holly Legg, daughter of 
Thomas and Amelia (Holly) Legg, and they began their domestic life 
on the old homestead with his parents, where they continued to reside through- 
out life. He, too, was a successful farmer and one of the highly respected 
citizens of his niative township. During the greater part of their livesi he 
and his wife were members of the Reformed church, and as an energetic 
worker he took his father's place in church affairs, serving as deacon, elder 
and superintendent of the Sabbath-school. He died February 24, 1895, and 
his wife departed this life on the seventy-second anniversary of her birth, 
October 2, 1895. Their children were Eliza Jane, now the widow of James 
H. Hess, of this review; Nancy Amelia, who' died unmarried in 1872; a 
son who died in infancy; Rachel Flora, wife of Oliver Orr, who' resides on 
East Eighth avenue, Columbus; and Hannah JNIinerva, wife of Harry D. 
Kennedy, who lives on the old Kenny homestead. 

EDWARD COURTRIGHT. 

Edward Courtright, who is identified with the business interests of Gal- 
loway, Franklin county, represents one of the honored pioneer families of 
this portion of the state. His grandfather, Howard Courtright, located upon 
a farm near Groveport at an early day and there spent his entire life, his 
attention being given to agricultural pursuits. Jesse Courtright, the father 
of our subject, was born at Groveport, about the year 1820, and spent his 
boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer lads. For many years he engaged 
in teaching school and he also learned surveying, which he followed through a 
long period. He was county surveyor for three or four terms and proved a 
capable and efficient officer. He married Miss Mary A. Brown, who was 
born in Jackson township, Franklin county, about 1822, a daughter of Will- 
iam Brown, a native of Ireland, who, when a young man, came to the United 
Slates, locating in Jackson township. For several years after his marriage 
Jesse Courtright resided in Jackson township, but about 1859 removed to 
Prairie township, taking up his abode south of Galloway, where he spejit his 




EDWARD COURTRIGHT. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 617 

iremaming days, being called to his final rest in the year 1870. In the latter 
years of his life he gave his attention exclusiively to agricultural pursuits. 
In his political affiliations he was a Democrat. His wife, who was a member 
'of the Methodist Episcopal church, died in 1885. Their children were Sarah, 
who married Thomas Horn, now deceased, of Columbus; Martha; John, 
wha married Minta Vernatta, and is now a surveyor of Columbus; \\'illiam, 
who was married and died in 1897; Jesse, who is upon the home farm; 
Edward of this review; Samuel, who wedded Leona McGill, is also living 
on the home farm ; Newton and Milton, twins, the former of whom married 
Jennie Ditum, while Milton married Rela Byrum, now deceased. 

Edward Courtright was born on the old homestead farm in Franklin 
township, October 16, 1853, and at the age of seven years accompanied his 
parents on their removal to Prairie township, where he' pursued his education 
in the district schools, laying aside his text-books at the age of twenty years. 
His first teacher was his sister Sarah. He completed his studies when twenty 
years of age. During that time he had remained upon the farm and then he 
entered upon an independent business career by trading in horses, vehicles, 
buggies, harness and other commodities of that character. He is now enjoy- 
ing a very extensive business in Galloway, his patronage constantly and" 
steadily increasing. He also has extensive farming interests, owning a valu- 
able tract of land in Prairie township, another farm in Vinton county, Ohio, 
and one in Scioto county, besides valuable real estate elsewhere in the county. 
He deals in real estate and has an excellent knowledge of land values. 

In March, 1880, Mr. Courtright was married to Miss Lillian Lavely, of 
Prairie township, a daughter of Henry and Jemima (Bukev) Lavelv. they 
DOW have two children, Mary and Florence. After their marriage they located 
in Galloway, Mr. Courtright erecting his present residence in 1882. His wife 
is a member of the United Brethren church. In his political affiliations our 
subject is a stalwart Democrat and he is a man of strong will and steadfast 
nature, having earned the distinction of being what the world calls a self-made 
man. He started out in life upon his business career empt3'-handed. He 
asked for no financial assistance, merely craving the opportunity to test his 
ability in the business world. This he soon found and his capable manage- 
ment, unfaltering perseverance and indomitable will have enabled him%o 
work his way steadily upward until now he occupies a very enviable position 
among the substantial citizens in Franklin county. 

GEORGE DYER. 

George Dyer isi numbered among Ohio's native sons, his birth havino- 
occurred m Columbiana county on the 6th of Februarv, 185 1 and is now 
hvmg in the city of Columbus. His father, Joseph DyeV, died at the family 
homesread m Canton, Ohio, in the year 1887, when sixty-two years of a^^e 
His wife, Mrs. Mary Dyer, is still a resident of that city. The familv left 
Columbiana county in 1867, taking up their abode in Canton. The father 



6i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was a brick mason by trade and became interested in the Diebold Safe Com- 
pany, in Canton. In the family were five sons and three daughters : Jacob, 
the eldest, was born in 1853 and was also connected with the Diebold Safe 
Company; Joseph, born in 1855, was foreman in the molding department 
in a foundry in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and died in that city in 1886; Henry, 
who was born in i860 and was in the employ of the Diebold Safe Company, 
died at his home in Canton, Ohio, in 1887; John, born in 1865, also worked 
for the same company; Maggie is now married and resides in Pittsburg; and 
Elizabeth and Sophie are both married and are living in Canton. 

George Dyer, whose name introduces this review, has a very excellent 
record as a railroad employe. He entered the service as a brakeman on a 
freight train on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad September 13, 
1877, and was thus employed for a year and a half. Subsequently he was 
brakeman and baggageman on a passenger train for six years, and after- 
ward conductor on a local freight for one year and since that time has been 
passenger conductor. He ran on the same train between Columbus and Hud- 
son, Ohio, for seventeen consecutive years, no injury ever being sustained by 
the passengers under his care. He is one of the largest men that wears a 
conductor's uniform in the Pennsylvania Company, being five feet, eleven 
and a half inches in height and weighing two hundred and sixty pounds. 
He has a most genial nature and kindly disposition, and these qualities render 
him a favorite with the regular patrons of the road. 

Mr. Dyer w^as married, in Millersburg, Ohio. November 27, 1875, to 
Miss Mary A. Teisher, and is the father of five children, — four boys and one 
girl. The family have been residents of Columbus for sixteen years, their 
home being at No. 818 Kerr street. 

WILLIAINI S. ADAMS. 

Among the progressive and energetic farmers of Perry township, Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, is numbered William S. Adams, a native of this state, whose 
birth occurred in Pickaway county February 25, 1838. His parents were 
James audi Julia Ann (Toy) Adams, natives of Delaware and Virginia, 
respectively, and pioneers of Pickaway county, Ohio, the Toy family having 
been founded there almost a Qcnturv ago. In 1833 James Adams pur- 
chased one hundred and one acres of timber land in Perry township, this 
county, but did not locate here until 1840, when he erected a log cabin and 
began to clear and improve his property. He wasi not long permitted to 
enjoy his new home, however, as he died in 1844, leaving a widow and six 
children, the youngest being only four weeks old. Being a woman of courage 
and fortitude, Mrs. Adams managed to keep the family together upon the 
farm, which she rented until her sons were old enough to carry on the place, 
but from the rent she did not derive enough to support herself and chil- 
dren. She was a hard worker and by her industry managed to properly rear 
her family. She was devoutly religious, being a member of the Methodist 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 619 

Episcopal church the greater part of her Hfe, and died in that faith July 23, 
1888, at the age of seventy-seven years. Of her seven children, Charles, 
the eldest, died in childhood. Mary, deceased, was the wife of Lewis L. 
Newbury. Addison is a resident of Columbus, Ohio. William S. is next 
in order of birth. Martha is the wife of Ezra 'Preston, of Illinois. Charles 
Wesley enlisted in 1861, during the Civil war, in Company D, Fifteenth 
United States Regiment, and was in active service two years, when he was 
discharged on account of illness and returned home to die in 1863. Rachel 
is Mrs. Fellows, of Findlay, Ohio. 

William S. Adams was only two years old when brought by his parents 
to this county, where he was reared, his education being" obtained in the 
common schools of his home district. He early became inured to hard labor 
by aiding in the work of the farm, and is now the owner of the old home- 
stead comprising seventy-six acres of land, which he has placed under a high 
state of cultivation and improved with good buildings. 

In 1864. Mr. Adams enlisted in the one-hundred-day service, becom- 
ing a member of Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, and participated in all the engagements in which the regi- 
ment took part, being honorably discharged at the close of his term of enlist- 
ment. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party, and gives his sup- 
port to all worthy enterprises which he believes calculated to advance the 
social, moral or material welfare of his township and county. 

On the 25th of October, 1871, ]\Ir. Adams was united in marriage with 
Miss Lina Domigan, of Columbus, and they became the parents of four 
children, namely: Charles. S.. Sarah J., Mary T. and Walter L. Fraternally 
Mr. Adams is a member of \Miite Bear Tribe, I. O. R. M. 

William Domigan, father of ]\Irs. Adams, was for many years one of 
the most prominent and influential citizens of this, his native county. His 
parents were from Pennsylvania and located here some years prior to his 
birth, which occurred July 14, 181 2. in Franklinton, where he was reared, 
receiving a good practical education in the common schools. At the age of 
twenty-one he married Miss Sarah Armstrong, by whom he had eight chil- 
dren, three still living, namely: Sarah A., wife of Walter L. Turner; Will- 
iam H., a resident of Columbus : and Lina, wife of our subject. The deceased 
were Jane Eliza, Irvin, Harriet, Orville and Emaline. The mother of these 
children died December 9, 1870, and for his second wife Mr. Domigan mar- 
ried Lydia Dobbins, of Hilliard. His death occurred October 6, 1884. 

At a very early age Mr. Domigan became actively interested in political 
affairs, his inclination being toward a political life. Originally he was a 
Whig, but in later years affiliated with the Democratic party. As a political 
worker he was shrewd and untiring and wielded a strong influence in both 
local and state politics. For several terms he was a member of the city 
council of Columbus, and held the office of sheriff of Franklin county two 
terms of four years each, his last term being served during, the period of 
the Civil war. As an officer he was brave and efficient in the discharge of 



620 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

duty, and it is said of him that he was one of the best sheriffs the county 
has ever had. He also held other public positions of minor importance, in 
all of which he displayed the same fidelity to the discharge of each and every 
duty. During his first term as sheriff he had charge of the execution of two 
criminals, a white man namfed Clark and a colored woman called Esther. 
These executions took place on the old prison hill where the arsenal is nowi 
located. Mr. Domigan was a man of wide acquaintance, being known by 
almost every one in the county, as well as a large number throughout the 
state. He was very popular and highly respected. 

CHRISTOPHER P. LINHART, M. D. 

Talent and acquired ability have no greater opportunity than in the 
medical profession, and in no field of endeavor is there demanded a more 
careful preparation or a more thorough understanding of great scientific 
principles. Unflagging application and intuitive wisdom and a determina- 
tion to fully utilize the means at hand, are the concomitants which insure 
personal success and prestige in this great profession, which stands as the 
humane conservator of man's most highly prized possession — health; and it 
is a profession into which one should not enter without a recognition of the 
difficulties and obstacles to be overcome and the responsibilities involved. 
One of the eminent representatives of the medical fraternity of Columbus 
is Dr. Linhart, nor is his reputation limited by the confines of the city, for 
hisi skill has won recognition in the profession and gained for him the pat- 
ronage of the people outside of the city with which he has more closely allied 
his interests and labors. 

The Doctor is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in 
Pittsburg, Allegheny county, in January, 1861. He is a son of Phillip and 
Eliza (Hottman) Linhart, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. 
The father was a farmer by occupation and in 1863 came to Ohio, taking up 
his residence upon a farm in Hancock county, where he and his wife spent 
their remaining days, the father passing away in 1894 and the mother in 
1895. The Doctor was only two years of age when the parents came to 
Ohio and his early education was acquired in the common schools of Han- 
cock county, after which he entered a select school in Findlay, Ohio. Sub- 
sequently he studied telegraphy in the office of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- 
road and after filling positions as an operator for a time he began reading 
medicine under the direction of Dr. Allen Chilcote, of Bloomingdale, Ohio, 
of which city the Doctor's father was the founder. Later he matriculated 
in the medical department of the Western Reserve University, of Cleveland, 
Ohio, and was graduated with the class of 1882. Later to still further pre- 
pare for his profession he pursued a post-graduate course. While he did 
not at once step into a large practice there was no dreary novitiate awaiting 
him. He opened his office and his successful ministrations and conduct of 
several cases demonstrated to the public that he possessed skill and ability. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 621 

Accordingly his business grew and his advancement has been continuous 
until to-day he stands among the most successful and eminent members of the 
medical fraternity in Ohio. In March, 1883, he was appointed house physi- 
cian at Lakeside Hospital and was also demonstrator of anatomy in that 
institution. He afterward became assistant in Dr. Ketchem's office on Euclid 
avenue in Cleveland and later went to New Jersey, where he was physician, 
educator and director in the German gymnasium in the Young Men's 
Christian Association at Newark. On leaving that city he went to New 
York, where he took a special course on diseases of the ear, nose and throat, 
and became operator and clinical assistant at the Manhattan Eye and Ear 
Hospital. 

In 1898 Dr. Linhart was appointed physical educator at the Ohio State 
University, which position he still holds, also maintaining an office in the 
Vendome Hotel, w^here a part of his time is spent in special practice. He 
has carried his researches far and wide into the realms of medical science, and 
has not only studied the methods of treating disease but of preventing it, 
and makes this a large part of his practice. He is a member of the Alumni 
Association of Lakeside Hospital, also a member of the Columbus Academy 
of Medicine, the Ohio State Medical Society, the American Medical Asso- 
ciation and the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society. 
While the greater part of his time and attention are devoted to his profes- 
sional duties, he finds opportunity to enjoy some of the social pleasures of 
life and is a prominent Mason, belonging to the chapter and consistory in 
New York. He is also identified with the Mystic Shrine and is a member 
of the Columbus Whist Club. 

J. THOMAS JERMAN. 

The story of the lives of the persons who are to have prominence in 
this biographical sketch begins in Montgomeryshire, Wales;, where Thomas 
Jerman lived and died. Thomas Jerman had children named Thomas, Mary 
and Richard. Thomas died in Wales, Mary married and died there, and 
Richard, who was born in Montgomeryshire August 18, 181 8, gained a 
limited education and by hard work and economy saved enough money to 
bring him to the United States, and he and iVndrew Briggs sailed from 
Liverpool to New York, w^hence they came direct to Columbus, where Rich- 
ard Jerman arrived with a cash capital of only a half a dollar. He secured 
work in a foundry on the west side of the city and married Elizabeth Evans, 
widow of David Evans, whose husband had left her at his death a wooded 
farm in Brown township, which she was unable to cultivate and who had 
come to Columbus and was supporting her five children by washing. On 
this farm Richard Jerman and his wife moved after he had gone out to it 
and made a small clearing and built a one-room house of round logs, which 
covered a ground space of fifteen by twenty feet, and after he located there 
he continued to work at Columlms until he could partially clear the farm 



622 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

and put it under cultivation. After that he devoted himself entirely to 
farming with such success that he increased the size of the farm to one hun- 
dred and eighty-three acres and prospered well upon it. For a time after they 
moved there they had no table and with the children of the family Mr. and 
Mrs. Jerman stood around a large box while they ate. This, however, 
was but one of their experiences of primitive life in ths Ohio woods and 
they laughed at it and other similar experiences in after years. Mr. Jerman 
died on the farm September 3, 1886, deeply regretted by all who had known 
him. In politics he was a Republican and in church affiliation a Methodist. 
His wife died there June 30, 1887. 

Mrs. Jerman was born and married in Wales and came to America 
with her husband, David Evans, and four children, and their baby in arms 
died soon after they reached Columbus. She had five children by Mr. Eivans, 
as follows: David died at Columbus, Ohio. Richard, who was a member 
of Company C, Fortieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was killed at 
the battle of Lookout Mountain, TenneSiSee. Eliza married Thomas Herbert, 
of Brown township. Evan died in infancy. Edward was born in Colum- 
bus, three months after the death of his father. He fought for the preserva- 
tion of the Union as a member of the First Ohio Cavalry and survived until 
August, 1900, when he died at Saint Francis Hospital, Columbus. 

J. Thomas Jerman, son of Richard Jerman bv hisi marriage to Mrs. 
Evans, was born at Columbus in 1843 ^"'^^ ^^'^^ ^^'^ years old when his par- 
ents moved to Brown township, where he grew to manhood. He attended 
school in the log school house near his pioneer home and as soon as; he was 
old enough began to assist his father in clearing, improving and cultivating 
the farm, and was thus employed until September 3, 1864, when, not yet 
quite twenty-one years old, he enlisted at Columlius in Company B, One 
Hundred and Seventy-eighth Regiment, Ohio. Volunteer Infantry, for one 
year or during the war. The regiment went to Nashville. Tennessee, thence 
to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, thence to Manchester, Tennessee, thence back 
to Murfreesboro, where Mr. Jerman participated in a memorable battle, and 
from there to Franklin, Tennessee, and thence to Clifton. Tennessee, from 
which place he returned to Columbus, Ohio, at the expiration of his term 
of service, after having participated in a good deal of hard marching and 
fighting. But he had not yet had enough of war, and, goinsf to Raleigh, 
North Carolina, he participated in operations under General Sherman, and 
was later detached witlr his regiment and sent to Charlotte, North Carolina, 
where he was mustered out of the service and sent home, when he resumed 
farming. 

November 11, 1870, Mr. Jerman married Miss Mary M. Burt, a native 
of Brown township and a daughter of Edward and Anna (Benner) Burt. 
For a year after his marriage he was a member of the household of his 
father-in-law, then for three years he worked a rented farm and at the expira- 
tion of that time located on his present farm of fifty acres, mostly improved, 
in Norwich township, to which he has since added a farm of forty-two acres. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 623 

He has acquired also a farm of fifty-eight and one-half acres in Brown town- 
ship. He is an influential Republican and a public-spirited citizen, and has 
been for many years a school director and is now filling that office, together 
with that of trustee of his township. Mr. and Mrs. Jerman have had five 
children, as follows: Nettie, who married Jesse Elliott, of Brown town- 
ship; Richard, who is a member of his father's household; William, who 
was born May 15, 1879, and has acquired a good education in the district 
schools in Norwich township, is working his father's home farm and has 
already made himself known as a stanch Republican; Charles, who is now 
at school; and Ruth. 

HON. SAMUEL J. SWARTZ. 

In no other phase of life can a man better demonstrate his fealty to his 
country and his loyalty to its interests than in the political arena, for therein 
is invested the vitality of a nation's power, the mainspring of its internal 
machinery and the keynote to its progress and prosperity. Ohio is recognized 
as one of the strongest Republican states in the Union, and among her patri- 
otic citizens who have been closely identified with the party is Judge Samuel 
J. Swartz, of Columbus. He has served in important official positions with 
marked ability and fidelity and has been a recognized leader in the capital 
city in formulating the policy of the party for this portion of the state. He 
is a man who believes that the highest duty of every American citizen is: to 
give his time and energies' to public interests, and he carries out this prin- 
ciple in life by taking an active part in political work, and is a firm believer 
in the trite saying, that "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." 

A brief glance into the personal history of Judge Swartz elicits the fact 
that he is a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, born on the 8th of February, 
1859. He was early left fatherless, for at the time of the Civil war his father 
responded to the call of the country, and, joining the Union army, was killed 
at the battle of Shiloh. Reared in his native county, the son attended the 
common schools until sixteen years of age, when he became a student in the 
Fairfield Union Academy, at Pleasantville, Ohio, and later he matriculated in 
the Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio. After completing his literary 
course he came to Columbus, and has since been identified with the interests 
of the capital city. He entered the emplov of a wholesale house, with which 
he remained for several years, for a part of the time representing its interests 
upon the road, but commercial life was not entirely congenial to him and he 
resolved to enter upon a professional career. He prepared for the bar as a 
student in the law ofiice of Converse, Booth & Keating, and in due course 
of time was admitted to practice. With a thorougii preparatorv training 
and strong determination to succeed he entered upon his chosen work and 
soon gained a foremost position among the younger members of the bar. He 
steadily worked his way upward and gained a distinctively representative 
clientage, which connected him with some of the most important litigation 



624 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

tried in the courts of the district. He prepared his cases with great thor- 
oughness and planned for the defense of every possible point of attack. His 
arguments were strong, the points he made following in logical sequence and 
demonstrating the force of his reasoning. He was appointed by the gov- 
lernor to till a vacancy in the police judgeship, which he did with honor and 
credit, and after a few months, at the spring election of 1897, he was elected 
by popular ballot to the same office for a term of three years. The com- 
pliment was more marked from the fact that the balance of the ticket was 
defeated. 

For some time Judge Swartz has been recognized as one of the leading 
representatives of the Republican party in Columbus. He has marked ability 
as an organizer, is an untiring worker and possesses the pov/er of harmoniz- 
ing forces and utilizing the strength of the party to the best advantage. He 
was instrumental in effecting the organizations of the Ohio' League of Repub- 
lican Clubs and has served as its secretary. His fellow citizens gave evi- 
dence of their appreciation of his worth and public spirit when in the spring 
of 1899 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the mayoralty for a term 
of two years. His administration, business-like, progressive and practical, 
won him strong commendation. He is an approachable gentleman, genial 
and with unfailing courtesy, and he enjoys the warm regard of a large circle 
of friends. Over the record of his public career there falls no shadow of 
wrong and in professional life be also sustains an enviable reputation. 

JOSHUA W. BROTHERS. 

For more than a half-century Joshua W. Brothers has resided in Frank- 
lin county, and as his life has ever been a useful and honorable one, he well 
deserves representation in this volume. He is engaged in the manufacture 
of harness! at Lockbourne, wdiere he is numbered among the enterprising 
business men. A native of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, he was born 
IMarch 7, 1826. and is a representative of one of the old families of Mary- 
land. The grandfather, Joshua Brothers, w^as a native of Westminster, Mary- 
land, and was of German lineage. A farmer by occupation, he had extensive 
landed interests, and was one of the substantial citizens of his community. 
He valiantly served his country in the war of the Revolution, and lived for 
many years to enjoy the freedom of the republic, his death occurring at the 
advanced age of one hundred and one. His son, William Brothers, the father 
of our subject, was born in Westminster, Maryland, made farming his life 
work, and died about 1838. His wife, Mrs. Sarah Brothers, died about 1854. 
They were parents of seven children, five of whom reached years of maturity. 

Joshua ^^^ Brothers, the fifth in order of birth and the only one of the 
family now living, remained in the county of his nativity until nineteen years 
of age. with the exception of a period of two years which he passed in Hagers- 
town. ]\Iaryland. There he learned the harness.maker's trade, and in 1843 
he went to Columbus, Ohio, where he began work as a journeyman, being 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 625 

thus employed until 1849. During that period, however, he joined the 
United States army and served until the close of the Mexican war, when he 
resumed work at his chosen vocation in Columbus. While working as a 
journeyman he also spent four winters in New Orleans-, and followed harness- 
making at Marysville, Woodstock and Milford Center. 

In the latter part of 1849 Mr. Brothers removed to Lockbourne, where 
he began business for himself and has since engaged in harness-making at 
this place with the exception of one year spent in South Perry, Hocking 
county, Ohio, and one year in Bloomfield. During his long connection with 
the business interests of Lockbourne he has enjoyed a liberal patronage, owing 
to the excellence of his goods, his reasonable prices and his' honorable busi- 
ness methods and his courteous treatment of his patrons. 

In 1853 Mr. Brothers was united in marriage to Miss Martha Jane Hen- 
derson, a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, and a daughter of Thomas and 
Eliza Henderson, who were early settlers of that county. Four children 
were born unto our subject and his wife, but only one is now living, Viola, 
who married Sanford Brownlee, by whom she has two children living, Edward 
and Myrtle. There is also one great-grandchild, Lula Mance. In early life 
Mr. Brothers gave his political support to the Whig party, and on the organ- 
ization of the Republican party joined its ranks. During the period of the 
Civil war he ^served as a sergeant in the state militia. At all times he has 
been true to his duty to his neighbor, to himself and to his; country, and 
through fifty-^one years' residence in Franklin county, he has ever commanded 
the respect and confidence of his fellow men. 

EDWARD L. TAYLOR, Jr. 

The subject of this review is actively connected with a profession which 
has important bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of any section 
or community, and one which has long been considered as conserving the public 
welfare by furthering the ends of justice and maintaining public right. One 
of the younger representatives of the legal fraternity in Columbus who has 
already gained a position of distinction as a member of the bar is Edward 
L. Taylor, Jr., the present prosecuting attorney of the city. 

He is one of the native sons of the capital, his birth having here occurred 
September 10, 1869. His father, Edward L. Taylor, Sr., was born upon a 
farm in Franklin county, Ohio, March 20. 1839, and on the paternal side 
was of Scotch-Irish lineage. After arriving at years of maturity he pre- 
pared for the bar and iisi now one of the prominent lawyers of the city, the 
senior member of the well known firm of Taylor & Taylor. 

His son and namesake pursued his literary education iji the public 
schools of Columbus and is a graduate of the high school of the class of 
1888. The following year he began preparation for the bar as a student in the 
ofiice and under the direction of hiisi father, who was a member of the law 
firm of Taylor & Taylor, On the 3d of December, 1891, he was admitted 



625 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

to practice and has since been an active member of the profession in his 
native city. The firm engages in general law practice and its knowledge of 
jurisprudence in its various departments is quite extensive and very reliable. 
On the 7th of November, 1899, he was elected prosecuting attorney of Frank- 
lin county for a term of three years, defeating Lee Thurman, the Demo- 
cratic candidate, a grandson of the Hon. A. G. Thurman. He had been 
appointed, in 1899, to serve out an unexpired term and had been nominated 
bv the Democracy for the position in the fall of that year. Mr. Taylor, how- 
ever, was the victorious candidate, and entered upon the duties of the position 
Dn the 1st of January, 1900. He has been most faithful in their discharge, 
preparing his cases with care and precision and doing everything in his power 
to serve the ends of justice and protect the public liberty. 

On the 4tli of January, 1894, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to 
Miss Marie Firestone, of Columbus, a daughter of C. D. Firestone, of tlie 
Columbus Buggy Company. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Order of Elks 
and is one of the trustees of the lodge in Columbus. He is yet a young- 
man, ambitious, determined' and energetic, and his natural talent and acquired 
ability, stimulated by earnest desire for advancement will undoubtedly gain 
for him a foremost position among those who have gained success and woii 
fame at the Columbus bar. 

WILLIAM M. FISHER. 

William M. Fisher is one of tlie strong and influential men whose lives 
have become an essential part of the history of Columbus and of Ohio. Tire- 
less energy, keen perception, honesty of purpose and genius for devising and 
executing the right thing at the right time, joined to every-day common 
sense and guided by great will power, are the chief characteristics of the man. 
Connected with one of the leading wholesale houses of Columbus, the posi- 
tion that he occupies in business circles is in the front rank. 

Mr. Fisher is a native of Franklin county, his birth having occurred in 
what was then Hamilton but now Marion township on the lotli of Septem- 
ber, 1840. His father, Jacob Fisher, was born in this county July 2, 1808, 
and was a son of Michael Fisher, a native of Virginia, who removed to 
Kentucky and was there married to Sarah Petty, a native of that state. Sub- 
sequently he removed from Kentucky to the territory of Ohio, for it was in 
the year 1798 and the state had not then been organized. He located four 
miles south of the courthouse in Columbus and purchased a tract of eight 
hundred acres on the west side of the Scioto river. There be erected a cabin 
home and began to clear away the forest trees, experiencing all the hard- 
ships, privations and trials incident to pioneer life and to the development 
lof a farm in the midst of the wilderness. There were one hundred Indians 
to one white man in the state. The settlements of the white people were 
from four to five miles apart. The woods abounded with wild game of all 
kinds and hunting was the principal amusement of the people. The wants 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 627 

of the family were few and simple, for they lived in plain frontier style, 
dressed accordingly^ and knew little of the luxuries of the east. They came 
to found homes in the wilderness, and their earnest labors laid the founda- 
tion for the present prosperity and progress of this great commonwealth. 
Michael Fisher died upon his farm in 18 16, his wife surviving him until 
1845, ^vhen she, too, was called to the home beyond. Their family num- 
bered the following named: Christy, the wife of W. M. Miller; Joseph; 
Jacob; Milton; Michael; George; Elizabeth, the wife of William Stewart; 
Sarah, the wife of William Cramer; and Miranda, the wife of Arthur O'Hara. 

Jacob Fisher, the father of him whose name introduces this review, died 
in Columbus, at the age of seventy-six years. In early manhood he wedded 
Mary Briggs, a native of New Jersey, who came to Ohio in her early girl- 
hood. By the marriage of INIr. and Mrs. Fisher thirteen children were born, 
six of whom reached years of maturity, namely : Milton, Edward, Jo-eph, 
Michael, Jacob, and Sarah Jane, the wife of Abram Schaffer. Five of the 
brothers are still living. 

\\"illiam M. Fisher, the well known wholesale produce merchant of Colum- 
bus, was reared as a farmer boy and received his primary education in the dis- 
trict schools. He early learned from practical experience in what the work 
of the farm consisted, for as soon as old enough to handle the plow he took 
his place in the fields and assisted in the plowing, planting and harvesting. 
He remained under the parental roof until twenty-seven years of age, but, 
not wishing to devote his entire life to agricultural pursuits, he determined 
to enter the field of commerce and embarked in the grocery business' as a 
clerk for F. A. Sells for a short time, when Mr. Fisher entered into partner- 
ship relations with John AVagonseller, under the firm name of Fisher & 
Wagonseller. They, too, established a grocery, which they conducted for 
two years, when they sold out. Mr. Fisher then returned to the farm and 
was engaged in the raising of grain and istock, at the same time shipping 
grain over the Hocking Valley Railroad. Subsequently he again tcok up 
his abode in Columbus and was once more connected with the grocery trade 
for eighteen months. During that time he also shipped fruit and produce 
and later merged his retail business into that of a wholesale fruit and pro- 
vision house, hisi location being on Fourth, near Town street, until 1882, 
when he moved to larger quarters, — No. 8 Guinn block. His business house, 
which is of brick, has a frontage of forty-five feet, a depth of one hundred 
feet and is three stories in height. It is especially equipped for the conduct 
of his extensive business, which has grown to great magnitude, the annual 
shipments constituting a considerable portion of the products which are 
exported from the capital city. He is also largely interested in the Dahlonega 
Gold Mining Company, of Georgia, which is rapidly developing its splendid 
property and from which he is deriving a handsome income. 

He is a man of resourceful business ability, his fertile brain enabling him 
to form and execute many plans which prove of practical and profitable 
benefit to the enterprises with which he is connected. From 1875 down to 



628 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the present time our subject has been one of the. directors of the Ohio 
National Bank. 

In 1862 occurred the marriage of Mr. Fisher and Miss Katherine 
Martheny, of Cohimbus, a daughter of John Martheny, of Fairfield, Ohio. 
She is a native of Indiana, and by her marriage has become the mother of 
six children, namely: Mary A., the wife of Charles Thurber, of Columbus; 
Grant S. ; William G., a member of the firm of W. M. Fisher & Son ; Martha 
A., the wife of Mark Gifford, of Toledo, Ohio; Kirk B., at home; and Kath- 
erine, who completes the family, Mr. Fisher is a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, also of the order of F. & A. M. He has an elegant 
home, with all modern improvements, at No. 695 Bryden Road. He to-day 
enjoys the reward of his painstaking and conscientious work. By his energy, 
perseverance and fine business ability he has been enabled to secure an ample 
fortune. Systematic and methodical, his sagacity, keen discrimination and 
sound judgment have made him one of the leading wholesale merchantsi of 
the city. 

PETER YEAGER. 

Among the wealthy retired residents of Prairie township, near Camp 
Chase, Franklin county, Ohio, is Peter Yeager, the subject of this sketch. 
The life history of our subject began in the little town of Bavaria, Germany, 
where his grandfather, Peter, was known in the village of Talmansfeld as a 
leliable and capable laborer, his father upholding the same excellent reputa- 
tion. The latter died at a comparatively early age, and his mother, Sophia 
Yeager, married Paulus Heidle. who with his wife and our subject's one 
sister sailed from Bremen in 1852 and located in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. 
Heidle w^as a day laborer, and after his death, in 1881, our subject's mother 
made her home with him, where she died in 1883, having been born in 1800. 
The sister of our subject, Mary, who married Owen Zimmerman and resides 
in Cincinnati, was a daughter of the second marriage. 

Mr. Yeager, of this sketch, has had a life which has thoroughly tested 
his manly qualities, and that he has overcome his many disadvantages is 
much to his credit. His birth took place September 30, 1830. When six 
years of age he removed w^th his mother to Burgsalach, county of Weissen- 
burg, state of Midelfranken, where he remained until he was twenty-one 
years old. He learned the trade of shoemaker when he was fourteen, work- 
ing at it until his majority, when, according to the draft law in his country, 
he was obliged to give his services to the army. For one and one-half years 
he w^as connected with the infantry, and four and one-half years were spent 
in the police corps. 

During this' time our subject became attached to the young lad}- who 
later became his wife, and together they took passage on a sailing vessel 
from Bremen to New York, where they landed after a stormy passage of 
seventy days. He had been able to save only money enough to pay the pas- 
sages of himself and the young lady through to Columbus, where' he knew 



. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 629 

he could find friends. Borrowing seventy-five cents, our subject immediately 
bought a license and was married, in July, 1858, to Miss Mary Nass, by Rev. 
Mr. Mess, a German Presbyterian minister of Columbus. She had been 
born in Bavaria, October 12, 1831, and after twenty years of illness died June 
8, 1900, having been a good and faithfuf helpmate. 

After marriage our subject settled down to work at his trade in the new 
home, remaining for eight years, during which time he lived a sober, indus- 
trious life and succeede.d in saving enough to purchase three acres of land, 
upon which place he continued at his trade for two years, but lost all his work 
on his land on account of an unusually dry season. He had in the mean- 
time rented out his place, but returned now to it. where he was stricken witli 
fever and lost almost everything he had accumulated through so much self- 
denial and economy. 

At this juncture kind friends appeared who as'sisted him to some extent 
and he started out in a new line. He had one old horse, an old wagon and 
nine dollars' worth of notions ; with these he began the life of a peddler, suc- 
ceedino- so w^ll that his courage and health came back, and as time went on 
he adcfed more and more to his stock until another horse and wagon became 
necessary to accommodate his trade. 

His boys were growing up and our subject had trained them to habits 
of frugality and prudence, so that when he erected his brick store near his 
house, in 1876, he could entrust the peddling business to his sons, while he 
remained manager of the large mercantile business which he soon commanded. 
No extra good fortune came to our subject except that earned by his own 
efforts. He was honest and his patrons learned that fact and trusted hisi 
word; he was energetic, and hence made rapid progress: w^hile he still con- 
tinued the habits of careful living that he had practiced since youth. In 
1896 Mr. Yeager was able to , retire from active business. 

The estimable family born to Mr. and Mrs. Yeager comprises Peter, 
who now lives in Arkansas; John, who resides in Columbus; August, who 
is a resident of Dayton, Ohio ; Mary, at home ; Michael, who resides in Illi- 
nois ; Christian, who lives in Columbus ; and Stephen, who resides in Arkansas. 
Mr. Yeager is one of thoisie men who have come up the hard road of toil 
and self-denial to the eminence of success. He combined shrewd business 
methods with other qualities, which made the names of customers and friends 
synonymous. 

ABSALOM M. \\^\LCUTT. 

The lack of persistency of purpose accounts in large degree for the failure 
of men in business life. It renders effort futile and labor unavailing, but he 
who pursues a given course through an active business, career and follows 
honorable methods that win the confidence and therefore the patronage of his 
fellow men is always sure to eventually gain the merited reward of labor. 
Prompted by a laudable ambition to win success and confining his efforts to 



630 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

?. buisiness of which he has practical knowledge. ]Mr. Walcutt has gained a 
place among- the citizens of substantial worth in Franklin county. He resides 
in North Columbus and was born in Perry township, Franklin county, upon 
his father's farm, his natal day being November 8, 1835. His father, Robert 
Walcutt, was a native of Virginia, born in Loudoun county in 1797. He 
followed agricultural pursuits and thereby gained a desirable competence. Fie 
wedded Miss Susan Legg, a native of the Old Dominion, and after their mar- 
riage they left that state for Ross county, Ohio, where th'ey located in 1828. 
Two years later, in 1830, they became residents of Franklin county, settling 
in the green woods, some three miles northeast of the present city limits of 
Columbus. There his home was built of logs, being a primitive cabin of the 
pioneer times. A few years later it was replaced by a mora modern and com- 
modious residence, wdiich siheltered the family as the children grew to mature 
3'ears. The father's first purchase consisted of two hundred and thirty-five 
acres of heavily timbered land, and later he purchased a second tract, com- 
prising one hundred acres, a mile south of his first farm. With characteristic 
energy he began clearing his land and preparing it for the plow, and in course 
of time his fields were under a high state of cultivation, yielding to him excel- 
lent return for his labor. He also engaged in dealing in live stock, which 
he drove across the mountains to the city of Baltimore, where he found a 
market, and also to Pennsylvania, making sales in both places. Through- 
out the greater part of his life he was actively engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits', and upon the old homestead in Perry township he died in 1877, having 
passed the eightieth anniversary of hisi birth. His parents were ^Villiam 
and Sarah (Mitchell) Walcutt, the former a native of Virginia. 

The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Susan Legg and 
was born in Virginia in 1800, her death occurring upon the farm, in Perry 
township, in 1857. Like her husband, she vvas a devoted member of the 
Baptist church, doing all in her power to promote its work and secure the 
adoption of its principles by those with wdiom she wasi associated. By her 
marriage she became the mother of sixteen children, twelve of whom reached 
years of maturity, as follows : Anna, deceased wife of G. M. Peters ; Jacob 
ond Tabitha, who have also passed away; James, who died in 1897; Lafayette, 
Margaret and John, all deceased; Absalom M. ; Louise, who married J. E. 
Slyh and died July 13, 1900; Amelia, wife of Calvin Rutter. of Wester- 
ville, Ohio ; Robert, who resides on Eighth avenue in Columbus ; and Will- 
iam, a farmer of Blendon township, Franklin county. 

Li the usual manner of farmer lads Mr. Walcutt, of this review, spent the 
days of his youth, receiving such educational privileges as the district .schools 
afforded, and later attended a select school taught by John Kinney. He 
remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one years of age, w^hen 
he began farming upon bis own account and later extended' the field of his 
labors by dealing in live stock, shipping hogs:, cattle and horses. After his 
marriage he took his bride to his farm in Perry township, and there they 
resided until 1889, when they took up their abode in Columbus, and, although 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 631 

lie left the farm, ]\Ir. W'alciitt still devoted his energies to the management 
of his farming interests and to stock dealing. He owns one hundred and 
four acres of valuable land in Plain township, which is under a high state 
of cultivation and which he rents. 

On the 2d of July, 1857, occurred the marriage of our subject and Miss 
Mary K- Slyh, a daughter of Jacob and Emeline (Lakin) Slyh, who were 
pioneer settlers of Perry township, where they resided for many years. Unto 
Mr. and Mrs. Walcutt have been born six children : Louisa A., widow of 
Charles W. Hoyt; Anna R., who died in her twentieth year; Delia, deceased; 
Mary E., wife of George Wiley, a son of Judge Wiley, who was prominently 
connected with railroad affairs for a number of years; and Fanny C, who is 
a student in the high school. Their home is at No. 39 West Duncan street, 
in North Columbus. In politics Mr. Walcutt is a Democrat, who stalwartly 
advocates the doctrines as advanced by ^^'illiam Jennings Bryan. \\'hile 
residing upon his farm he served for twenty-one years as a member of the 
school board and was also elected justice of the peace, but refused to qualify, 
preferring to devote his energies entirely to the management of his business 
affairs. For the past ten years he has given considerable attention to the 
handling of real estate, mostly city property. His close attention to busi- 
ness has enabled him to win prosperity and to-day he is numbered among the 
most successful representatives of agricultural interests in his native county. 

H. G. STEICKLEY. 

H. G. Steickley, who is engaged in the undertaking and embalming busi- 
ness in Columbus, was born in the capital city May 11, 1854, his parents 
being Christian and Fannie (Magley) Steickley. His father was born, 
reared and educated in Germany, while his mother was a native of Switzer- 
land, and with her parents came to the United States in childhood. 

The subject of this review pursued his education in the public schools 
of Columbus, completing the grammar course, and after putting aside his 
text-books he entered the employ of W. H. Jarer, an undertaker, with whom 
he remained for five years, acquiring quite a' thorough knowledge of the busi- 
ness. Afterward he entered the service of Louis Fink, an undertaker, with 
whom he remained for a short time. Subsequently he spent two and a half 
years in the employ of George J. Schoedinger, and in 1881 he entered into 
partnership with B. B. Anderson, under the firm name of Steickley & Ander- 
son, which connection was maintained for two years. The partnership was 
then dissolved and Mr. Steickley entered the employ of E. Fisher, who was 
engaged in the undertaking business, and with whom he remained for eight 
years. In 1893. he established his present business at No. 184 Ea.st Long 
street, where he has well appointed rooms and offices and carries a fine line 
of caskets. His; wife is also quite proficient in the line of work to which he 
gives his attention and ably assists her husband. 

In 1 88 1 Mr. Steickley w^as united in marriage to Miss Carrie Briggs, 



632 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of Briggsdale, Franklin county, Ohio, the second daughter of W. C. and 
Harriett A. (Demorest) Briggs. For several years Mrs. Steickley was a 
successful teacher in the schools of Franklin county. By her marriage she 
has become the mother of one son, Ernest C, who is now a student in. the 
high school. Her father was born in Franklin county and now resides at No. 
1507 Franklin avenue, where he is living retired. Her mother, however, 
passed away in 1879. She, too, was a native of this county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Steickley have spent their entire lives in the capital city and have a wide 
acquaintance here, while the circle of their friend-s is extensive. 

HENRY HUY. 

Henry Huy, who owns and operates a farm in Clinton township, came 
to Franklin county with his parents when eleven years of age; He was 
born in the Rhine province, Germany, on the 22d of December, 1828, and is 
a 'Son of Daniel and Philopena (Knost) Huy, also natives of Germany, in 
which country they were married. In 1840 they crossed the Atlantic to the 
new world, accompanied by their only son, Henry. The voyage continued for 
forty^two days, but was at length terminated when the vessel dropped anchor 
in the harbor of New York. They made their way westward to Buffalo, 
thence to Cleveland and on to Columbus, being three weeks on the way from 
New York to Franklin county. In the capital city the father purchased two 
acres of land, which he devoted to the raising of garden produce, and in 
addition he performed other labor which he could secure that would sup- 
plement hisi income. Fcr thirty years he was a resident of Columbus, and 
then took up his abode in the home of his son in Clinton township, where 
he died in the year 1877, at the age of seventy-two years. His wife died 
in 1879, ^vhen about the same age. Both were members of the Lutheran 
church. 

Henry Huy pursued his preliminary education in the schools of Ger- 
many, where he began his studies at the age of five years. After coming 
to Ohio he attended the subscription schools of Columbus and acquired a 
good practical education. He was married in that city to Miss Barbara 
Rentz. in the year 1850, and unto them have been born seven children, namely: 
Daniel, Elizabeth, Dora. Henry. Barbara, Abraham and Lena. 

In 1870 Mr. Huy and his father purchased one hundred and sixty-two 
and a half acres, which was but partially cleared, and thereon he has since 
made his' home, becoming one of the prosperous, enterprising and progressive 
farmers of the community. He is also the owner of city property in North 
Columbus. He is a molder by trade, and has followed that occupation for 
eighteen years in Columbus. In 1900 he was called upon to mourn the loss 
of his wife, who died on the 14th of February, at the age of sixty-six years. 
Both she and her husband became members of the Lutheran church in child- 
hood, and she was a consistent Christian woman. All of the children are 
also members; of the Lutheran church. On matters of public importance Mr. 




HEHRY HUY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 633 

Huy is well informe'd, and his political support is given to the Democracy. 
He deserves great credit for what he has accomplished in life. His posses- 
sions are the visible evidences of his labor, energy and perseverance. His 
life stands in exemplification of the opportunities that are afforded to young 
men of ambition and resolute will in the land of the free. His honesty and 
■integrity in trade transactions have gained him the public confidence, and 
all who know him esteem him for his genuine worth. 

DANIEL PEGG. 

The members of the Pegg family living in Franklin county trace their 
ancestry back to Daniel Pegg. whose name introduces this review. He was 
the founder of the family in America, and from the records it appears that 
he settled in Philadelphia in the year 1676. Ten years later he purchased 
three hundred and fifty acres of land from Jurian Katzfedder in the northern 
limits of Philadelphia. William Penn transferred a portion of this same 
tract to Daniel Pegg in 1684. Soon after its purchase Mr. Pegg deeded one 
hundred acres of this land to Thomas Coates, his brother-in-law. and beo-an 
improving the remaining two hundred and fiftv acres of his farm He built 
a dike m the marshy land so as to form low meadows, and also built a brick 
kiln. He erected upon his place a two-story brick mansion, which was for 
many years a prominent land mark and was generallv spoken of as the "big 
brick house of the north end." it was situated upon Front street a little 
below Green street, although at the time it was erected it was surrounded 
by his well developed farm and no one had any idea the land would afterward 
constitute a part of one of the leading cities of the countrv. In 1709 William 
Penn proposed to rent the home for his residence. The cherry trees planted 
by Daniel Pegg were cut down and used for fuel by the British durino- their 
occupancy of the city during the Revolutionary war. A small creek wended 
its way across the farm and was known 'for many years as Pegcr's Run 
On Its banks a body of Indians were fired upon by white men, which brought 
an order from William Penn to make an earnest inquirv to apprehend the 
guilty men, saying that the Indians must be appeased or evil would ensue 
J hat occurred m 171 1. 

The value of Daniel Pegg's farm in those early davs is disclosed bv a 
letter written by Jonathan Dickenson in 1715, in which he wrote that he 
could buy Daniel Pegg s farm fronting the Delaware river for fiftv shilline-s 
per acre. In 1729 Mr. Pegg advertised his farm for sale, describing it thus- 
To_be sold or let by Daniel Pegg, at the great brick house at the north end 
of Philadelphia, thirty acres of upland meadow ground and. marsh " Dur 
ing the period of the Revolutionary war his brick house was known as the 
Dutch House both because of its peculiar form and also because it had 
long been noted as the place for holding Dutch dances called "Herpse^aw " 
a whirling dance m the waltz style. The first powder house ever erected in 
Philadelphia was built on the north bank of Pegg's marsh, a little west of 



634 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

what is now known as Front street. The family of Daniel Pegg consisted of 
Elizabeth, Jane, Nathan, Eliasi and Daniel, Jr. The father made his will on 
the nth of February, 1702. He died soon after in the home of his- eldest 
son, Daniel, to whom, according to the English custom, the larger part of 
his estate was willed. In his will Daniel Pegg makes mention of his slaves, 
which is an interesting fact, owing to his being a Quaker. 

Daniel Pegg, Jr., who inherited the major part of his father's prop- 
erty, married, and died in January, 1732, leaving a widow and one child, 
Sarah. In his will he bequeathed the greater part of his property to his 
nephew, Daniel Pegg, a son of his brother, Mathias, and the great-grand- 
father of those of the sixth generation now living in Franklin county, Ohio. 
A brief history of Daniel Pegg, the second, shows the vicissitudes of human 
affairs. Possessed of the fee simple of a valuable property he left no rich 
heirs and in the settlem.etit of his estate much litigation followed and the 
property became absorbed finally. Daniel ^tgg, the third, it appears! never 
realized from the estate, as in the records of the family the name does not 
occur after the second generation. 

The family of Daniel Pegg, the third, was, so far as known, constituted 
of two sons, Elias and Benjamin. The latter never married and died in Nor- 
wich, Franklin county, Ohio, in 1830, at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. 
He was a brave and efficient soldier during the war of the Revolutiou. Elias 
Pegg, the other son of Daniel Pegg. the third, probably spent his boyhood 
days in and near Philadelphia. At the beginning of the Revolutionary war 
he was too young to enlist in the service, but his brother Benjamin being a 
little older was one of the first to raise hisi voice and hand against the oppres- 
sion of Great Britain, and was found fighting in the ranks at the battle of 
Lexington, and faithfully served until the end of hostilities. Elias Pegg 
later entered the service and valiantly aided his struggling country for five 
years. The two brothers were members, of the same company in a Penn- 
sylvania regiment, fighting side by side. Both were afterward remembered 
and rewarded by their government with pensions. The Pegg family were 
originally of the good old standard Quaker stock, holding to the religion 
of their fathers for three generations, but Elias Pegg, of the fourth genera- 
tion, broke away from the religious moorings of the Quaker church and 
became a strong Methodist, much against the wishes of his father. He mar- 
ried Miss Elizabeth Nonsettler in 1786. Her people were of Dutch descent 
and always claimed to be of the blood of AA'illiam, Prince of Orange. Mrs. 
Pegg was a woman of bright intellect and much force of character, steadiness 
of purpose, goodness of heart and excellent business capacity. — in fact was 
an ideal wife and mother. E,lias Pegg and his wife first settled on a farm 
in Wiest Virginia, then a part of A^irginia. where six of their children were 
born. There about 1795 Elias Pegg's father. Daniel, came from Phila- 
delphia to live with his son and continued to reside with him until about 
1800, when he was called to his home on high. In the year 1801 Elias Pegg 
and his family removed to Jef¥erson county, Ohio, locating on a farm of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 635 

nine hundred acres. They left a number of relatives near Wheelino- West 
Virgniia among whom was Beal Pumphrey, a large planter who owned from 
forty to fifty slaves. Mrs. Pumphrey and Mrs. Pegg were sisters. There 
was also a brother of the Nonsettler family who died at the very advanced 
age of one hundred and fourteen years. 

Near the close of the war of 1812 Mr. Pegg received 4 good offer for 
his farm m Jefferson county, and having heard much of the fertJity of the 
soil m the Scioto valley he proposed to Henry Innis and Ephraim Fisher two 
of his sons-in-law, that they remove to Franklin county and determine for 
themselves the truth of tho,s:e reports. Accordingly they made the trip on 
horseback and after a week of travel arrived in Franklinton. Althouo-h these 
men were Methodists, one an exhorter and very earnest in church work 
while another was a class leader, they made a contract with each other that 
whoever finished his meal last at the hotel where they stopped should pay for 
he .tirup dram for the entire party. They supposed in those early days 
n \V^^rf°''? """^ "'^^ horseback without first taking a drink of vvhisky 
On Mr. Pegg s return to Jefferson county he sold his farm and with his 
family removed to Franklin county early in the year 1817. Here thev met with 
a fair degree of success and enjoyed a happy home until the year 18^2 when 
an epidemic of typhus fever broke out, prostrating more than half the people 
During this siege of illness the good mother died and the loss was an iriep- 
arable one to the family, consisting of the father and ten children, namely- 
Catherine Rachel, Elizabeth, Isabel, Mary, Ezekiel, Margaret, Barbara" 
Ehas and Joseph. I he eldest, Catherine, was born March 3. 1787 and 
^^tt' is ^T^^') ;^^^ born May 25, 1809, being therefore fourteen years 
of age at the time of his mot^ier's death. Eight of the children came to this 
county with their parents, Rachel and Elizabeth ha^-ing died in Tefferson 
county. In 1825 Elias Pegg married Mrs. Holmes, a widow, who died 
Clinton township, m 1830 After her death Mr. Pegg made his home with 
different members of the family until he, too, passed away, in 1838 at the 
age of eighty- four A^ears. a ^ <^^ '■"c 

WILLIAM H. H. LUKENS. 

William H. H. Lukens was a soldier in the Civil war and gave his life 
in defense of the Union, although he did not die upon the field of battle ^ To 
such the nation owes a debt of gratitude which can never be reioaid for all 
honor IS due to those who wore the blue to perpetuate the Unicn when its 
stability was threatened bv the secession of the south 

iSo/"" nt^ntf Pennsylvania Mr. Lukens was born nn the 7th of March. 
\^^^' . AA.n ' ""''"' Lukens, was' born near Philadelphia and wedded 
Margaret Williamson. They became early settlers of Franklin cm n 'k- 
mg up their abode in this section of the state when it was considered a f on tier 
legion. They were Quaker people, living Godly, upright lives, and heir 
many estimable qualities insured them the confidence and good will of al 



636 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Surrounded by the refining influences of a good home, W'iUiani H. H. Lukens 
was thus' reared to manhood, pursuing his education in the primitive schools 
of the times and aiding in the task of clearing and developing the home 
farm. His youth was one largely of activity in the line of farm work, but 
he thereby developed a self-reliant and determined spirit which stood him 
in good stead in his own business career. 

On the 28th of February, 1850, Mr. Lukens chose as a companion and 
helpmate on life's' journey Miss Catherine Grouse, who was born in Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania, January i, 1826. Her father, John Grouse, was of 
German lineage and died in the city of Brotherly Love. He wedded Mary 
Rogers, who was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and during his bushiess 
career engaged in butchering in Philadelphia, but died at a comparatively 
early age. His widow was twice married, and by her first husband, Henry 
Fowser, had one son, Henry, who died in early manhood. By her second 
marriage she became the mother of three children, namely: Mary, who 
liecame the wife of George Kline and died in Philadelphia; Mrs. Lukens; and 
Edward, who became first lieutenant of a company of Ohio soldiers and was 
promoted to a captaincy on the field of battle. In an engagement he was 
killed, thus laying down his life as a ransom for his country. Mrs. Lukens 
was' reared in the state of her birth, attended the public 'schools there and 
remained in Philadelphia until twenty-four years of age. At the father's 
death the family was left in straitened circumstances, and she early began 
work in order to earn her own livelihood. She became acquainted with Mr. 
Lukens while he was temporarily in the city, and in 1850 their marriage was 
solemnized. They became the parents of two children, — Henry, who is at 
home with his mother; and George, who wedded Mary Moore and is now 
living in Madison county, Ohio. 

After his marriage Mr. Lukens' took up his abode upon a farm of fifty- 
tour acres in Pleasant township, Franklin county. The greater part of 
this was covered with a native growth of timber, but he cleared away the 
trees until the sunlight poured down upon the fields and mellowed the soil, 
making it rich for cultivation. In those early days he also engaged in hunt- 
ing to a great extent. Golumbus was then the nearest market, and sup- 
plies were there obtained and products' there sold. He was a very energetic 
business man, and his unfailing industry enabled him to make his farm a very 
]:)roductive and profitable one. At the time of the Givil war he put aside all 
personal considerations and enlisted for three years, as a private of Gompany 
H, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He went to 
the front, but in 1865 was sent home on account of disability, and on the 
29th of December of the same year he passed away. He was a very kind 
and devoted husband and father and in all life's relations was faithful to his 
duty. As a citizen he was public spirited, and his loyalty was manifest by his 
response to the country's call for aid. After the death of the husband and 
father ]\Irs. Lukens managed the home i)roperty until her sons were old enough 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 637 

to relieve her of its care. She is still living- on the old farm to which she 
went as a bride with her husband, and is numbered among the worthy pio- 
neer residents of the county. 

LEWIS L. PEGG. 

One of the most prominent families of Franklin county is that to which 
our subject belongs. His; father, Joseph Pegg, is represented in another 
sketch in this work. Lewis was the eighth member of the familv and was 
born in Clinton township on the 15th of August, 1843. ^^'hen he had 
attained the usual age he entered the schools of the neighborhood and on 
mastering the branches that formed the curriculum there he further continued 
his mental training by two years.' study at Otterbein College, at Wester- 
ville, Ohio. At the age of nineteen he laid aside his text-books there and 
entered upon the task of providing for his own support. He had previously 
engaged in teaching in the schools of Franklin county and from the age of 
twenty years he spent each winter season through the succeeding decade in 
the .school-room, usually teaching for about four months in the year. Through 
the summer he engaged in farming. He won a very enviable reputation as an 
educator, his expressions being clear and concise, always impressing the 
student with a knowledge of what he wishes to impart. 

Li the year 1873 Mr. Pegg was united in marriage to ]\Lss Virginia D. 
Shattuck, a daughter of Alexander and Flora (Andrews) Shattuck, \\iho 
were pioneers of Franklin county. After his marriage I^Ir. Pegg and his 
bride located on a tract of land in the eastern part of Clinton township, 
becoming owners of oue hundred and ten acres, which he purchased of Walter 
Field, a pioneer settler of Franklin county. IVIr. Pegg continued the develop- 
ment of that farm for three years and then removed to the farm upon which 
he now resides, — the old Shattuck homestead. It has since been his place of 
abode and the scene of well directed and prosperous labor. His energv. strong 
determination and perseverance have made him a successful farmer, his labors 
being crowned with a merited financial reward. Unto Mr. and T^Irs. Pegg 
have been born two children : Florence, now the wife of Ralph B. Taylor, 
M. D., of Columbus, by whom ,sihe has one son, Lewis L.; and Flora Liflian! 

Mr. Pegg has been called to fill a number of positions of public trust.' 
He served as deputy sheriff from 1879 ^^"til 1885. and at the same time con- 
tinued the operation of his farm. He filled that office under Josiah Kinnear, 
Louis Heinmiller and William H.- Barber. Mr. Pegg has been a member of 
the county board of school examiners, and, with the exception of a period of 
one year, held the office for twenty-seven consecutive vears, being the present 
incumbent. He has frequently served as chairman of the board and the cause 
of education has found in him a warm friend. The office is appointive and 
IS mdependent of the city schools of Columbus. He has been a member of 
the township board of education for more than fifteen years. He is a mem- 
ber of the Masonic 'fraternity, belonging to New England Lodge. Xo. 4, 



638 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

F. & A. M., of Worthington, Ohio, and hasi attained the thirty-second degree 
of the Scottish Rite. In pohtics he has always taken a deep interest, yet has 
never been an aspirant for the honors and emoluments of public office. In 
his political affiliations he is a Democrat and is active in the local work of the 
party, believing it the duty of every American citizen to see that good men 
are in office. His wife isi a member of the Baptist church, with which she 
has long been identified. Mr. Pegg contributes to its support and gives his 
earnest co-operation to all measures for the general good. In the line of busi- 
ness his attention is given undividedly to the operation of hi,si fine farm of 
one hundred and thirty-two acres. He raises grain and stock and takes a 
just pride; in his work, which i,s: carried on systematically and energetically. 
He has been very successlful and is a self-made man in the truest and best 
sense of the term. He is a gentleman of upright habits and keeps well 
informed on the issues of the day, both politically and otherwise. The cause 
of improvement and progress finds in him a friend and he is a worthy repre- 
sentative of an honored pioneer family whose name is inseparably associated 
v.'ith the development of Franklin county. 

EDSON J. EMERICK, M. D. 

As the name indicates, Dr. Emerick is of German lineage. His paternal 
grandfather, Abel Emerick, was descended from German ancestors, the family 
having been founded in America at an early day. He was a native of New 
York and married a Miss Snow. Among their children was James Emerick, 
the Doctor's father. He was born in the Empire state in the year 1820 and 
was by occupation a farmer. With his family he came to Ohio in 1846 and 
located upon a farm in Fulton county. In October, 1841, in Lysander. New 
York, — his' native town, — he had wedded Miss Mary A. Humphrey, of 
Stephentown, New York, and they became the parentsi of seven children, 
six of whom reached yearsi of maturity. Mr. and Mrs. Emerick were devot&d 
Christian people and the father passed away on the 24th of February, 1893, 
when in his' seventy-third year, while his wife died in 1883. 

The Doctor, of thi'si review, is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his 
birth having occurred upon the old homestead farm in Fulton county October 
•28, 1863. The usual experiences that fall to the lot of the farmer boy in 
youth were his. He early became familiar with the work of field and meadow 
and his; preliminary education was acquired in the district schools, but later 
was supplemented by study in the village school of Fayette, while his literary 
course was completed in the Fayette Normal University, at Fayette, Ohio. 
His resolve to acquire an education indicated the eleme-ntal strength of his 
character, which has since been developed into the strong purpose that has 
enabled him to carry forward' to successful completion, his' chosen life work. 
He read medicine with Dr. E. FI. Rorich, of Fayette, and subsequently entered 
the State University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, in 1884, where he devoted 
two years to medicine, and in 1886 entered the Long Island Medical College, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 639 

where he graduated in 1887. He then located in Fayette, entering upon his 
professional career. Until 1891 he practiced at that place and in the month of 
December of that year he came to Columbus, where he fitted up a pleasant and 
tasteful office at No. 1126 Neil avenue. Here his business' has steadily 
increased both in volume and importance, and he has won his way to the fore- 
most rank among the medical practitioners of the city. From 1892 until 
1898 Dr. Emerick was professor of dermatology in the Ohio Medical Uni- 
versity, and he then resigned for the purpose of devoting his entire attention 
to his large and constantly growing practice. He is now physician of Grant 
Hospital and is a member of the Columbus Academy and the American ]\Ied- 
ical Association. 

On the i6th of September, 1891, Dr. Emerick was united in marriage 
to Miss Carrie Dill, of Franklin county, a daughter of Cubbage and Emily 
(Needles) Dill. Socially he is a representative of York Lodge, No. 563, F. 
& A. M. ; of the Knights of Pythias fraternity and of the Red Men of Amer- 
ica. He early realized the truth of the adage that "there is no excellence 
without labor," and'therefore he closely applied himself to the mastery of the; 
principles of the medical science and to the understanding of the cases entrusted 
to him. He is extremely careful and therefore accurate in diagnosing dis'ease 
and the results which have usually attended his practice have been most desir- 
able and gratifying, demonstrating his superior skill and ahility. 

ALBERT L. GANTZ. 

The well cultivated farms and comfortable homes of Franklin county,; 
Ohio, excite favorable comment from exery traveler, and among them that 
of Albert L. Gantz, located in Jackson township, may be cited as an example. 
Mr. Gantz is a farmer and dairyman and hasi resided upon this place since 
March 14, 1857. His parents, x\dam and Catherine (Finnic) Gantz, were of 
Pennsylvania-German descent, and came from the Keystone state with teams, 
locating in Jackson township, where they passed their lives, the father dying 
at the age of seventy-two, and the mother passing away on her sixtieth birth- 
day. Both were most excellent and industrious people and did much to 
improve the land where their son now resides. They had reared a family 
of fourteen children, all of them growing to maturity except two, who died 
at the age of eleven and seventeen, respecti\-ely. Nine of this family are 
still living- and are neighbors and residents of Franklin county. 

Albert L. Gantz, the fourteenth and youngest child of his parents, grew 
up on the farm, early becoming accustomed to agricultural pursuits. He 
was educated' in the country school nnd immediately after marriage settled 
on the old homestead and took charge of the farm. His marriage took place 
March 26, 1878, to Hannah M. Brown, a daughter of John and Elizabeth 
(Ricketts) Brown, who were also old residents of Franklin county, where 
Mrs. Gantz was reared and educated. Eight children have been added to the 
family circle, four of them sons and four daughters : Bert B., E. Gail, John 



640 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

P., Catherine Belle, Adam R., M. Josephine, William B. and Helen Gay, — • 
all of them horn in Jackson township. 

Mr. Gantz is an extensive and smccessful farmer, cultivating- a farm 
of three hundred acres of his own and also one of three hundred and ninety- 
four acres belonging to Mrs. Gantz. In 1897 he entered into the dairying 
business and has been very successful in this also, nov^ employing two^ w^agons. 

In religiousi belief both Mr. Gantz and his family affiliate with the 
Presbyterian church, of which they have long been members. 

CHARLES J. KARCH. 

Conspicuous in the ranks of successful business' men of Columbus stands 
Charles J. Karch. Possessed of fine commercial ability, aided by the exercise 
of sound judgment and indomitable energy, Mr. Karch has not only won 
success for himself but has assisted materially in the growth and prosperity 
of the city. In the real-estate business the fact is especially apparent that 
'■realty is the basis of all security." This basis is founded in the knowledge 
and probity of those through whom the transactions are conducted. In view^ 
of this' fact there is probably no one in Columbus possessing more of these 
qualifications than Mr. Karch. He has been connected with many large sales 
\vhich ha^•e been made, and his business interests have been closely interwoven 
with the history of the capital. This knowledge, together with long experience 
makes him an invaluable aid to investors. 

A native of Germany, he was born near the Rhine, on the 5th of July, 
1864. and is' a son of Frederick J. and Caroline (Wasson) Karch, both of 
whom were born and reared in the fatherland. In 1864 the parents with 
their children crossed the Atlantic to America on a westward-bound steamer 
that dropped anchor in the harbor of New York, and from that city they made 
their way direct to Columbus, where the father was employed by Mr. 'Gill, a 
stove manufacturer, in wdiose service he remained for twelve years. Through 
the succeeding eight years he w^as employed as a blacksmith and tool-maker, 
and now he is living retired. 

In October, 1849, Frederick J. Karch was united in marriage to Miss 
Fredericka Deibert, of Germany, who was born in the same neighborhood as 
h-er husband, and was a daughter of Frederick and Catherine (Ruf) Deibert. 
She was born April 11, 1828, and by her marriage became the mother of 
the following children, namely : Catherine, now the wife of Charles Herbst, 
of Columbus; Frederick, a farmer; Joseph, also an agriculturist; Charles, J., 
who is engaged in the real-estate business'; Eliza, wife of Amos M. Decker, 
a painter; and Caroline, at home. The father gives his support to the 
Democracy, but is not an office seeker. The successi which he has achieved 
in life is indeed creditable, as it has come to him as the direct result of his 
own efforts. 

Charles J. Karch, whose name introduces this record, was not a year old 
when brought by his parents, to Columbus, where he pursued his studies until 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 641 

his' fourteenth year. He then put aside his text-^books and entered upon his 
business career' and became an employe of Frederick Deibert, with whom he 
remained for several years. With the capital he had thus acquired he 
embarked in business on his own account as a dealer in sand, which he fur- 
nished in large quantities to a number of contractors and builders. He 
afterward purchased a tract of land in South Columbus, which he platted 
and laid out. The addition consists of one hundred and fifty lots and is 
known as the Karch & Wolf addition. Since that time he made a second 
addition, known as the Karch & Legg addition. Many of the lots have been 
sold and good residences have been erected upon the major portion of them. 
In 1885 Mr. Karch was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Foss, of 
Columbus, a daughter of Joseph B. and Ann (Hosack) Foss, who resided 
in Franklin county in pioneer days. They were natives of Boston, Massa- 
chusetts, but for many years the father was connected with the milling inter- 
ests of tins city, the mill being located at the corner of State and Front streets , 
however, it has since been removed to make way for more modern buildings. 
Mrs. Karch was' born, reared and educated in this city and by her 
marriage she became the mother of five children: Stella F., Jessie E., 
aosephme Mav, Robert H. and Olive N. In his political views Air. Karch 
is a Democrat, and while he has never sought official preferment for himself 
he has taken an interest in securing the election of his friends and has served 
for several years as one of the judges of election in the first ward. He 
belongs to that class of representative American citizens who, while pro- 
moting their individual success', also contribute to the general prosperity. 
He has been largely instrumental in the upbuilding of South Columbus and 
has used his money and influence toward securing and locating industries in 
that portion of the city, among them the Columbus Chain Company, which 
has become one of the most substantial enterprises of the locality, employ- 
ing a large force of workmen. He is a self-made man, who, without any 
extraordinary family or pecuniary advantages at the commencement of life, 
has achieved both character and fortune by sheer force of will, energy, indom- 
itable courage, integrity and untiring effort, and has worked his way upward 
until he occupies an enviable position in commercial circles. 

WILLIAM J. MEANS. 

One of the most exacting of all the higher lines of occupation to which 
a man may lend his energies is that of the physician. A most scrupulous 
preliminary training is demanded and a nicety of judgment little understood 
by the laity. Then again, the profession brings its devotees into almost con- 
stant association with the sadder side of life,; — that of pain and suffering, — 
so that a mind capable of great self-control and a heart responsive and sym- 
pathetic are essential attributes of him who would' essay the practice of the 
healing art. Thus when professional success is attained in any instance it 
may be taken as certain that such measure of success has been thoroughly 



642 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

merited. Dr. Means is a prominent representative of the medical profession 
of Oliio and is widely known throughout the state by reason of his efficiency 
in the line of his chosen calling. As one of the founders and the registrar 
of the Ohio Medical University he has been connected with the institution 
since its inception, and that it has become one of the leading medical col- 
leges of the country is due in no small degree to his efforts'. 

Dr. Means is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred upon 
a farm in Jefferson county in 1853. He is a son of Joseph and Margaret 
(Sutter) Cleans, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ger- 
many. The father was a carpenter and builder by trade, but at the time 
of the Civil war lie put aside all business and personal considerations and 
faithfully served his country for four years as a defender of the Union. His 
death occurred in 1896. 

The Doctor spent the first seventeen years of his life in the place of 
his nativity, wdiere he enjoyed the advantages of a common-school and aca- 
demic education. For two years he engaged in teaching. In the spring of 
1870 he came to Ohio and entered the National Normal University, at Leb- 
anon, thu§ further preparing himself for teaching. He became principal 
of the Christiansburg high school, which position he held for four years. 
On determining to devote his life to the practice of medicine he began reading 
under the supervision of Dr. Burns, of Christiansburg, and was afterward 
graduated in the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery with the class 
of 1874. 

The following year Dr. Means located in Sabetha, Kansas', where he 
remained for nine months, returning in 1876 to Christiansburg, Ohio, where 
he successfully engaged in the practice of his profession until 1888. Through- 
out the intervening years he continued his studies and reading in order to be 
well prepared for the responsible duties' that devolved upon him, and in 1888 
he entered upon a post-graduate course in New York city. On its comple- 
tion he located in Columbus and with others he organized the Ohio Medical 
University in 1891. He became its registrar and has since held that position. 
He also filled the chair of surgery in the college and is surgeon to the 
Protestant Hospital. His professional knowledge isi deep and profound and 
he has the added faculty of being exceptionally capable as an educator, his 
explanations being lucid, concise and easily understood even when he explains 
what is seemingly a most abstruse medical problem. He is chief surgeon for 
the Columbus, Sandusky & Hocking Valley Railroad Company and medical 
director of the American Insurance Company. The fraternitv recognizes 
his ability and accord him a position of prominence in its ranks. 

In 1876 Dr. Means was united in marriage to Miss Estelle Thomasf, of 
Christiansburg, Ohio, a daughter of John Thomas. She was born, reared 
and educated in her native village, and after twenty years of a happy married 
life she died' in 1896, leaving two children, — Hugh J. and John W. For 
his second wife the Doctor chose Miss Ida Huff am, a daughter of Louis 
Huffam, a prominent citizen of Columbus. In social circles of the city they 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 643 

occupy an eminent position, being recognized leaders where true worth and 
intelhgence are received as passports into good society. The Doctor holds 
membership relations with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the 
Knights of Pythias fraternity, and is' also a member of the Baptist church. 
In the line of his profession he was formerly a member of the Champaign 
Medical Society, and is at present a member of the Central Ohio, the Ohio 
State and the American Medical Associations. Whatever tends to promote 
the interests of his profession and place before man the key to the mystery 
of that complex problem which we call life at once attracts the interest and co- 
operation of Dr. Means. He is an extremely busy and successful practitioner, 
constantly overburdened by demands for his services, both professionally and 
socially. He is a man of the highest and purest character, an industrious 
and ambitious student and a gifted teacher of surgery. He is genial in dis- 
position, a man of scholarly attainments' and splendid endowments, who' in 
every relation of life commands admiration, confidence and respect. 

THEADORE HART. 

A leading farmer of Franklin township, Franklin county. Ohio, is 
Theadore Hart, the subject of this sketch, who was born in Bucks county, 
Pennsylvania, March 14, 1821. Mr. Hart is able to trace his ancestry as far 
into the past as' 1652, and among his English forefathers were some who 
came to this country with William Penn. His great-grandfather, his grand- 
father and his father were born in the same house, in Bucks county, which 
witnessed his own birth. All lived out their honorable lives: in Pennsylvania, 
upon the same land, and their descendants are scattered over the Union. 
The mother of our subject was named Catherine Kreusen. also a native of 
Bucks county, and she was of English descent, that name being well known 
in the land of her forefathers. 

Our subject was the oldest child in a family of three children and is now 
the only survivor. He was reared upon the farm of his father, where he re- 
mained until he was eighteen years old, when he went for a four-years sojourn 
in Montgomery county, while there learning the carpenter trade. To the 
young man of that period the west offered unbounded opportunities, and Mr. 
Hart resolved to make his way to Ohio, accomplishing the journey on foot, 
in company with Hiram Puff. The comrades lived in Columbus until the 
fall of 1842, and while working at his trade in the city he bought the farm 
upon which he now lives, going back to Pennsylvania in the fall and returning 
to Ohio again in the spring. Upon this trip he brought with him a two- 
horse wagon, and hidden somewhere about it fifteen hundred dollars in silver. 

The only house upon the farm was a round-log structure, in a dilapidated 
condition, no stable and but little fencing. He went to work with a will and 
put to practical use his knowledge of carpentry, immediatelv beginning to 
build a house with his own hands. The result showed that Mr. Hart was a 
master workman; for the planing of the boards;, the making of doors and 



644 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

windows and its' entire finishing were well done by his hands. So well was 
the work done, indeed, that ever since then the house has afforded' a most 
comfortable residence for the family. Other buildings followed the erection 
of the dwelling, all of which were built by Mr. Hart. Now his farm of 
seventy-eight acres is in a fine state of cultivation, his fences and buildings 
presenting a most substantial appearance, and all reflect credit upon his in- 
dustry and skill. 

In the fall of 1843 Mr. Hart made another journey tO' Pennsylvania, this 
time upon horseback, and in November of that year was married to Catherine 
\\alton, a native of the same state.. With his wife Mr. Hart returned to Ohio, 
making this trip in a one-horse w^agon, and arrived at the new home on 
Christmas day, 1843, and here he has lived ever since. Mrs. Hart died De- 
cenAer 15, 1891, leaving the following children: Lewis', deceased, who 
njarried Henrietta Chambers and left one son, Wallace ; Thomas, who mar- 
ried Sarah Jane Lott; Louisa, who married J. E. Chambers and has three 
children, — Warren, Jennie and Melvin; Mary, who died in infancy; Willis, 
married Lillian Hatch and has two children, — Theadore and Eva J. ; Frank, 
who has been twice married, the first time to Anna Wilcox, the second time to 
Doll Robbins, and has one son, Thomas Floyd, by the first marriage ; Elmer, 
who resides' at home and carries on a dairy business, owning some of the 
finest cows in Franklin county; and Jennie, who is at home. 

Mr. Hart is very well known in the county. He was early instructed in 
Democratic doctrine and voted for Stephen A. Douglas, but cast a ballot for 
Abraham Lincoln at the time of his secoud election, and since that time has 
voted with the same party in national affairs, although at local elections he 
prefers to select the men he feels are best fitted for the position. He hasi 
held the office of township trustee and possesses the entire confidence of his 
neighbors, all of whom are also his friends. Since tAventy-two years of age 
he has consistently lived the life of a member of the Methodist church and has 
taken an active part in hoth church and Sunday-school work, being for a time 
superintendent of the latter. He is most highly esteemed in the section which 
has so long been his home, and is a worthy representative of a retired farmer 
of Franklin county. 

WILLL^M WESTERVELT. 

The history of the family of Westervelt is' an old and interesting one. 
The earliest mention of the name that can be ascertained in Holland is that of 
Dirck van Westervelt, who was born about the year 1475. That historic 
member of the family married into the family of Van Wenkom. His son 
Lubbert came to America in 1662, arriving May 24, on the ship Hope, from 
Meppel, province of Drenthe, Holland, and settled first at Flatbush. New 
York, and afterward located at Hackensack, New Jersey, where he and hi'S de- 
scendants acquired considerable property and where the members of his family 
were burgomasters for many years. Lubbert had a son named Lubbert 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 645 

Lubbertsen van Westervelt, and the latter had a son named Roeloffe van 
Westervelt, who had a son named Kasparus, who had a son named CorneHus, 
and the next in descent was Jacobus, who married Rebecca Du Bois, and l3y 
this' marriage there were nine children, of whom three sons — William, Peter 
and Mathew, — and a daughter, named Catharine, were pioneers in Franklin 
county, Ohio, in 18 18. 

The Westervelt family in Holland still own the land there which was 
owned by their ancestors as long ago as 1472 ; but the old castle of the Wester- 
velts has crumbled away. The Westervelt coat of arms consists of a shield 
with three silver flleur de lis, helmet and crown, crest, arms in armor rising 
from the crown holding on fluer de lis, mounting green and silver. Motto, 
above in scroll, "Per crucem ad coronam :" below the shield the name "Van 
Westervelt." 

Rebecca Du Bois, who became the wife of Jacobu'Si Westervelt, was a 
descendant of the famous French family of Du Bois and a daughter of Louis 
Du Bois, a Huguenot who renounced his lands and titles for his faith in re- 
formed religion and went to Holland, whence he came in 1660 to New York, 
where he owned an immense tract of land and passed the remainder of his' 
days. William, Mathew and Peter Westervelt, son of Jacobus and Rebecca 
(Du Bois) Westervelt, accompanied by their sister Catharine, wdio married 
Stephen BrinkerhofT, came to Franklin county, Ohio, in 181 8 from Pough- 
keepsie, New York, where William Westervelt was born, August 8, 1792. 
They bought a large tract of land, nearly two thousand acres, in what has' 
since become known as Blendon township. The gift of land for educational, 
church and burial purposes at and near Westerville, the seat of Otterbein 
University, is referred' to in the biographical sketch of Mathew Westervelt 
elsewhere in this work. William Westervelt joined in this benefaction and 
was' otherwise prominent in local affairs. 

He married Sarah Bishop, August 16, 1814, a daughter of William and 
Sarah Bishop, of Poughkee'psie, New York. He died March 31, 1878, at 
the age of eighty-six years, and his wife died in 1876. They were prominent 
members of the Methodist Eii>iscopal church, ever solicitous for its welfare 
and helpful to its progress. They were the parents of thirteen children, twelve 
of whom grew up. A son died in infancy, and the others were Jane. Lovina, 
Bishop, Hannah, James, Caleb, Helen, Sarah, Grover, Rebecca, Catharine 
and Celia. Of these Jane married David Headington, and her daughter, 
Mrs. Georgianna Wells, lives at Westerville. Lovina married Sylvanus 
Budd. James was educated in Worthington Academy, at Worthington, 
Franklin county, Ohio, and married Kate Knox, who bore him two children, — ■ 
Milo, who lives in Iowa; and Laura, of Columbusi. After the death of his 
first wife, James married Minerva Lawson, of Westerville, who bore him two 
daughters : Ada, who married John Joyce, of Columbus ; and Mary, who is 
a bookkeeper at Deshler's Bank at Columbus'. Caleb Westervelt, also edu- 
cated at Worthington Academy, became a merchant at Westerville and mar- 
ried Mary Van Derhoff, a daughter of Henry Van Derhoff, Her father 



646 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

came from Oak Ridge, New Jersey, and died soon after his arrival, in Dela- 
^vare county. Caleb and Mary (Van Derhoff) Westervelt had three chil- 
dren, named Therese Medora, Cora Dell and Herschel D. Medora was edu- 
cated at Otterbein University and married N. J\l. Hoffhines, a teacher in the 
Columbus schools, who died in 1889. By this marriage there was one son, 
W'ilbur Westervelt Hoffhines', who is a resident of Columbus. In 1894 she 
married George Nitschke, of the firm of Nitschke Brothers, printers and 
bookbinders, of Columbus. Cora Dell died January 27, 1876. Herschel 
Douglas is a well known druggist of Columbus, and isi prominent in Masonic 
and Pythian circles. He was educated at Westerville and taught school for 
a time in Delaware county, this state. He married Miss Martha Martin, 
of Columbus, and they have a son named Leland Earl. Grover Westervelt, 
who lives at Norfolk, Nebraska, married Amelia Grinnell, a member of a 
pioneer family of Blendon township, all of whom have left Franklin county 
and most of whom are living at Kankakee, Illinois. Sarah Westervelt is the 
widow of John Price, of Westerville. Rebecca W^estervelt is the widow of 
Irvin Lawson and lives at Westerville. Bishop Westervelt, deceased, left a 
son named Freeman, who' was one of the founders of an institute for the 
deaf and dumb at Rochester, New York, and isi engaged as a superintendent 
there. Celia married Newell W. Grinnell and now makes her home in Kan- 
kakee, Illinois. They have three children, — Harry, Fannie and Darwin. 
Others of the children of William and Sarah (Bishop) Westervelt not here 
named left their native county years ago and the writer has not been able tO' 
trace their history. 

CHRISTIAN BACHMANN. 

This well known farmer and dairyman of Truro township, has spent his 
entire life in Franklin county, Ohio, his birth having occurred in Columbus, 
December 20, 1853. His father, Christian Bachmann, Sr., was born in Ba- 
varia, Germany, on the 22d of February, 1823, and was about twenty-seven 
years of age on his emigration to the United States, having" been reared and 
educated in his native land. Locating at Columbus, he worked as a laborer 
in the Ridgway foundry for a time, and later was employed in the starch 
factory then located in that city. By the strictest economy he managed to 
save enough from his meager wages to purchase fifteen acresi of woodland. 
This he cleared, chopping the wood into chips, which he hauled to Columbus 
and sold for one dollar per load. Being industrious and energetic and with 
the firm determination to succeed, he at length: acquired a handsome property 
and at his death left three hundred and one acres of valuable land to his family. 
In 1852, at Columbus, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Com- 
merson, also a native of Bavaria, Germany, and to them were born five chil- 
dren, namely : Christian, Henry, Katie, Mary and William, all still living 

The days of his boyhood and youth our subject passed upon the home 
farm, and he is indebted to the common schools of the neighborhood for his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 647 

educational advantages. His 'Sthool days' were over, however, at the age of 
fourteen years as he was obhged to aid his father with the farm work. He 
never left the parental roof, and is no-w successfully engaged in general farm- 
ing and dairying. 

On the 1 2th of December, 1877, Mr. Bachmann led to the marriage altar 
Miss Clara Alice Krumm, a daughter of Henry Krumm, a prominent farmer 
and miller of Truro township. By this union were born eight children, as 
follows: Lydia, Harry, Rosa, Charles, Clara, Sadie, Luther and Mamie. 
All are living with the exception of Mamie, who died in infancy ; while Harry 
was in the employ of the electrical department of the United States exhibit 
at the Paris Exposition. All are now at home with their parents. 

Mr. Bachmann is an active and prominent member of the Lutheran 
church and the Lutheran Aid Society, and to all religious work he contributes 
liberally. He is also a member of the German Singing Society, and is a 
stanch supporter of the Democratic party and its principles. At local elections, 
however, he votes' for the men whom he considers best fitted for office without 
regard to political affiliations. On his party ticket he was elected justice of 
the peace by a good majority, and has also filled the offices of school trustee 
five years and school director for a number of years. In all the relations of 
life he has been found true to every trust reposed in him, whether public or 
private, and well merits' the high regard in which he is uniformly held. 

WILLIAM STRICKLER. 

AVilliam Strickler. who has held the office of justice of the peace since 
1893, and is widely known as' Squire Strickler, is numbered among the 
prominent old settlers of Franklin county, his home being on section 36, Ham- 
ilton township. Lie was born in this township, November 21, 1848, and is 
a son of William Strickler, a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, whence he re- 
moved to Franklin county, in 1843, locating in Hamilton township, where he 
died at the age of thirty-five years. He was a descendant of an old Penn- 
sylvania German family. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth 
Peters', was also a native of Fairfield county, wasi cf Pennsylvania German 
descent, and died in Franklin county at the very advanced age of eighty-one 
years. By her marriage she became the mother of eleven children, of whom 
two died in infancy, while the others reached adult age and six are now living, 
namely: Mrs. Eleanora Hoggkins, a widow living in Columbus; Isabella, 
who is the widow of Joseph Stump and resides in Hamilton township; John, 
whoisi also living in Hamilton township; Susan C, who is the widow of Ed- 
ward Koocken and lives in Ellis county. Texas; Margaret, wife of ]\Iichacl 
Rohr, of Van Wert, Ohio; and Maxamilia j\I., who resides with John. 

Mr. Strickler, of this review, w^as the sixth of the family, and was only 
two and a half years of age when his father died. He was reared in Hamil- 
ton township, and attended its district schools, beginning hi's; education in a log 
school house. He assisted in the cultivation of the fields on the home .farm 



648 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

until after the inauguration of the Civil war, when in 1864, in his eighteenth 
year, he enlisted as a private of Company K, First Ohio Cavalry, with which 
he served until the close of the war. He participated in the Kilpatrick raid. 
around Atlanta, together with many other small engagements, receiving an 
honorable discharge at Columbus' when the country no longer needed his ser- 
vices. He then returned home and assisted in the cultivation of the farm until 
his marriage. 

In 1869 Mr. Strickler wxdded Rachel C. Rohr, who was also born and 
reared in Hamilton township, being a representative of one of the oldest fam- 
ilies of the county. Her mother was born in a little log house that stood on the 
farm where our subject now resides, and which was built in 181 1. And' in 
that cabin home Mr. and Mrs. Strickler began their domestic life, there living 
until 1879, w4ien the present residence was erected. Eight children have been 
born of their union : Eva M., wife of Jesse Ranck, a farmer of Marion town- 
ship; Nellie B., wife of Alonzo Simms, of Columbus; William G., who is a 
mail clerk on the Panhandle Railroad running from Columbus to Pittsburg; 
Herman, who died at the age of eighteen months; Clara B., who died at the 
age of one year; John Russell and Laura E., at home; and Stanley, who passed 
away at the age of four years. 

Mr. Strickler is now the owner of one hundred and twenty-four acres of 
rich and arable land, on which he carries on general farming. His pleasant 
home standsi in the midst of well-tilled fields, and is highly improved with sub- 
stantial buildings. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and since 1893 he has 
held the office of justice of the peace, discharging his duties with strict fairness 
and impartiality. He belongs to McCoy Post, No. i, G. A. R., and for over 
fourteen years has been identified with Tent No. 55, K. O. T. M. He has a 
wide acquaintance in Franklin county, where he has spent his entire life, and by 
reason of his many sterling qualities enjoys the respect of all who know him. 

FRANK THEODORE COLE. 

The family in America of which Frank Theodore Cole, of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, is a representative, isi descended from Thomas Cole, who settled 
at Salem, Massachusetts, in 1634 and whose descendants lived at Boxford and 
Harvard, some of them going to New Hampshire. Captain Theodore Cole, 
father of Frank Theodore Cole, was born at Westmoreland, Cheshire county, 
Hsiew Hampshire, May 19, 1813, and died there July 2, 1885, aged seventy- 
two years. He! was for many years master of a whale ship sailing from New 
Bedford, Massachusetts, and his voyages took him to all parts of the world. 
He was one of the first to enter the Arctic ocean by way of Behring's strait, 
and was in the region of the mouth of the Yukon many years before it came 
to public notice. He married Miss Livilla Gleason, born March 21, 18 18, 
a daughter of Captain Wilson Gleason, of Westmoreland, Nev^^ Hampshire. 
Captain Gleason was one of the most prominent men in his part of the state, 
and was for many years active in military affairs as a captain of cavalry 




FRANK T. COLE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 649 

organized under the militia law of other days. He died in 1866, aged sev- 
enty-eight years. His grandfather, Isaac Gleason, of Petersham, Worcester 
county, Massachusetts, was a soldier in the colonial wars, as was also Abijah 
Cole, of Harvard, Massachusetts, grandfather of Captain Theodore Cole. 
Captain Gleason was a descendant of Thomas Gleason, who was at Charles- 
town, Massachusetts, as early as 1652, and whose descendants lived after- 
ward at Framingham and Petersham, Massachusetts, and moved at the close 
of the Revolutionary war to New Hampshire. 

Frank Theodore Cole was born at Brattleboro, Vermont, June 22, 1853,. 
a son of Theodore and Livilla (Gleason) Cole. .He was educated at Phillips 
Academy, at Andover, Massachusetts, and at Williston Seminary, at East- 
hampton, Massachusetts, graduating in 1873; ^nd was graduated from 
Williams College with the degree ot A. B. in 1877 and from the Columbia 
Law School with the degree of LL. D. in 1879. He was admitted to the bar 
in New York in 1879 and to the bar in Ohio in February, 1880, and prac- 
ticed his profession at Columbus until 1886. In the meantime he had be- 
come active as a Republican, serving his party as a member of the city and 
county committees. From 1886 to 1889 he was secretary of the disburse- 
ment committee of the centennial celebration of the passage of the ordinance 
erecting the Northwest Territory and the encampment of the Grand Army 
of the Republic held at Columbus that year. 

For ten years Mr. Cole was secretary of the Franklin County Sunday- 
school Association, and for five years was a director of the Young Men's 
Christian Association. He was president of the Garfield and Arthur Glee 
Club, of Columbus, in 1880, was a member of the executive committee of 
the Blaine and Logan Club, of Columbus, in 1884, and was a member of the 
executive committee of the Harrison and Morton Club, of Columbus, in 1888. 
He was for some time a member of the Columbus Club, the Columbus Whist 
Club, the Garfield Club and the University Club. For ten years he was. 
assistant superintendent of the Congregational Sunday-schooland for. two 
years of the Goodale street mission of the Congregational church, also one of 
the founders and for a time, trustee of the Mayflower Congregational church. 
He is president of the Columbus Golf Club and a director of the "Old North- 
west" Genealogical Society. 

In 1886 Mr. Cole published the early genealogies of the Cole family in 
America, and he is now publishing the genealogies of the Gleason family in 
America. In 1889 he opened the Columbus Latin School, a private school 
for boys in Columbus, and in 1899, with Professor Abram Brown, he estab- 
lished the University School of Columbus, of which Mr. Cole is secretary 
and Professor Brown head master. 

DANIEiL WEYGANDT. 

This well-known resident of Grove City and manager for the A. G. Grant 
Railroad Company, was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, on the 27th of 
November, 1842, and nn both the paternal and maternal sides is of Pennsyl- 



650 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

vania-Dutch extraction. His grandfather, George W'eygandt, spent his entire 
life as a farmer in the Keystone state. The father, George W. Weygandt, 
was also a native of Washington, Pennsylvania, and by occupation was a 
carpenter and contractor. On coming to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1849, he 
located in Grove City, and erected some of the first houses in that town, also 
building the hotel, the first Presbyterian and Lutheran churches. He hewed 
the timbers for W. F. Breck's mill, the first steam mill in Jackson township, 
and erected many other buildings throughout the county, always receiving 
a liberal share of the business in his line. He became widely known and w^as 
highly respected. In early life he was a member of the Lutheran church, 
and when it was abandoned became a Presbyterian. Li his political aflfiliations 
he was a Democrat, and taking an active interest in everything pertaining to 
the good of his community, he most creditably and acceptably served as a 
member of the school board and as township trustee for several terms. He 
died at the age of seventy-tw^o years, but his wife, who bore the maiden name 
of Rachel Gantz, is still living at the age of eighty-four, and makes her home 
with our subject. She is also a native of Pennsylvania, and was reared in 
Washington county, that state. 

In the family of this worthy couple were nine children, namely : John 
A., who enlisted in 1862, in the Union army and died in the service; Daniel, 
of this review; Jacob H., deceased; William M. L., who died leaving a family 
of five children and a widow who is now living in Columbus; George C, who 
with his wife and three children resides in Springfield, Ohio; Benjamin F., 
of Grove City, who has been twice married and has' two children by the second 
union; Isaac, who died at the age of two years; Lovina C, w-ho died at the age 
of seventeen ; and Jennie, who died at the age of thirteen years. 

Daniel Weygandt was only seven years old when brought by his parents 
to Franklin county, Ohio. He had previously attended school in his native 
county one term, and completed his education in the log school houses' of 
Jackson township, this county. At the age of eighteen he commenced learn- 
ing the carpenter's trade, but after serving one year of his apprenticeship, he 
laid aside all personal interests to enter the service of his country, enlisting 
in 1862 for three years, as a private in Company C, One Hundred and Thir- 
te<'nth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel John G. Wilcox, at Columbus. 
He participated in all the battles in which his regiment took part until taken 
ill and sent to the hospital at Nashville, Tennessee. On his recovery he re- 
joined his command at Rossville, Georgia, and later took part in Sherman's 
celebrated march to the s'ea. He never received even a slight w^ound and was 
always found at his post of duty except when confined in the hospital by ill- 
ness. The war having ended be was mustered out at Louisville, Kentuck}^ 
and honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio. 

Returning to Grove City, Mr. Weygandt again took up the carpenter's 
trade, at which he worked as a journeyman for about sixteen years, and then 
engaged in contracting on his own account for twelve years'. He has done 
some farming and still ov^ns a place of sixty acres near Grove City, which he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 651 

rents, and also^ owns his residence, which is located at the beginning of the 
Grove City street car Hne. Under A. G. Grant, as superintendent, Mr. Wey- 
gandt manufactured the timber for the construction of that road. He hag 
smce been employed as foreman by the street car company, his duties being to 
look after their interests, pay the men, etc. 

In 1866 Mr. Weygandt was united in marriage with Miss Frances ^\'hite, 
a native of Franklin county, and a daughter of Alexander White, one of its 
early settlers, and they have become the parents of four children: ' Jacob H., 
who married Clara Large and has four children,— Ira, Frank, Hester and 

Elven; Herbert W., who married Blanch Clement and has two children, 

Stanley and Josephine; Winter W., at home; and Mary, wife of William 
Barber, by whom she has one child, Henry Ettie Gracie. 

Mr. Weygandt is a member of the Union Veteran Legion, and holds' a 
card m the Grand Army of the Republic and the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows at Grove City. In his political views he is' a Democrat. He is a good 
financier and has been called upon to serve as township treasurer four years, 
treasurer of the Fair Association, and of the canning factory of Grove City! 
His life has been one of industry and usefulness and the success that has at- 
tended his efforts is certainly worthily achieved. As a citizen he ever stands 
ready to discharge any duty that devolves upon him. 



JOHN L. B. WIS^^^ELL. 

Few men in Franklin county enjoy a higher or more widely extended de- 
greeof respect and confidence of their fellow men than John L. B. Wiswell, 
and it is therefore with pleasure that we present the record of his career to our 
readers. He was born in Massachusetts, October 21, 1827, a son of Daniel 
H. and Ann (Gates) Wiswell. His maternal grandfather was General Gate^ 
of Revolutionary fame, who was killed at the battle of Quebec. Daniel H. 
Wiswell was a son of Amasa Wiswell, who was also a native of the old Bay 
state and was of Welsh lineage, their ancestors having come to America dur- 
ing the early colonial days and established homes in IMassachusetts The name 
was originally spelled Wiswall. From. Wales the first of the name brought 
with him a Penstock diamond, which has' remained in the family as an heir- 
loom, passing down from father to son throughout the generations and being 
now in possesision of Amasa D. Wiswell, of Illinois. 

Daniel H. Wiswell, the father of our subject, was for manv years a resi- 
dent of Buffalo, New York. He was both a carriage maker and painter by 
trade and followed those pursuits throughout his active business career His 
last days were spent in Buffalo. Unto him and his wife were born five chil- 
dren, but John L. B. Wiswell is the only one now living. Two of the sons of 
Amasa Wiswell came to Franklin county, namely: Amasa and Joseph while 
three daughters also found homes in this locality, namely: Bebev who 
married Truman Skeeles ; Mrs. Angeline Reed ; and one other The Wis- 



652 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

wells made their way westward about 1835 and took up their abode on a farm, 
in this locality. 

The subject of this review was reared in Petersham, Worcester county, 
Massachusetts, and pursued his education in >the common schools. Under 
the direction of his father he learned the painter's trade. In 1848 he went 
to Illinois, settling in New Lexington, Morgan county, where he followed his 
chosen vocation for four years. On the expiration of that period he returned 
to Buffalo, New; York, but after a year again went to Illinois and a year 
subsequent to that time came to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1854. While living 
in Morgan county he had married Miss Sarah Murgatroyd, and they became 
the parents of two children, of whom one is living, namely, George. For his 
■second wife Mr. Wiswell chose Chestina Wilcox, of Springfield, Illinois. By 
this marriage six children were born, of whom^ four are living, namely : 
Priscilla Ann, Harriet C, Mary Jane and Jerusha Sophia. They lost their 
two sons, Daniel T. and John L. 

After taking up his abode in Franklin county our subject worked at the 
painter'sf trade until 1862, when, feeling that his first duty was to his country, 
he responded to the call for military aid and joined Company C, of the One 
Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was commanded by 
Colonel J. A. Wilcox. The regiment remained in camp at Columbus from 
August until December, and was then sent to Camp Dennison, and a few 
days afterward! was transferred to Louisville, Kentucky. After a month they 
were ordered south to Nashville to reinforce Rosecrans. This was in Febru- 
ary. While at that place Mr. Wisiwell was taken ill and was sent to the 
hospital in Nashville, where he received an honorable discharge. He then 
returned home, but in 1864 he again entered the service, as a member of Com- 
pany E, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Infantry, for three months. 
He was in active duty during this term, and at its close was honorably dis- 
charged. 

Since his return from the war he has followed his trade in Columbus,, 
and is an energetic and trustworthy business man, who owes whatever success 
he has achieved to his own efforts. He has' been a prominent factor in mili- 
tary circles throughout the intervening years, and retains pleasant relations 
with his old army comrades through his membership with DeWitt Corps. 
He was the originator of the Ex- Soldiers and Ex-Sailorsi Society of Columbus, 
and took a leading part in forming the Firing Squad, an organization whose 
members were formerly soldiers. He likewise belonged to the Ancient Order 
of Knights of the Mystic Chain, of Columbus. He organized Walhonding 
Tribe, No. 105, I. O. R. M., and Buffalo Tribe, No. 109, I. O. R. M. He 
also aided very largely in the upbuilding and the work of this organization, 
so that his brethren of the fraternity call him the father of the order. In 
]\Iasonry he is quite prominent, belonging to the blue lodge and the Horeb 
Chapter, No. 3, R. A. M. Of all these organizations! mentioned he is a 
charter member, excepting the last. In polities' he is a stanch Republican, 
unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the party. As a citizen he is 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 653 

as true and faithful to the best interests of the community, state and nation as 
when he followed the stars) and stripes upon the battlefields of the south. 
Wherever he is known he is highly esteemed for his sterling worth, and his 
many excellencies of character have gained him a large circle of warm friends. 

LEMUEL SMITH. 

A representative of one of the pioneer families of Ohio, Lemuel Smith is' 
now a well-to-do and enterprising agriculturist of Pleasant township, Frank- 
lin county. His paternal grandfather, Lemuel Smith, Sr., was born in the 
Green Isle of Erin, whence he emigrated to the new world and founded the 
family in Maryland. The grandfather made farming his life work and died 
in Dorchester county in Maryland. It was in that county that Handy Smith, 
the father of our subject, was born in the year 1808. He received only a 
limited education and found plenty of work to do upon the home farm. After 
arriving at years of maturity he married Sarah Littleton, who was born in 
Dorchester county, Maryland, in 18 10, a daughter of Edmund Littleton. In 
1839, with his wife and family. Handy Smith came by team to Ohio, being 
five weeks upon the road. He located in Monroe township, Pickaway county, 
where, in the midst of the forest, he secured a tract of land. Subsequently he 
purchased fifty acres of wild land in that township, erecting a hewed-log cabin 
of one room 16x16 feet, and with characteristic energy began the cultivation 
of his farm. He performed the arduous task of clearing and breaking the 
land and in the course of time his labors were rewarded with abundant har- 
vests, and as the years passed he added to his possessions until he owned two 
hundred and twenty-five acres in the township where he first 'Settled, and also 
a tract of one hundred and ninety-two acres in Pleasant township, Franklin 
county. His death occurred on the latter farm in June, 1884. His first wife 
died in Monroe township, Pickaway county, in 1850, and he afterward married 
Rebecca Jane Tainer, who died in 1882. ' The parents of our subject held 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and in hrsi political affiliations 
the father was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. Their children were 
as' follows : Clara, now the wife of Henry Dennis, of Monroe township, Pick- 
away county ; Adaline, who became the wife of Jacob Watts and died in Iowa : 
Joseph, of West Jefferson, Ohio; Lemuel, of this review; and Stanford, of 
Pleasant township; Isaac, who is living in Oklahoma; Thcmas, who died at the 
age of thirty-five years ; and Susan, who died in childhood. By the second 
marriage there were four children: William, who has passed away; Joan, 
wife of Alex Mauser, of Monroe township, Pickaway county ; Mary C, de- 
ceased; and Hettie, who is the wife of Ezra Hatfield and resides on the old 
homestead. 

In taking up the personal history of Lemuel Smith we present to our read- 
ers the record of one who is wi'dely and favorably known in Franklin county. 
He was born in Dorchester county, Maryland, near Salisbury, on the 2d day of 
March, 1833, and when six years of age came to Ohio. His education was 



654 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pursued in the district school, which was some distance from his home. The 
schoolhouse w^as built of logsi and his first teacher was David Cardiff. 
Through the winter terms he continued his studies and in the summer months 
he assisted in the labors of the home farm. In March, 1857, he married 
Miss Lucinda King, who was born in Monroe township, March 16. 1^38, 
a daughter of Reason and Elizabeth (Mauser) King. She, too, was reared to 
womanhood amid the scenes of the frontier and was educated in the log school- 
house. Mr. and Mrs. Smith began their domestic life upon a farm of forty- 
five acres in Pleasant township, belonging to his father's estate, and there they 
resided for about fifteen years. When they took up their abode upon the 
place it was covered with a heavy growth of timber. He erected a log house, 
16x16 feet, and with characteristic energy began the development of his' farm. 
In 1874 he sold that property and located upon his present farm of one hun- 
dred and fifteen acres, of which thirty acres had been cleared. Almost the 
entire tract is now under cultivation and all of the buildings upon the place 
have been erected by the owner, save the residence. His farm is a monument 
to his enterprise, perseverance and good management and now he is s'uccess- 
fully engaged in the cultivation of his fields and the raising of stock. The 
home of Mr. and Mrs. Smith has been blessed with the following children : 
Sidney, now the wife of William Vittum, of Columbus ; Handy, of Indiana ; 
Joseph, who lives in Pleasant township; Laura, wife of Thomas' Chaffin; and 
Sarah, who is now the wife of Seymour Harter. While Mr. Smith gives his 
political support to the Democracy, he cannot be called a politician, having 
never sought or desired office. His worth as a citizen, however, is widely 
recognized. He is public-spirited, progressive, and co-operates in all move- 
mentsi and measures for the general good. 

PHILIP E. BLESCH, M. D. 

Among the leading physicians of Columbus, Ohio, is Philip E. Blesch, 
who is not only a successful practitioner but also a man of science who has 
made special studies and discoveries which may do much toward alleviating 
the sufi^erings of mankind. 

Dr. Blesch was born in Baden, Germany, May i, 1845, 'i^d was a son 
of George Adam and Rosina Mary Bles'ch, who emigrated to the United 
States in 1848. Hisi father died in Columbus during the cholera scourge of 
1849, bi-'t his mother lived to be eighty-two years of age, dying in 1890. Dr. 
Blesch was but four years old when brought to Columbus, where, during 
youth, he was educated in the public schools. He spent some years in reading 
medicine in the office and under the direction of Dr. John Dawson, later under 
Dr. Holderman, with whom he completed his reading. Then he entered 
Starling Medical College, at which he graduated in 1868. 

While a student of medicine he had opportunity to study chronic diseases 
in all their complicated manifestations by serving as steward in the Franklin 
County Infirmary, and after graduation he immediately engaged in general 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 655 

practice, calling science to his aid in his endeavors to eradicate pain and sick- 
ness'. The special studies which he hasi pursued have resulted in a wonderful 
discovery that has been called by some of his patients the elixir of life. He has 
named this new treatment Dr. Blesch's Vacuum Treatment and in it he uses 
but little medicine. Since 1896 he has most successfully used this great pam 
eradicator, claiming that it restores a physiological circulation which makes 
a phvsiological man. 

Dr. Blesch is a member of the Central Ohio Medical Association and the 
Ohio State Medical Association ; also is' connected with the Masonic and Odd 
Fellow fraternities, the Knights of the Maccabees and Columbus Lodge, No. 
80, A. O. U. W. Many years of his life have been given to his study of the 
pains of mankind, each year making him wiser and more helpful to others. 
His life is bound up in his beneficent work and his' grateful patients rejoice 
that it has been given to one so worthy, to make the important discovery of the 
new healing agent. 

In 1869 Dr. Blesch was' united in marriage to Miss Eliza Schneider, of 
Columbus, a daughter of Andrew Schneider, a confectioner well known in this 
city. Two talented children were born of this union : Clara, an artist ; and 
Emma, a teacher in the public schools. 

HENRY ADAM WEBER. 

One of the most highly esteemed and best known educators of the state 
of Ohio is Henry Adam Weber, now occupying the chair of agricultural chem- 
istry in the Ohio State University. Professor Weber was' born in Clinton 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, July 12, 1845, the third son of Frederick 
and Caroline (Tascher) Weber, both of them natives of Germany, where they 
grew to maturity, emigrating to America in 1830. , After marriage they 
settled upon a farm in Clinton township, in 1832. Here Mr. Weber engaged 
in farming, later establishing a malt house, which business he conductedin 
connection with his farm. He was' an industrious, honest, enterprishig citi- 
zen, accumulating more than a competence before old age. He died in 1888, 
Mrs. Weber having passed away some years previously. A number of chil- 
dren were born to them as follows: Frederick; Caroline; Louisa, the wife of 
Dr. Leopold Schuab, living in Columbus; Wilhelmina. deceased; Amelia. 
George, Henry Adam, Herman P., residing on a part of the old farm ; and 
Lena, a widow. 

Professor Weber was reared a farmer boy and acquired the rudiments of 
his' superior education in the district school, later attending a school at Wester- 
ville preparatory to a course in Otterbein University, where he remained for 
some time. He is a graduate of the Polytechnic School at Kaiserslautern, of 
the class of 1866, a student of chemistry under Von Liebig and Reischauer; 
in 1866-8 was under the instruction of Von Kolbe, of Munich; and in succes- 
sion was a doctor of philosophy in the Ohio State University in 1879; in 
the chemical department of the geological survey of Ohio in 1869-74; professor 



656 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of general chemistry and mineralogy in the University of Illinois, 1874-82; 
chemist to state board of agriculture of Illinois, 1874-82; chemist to state 
board of health of Illinois, 1874-82; has occupied the chair of agricultural 
chemistry in the University of Ohio since 1884; and was the state chemist and 
chief chemist of Ohio State Dairy and Food Commission, 1885-97. 

In 1870 Professor Weber married Miss Rosa Ober, of Columbus, a native 
of Germany, whose acquaintance he had made during his residence in Munich. 
Two children have been born of this union, — Henrietta C. and Hilda A. 

The high attainments of Professor Weber make him eminently fitted for 
the important position he holds. The bent of his mind has always been toward 
the science which he teaches and which his education and travels have made so 
thoroughly understood. 

EZRA DOMINY. 

Ezra Dominy was born in Canaan township, Madison county, Ohio, 
November 23, 1847, and there spent the first seventeen years of his life, after 
which he came to Franklin county with his father, Henry Dominy, one of the 
honored pioneer settlers of Ohio. The district schools afforded him the edu- 
cational privileges which he enjoyed, and he was reared to farm life. He 
also learned carpentering and cabinet-making and these have contributed to 
his income and enabled him to keep everything about his place in good con- 
dition. 

On the 1st of January, 1878, Mr. Dominy wedded Miss Ann M. Ferris, 
who was born in Brown township, Franklin county, January 21, 1849, ^ 
daughter of Nicholas E. and Maria L. (Samuel) Ferris. After their mar- 
riage our subject and his, wife resided in Brown township for a few years, 
but in the spring of 1870 removed tO' Illinois, locating in Ludlow township. 
Champaign county, where he operated rented land for a year. In the second 
year there he purchased a farm of eighty acres, but a year later sold that 
property and returned to Ohio, working at the carpenter's' trade for a time. 
He subsequently became the owner of a farm, which in 1880 he sold to Will- 
iam Walton, while he bought his present farm of eighty acres in Norwich 
township. He has placed the greater part of it under a high state of cultiva- 
tion, and all modern accessories and improvements are there found. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Dominy have been born nine children : Harriet L., 
who died in her eighteenth year; Ruth A., who died at the age of three years; 
Laura J., who became the wife of C. L. Bower and is now deceased; Carrie 
D., wife of H. H. Kramer; Henry E., of Denver, Colorado; Maggie M. and 
Gertrude Ann, both deceased'; Estella F., at school; and Robert E.. who has 
also passed away. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, in which Mr. Dominy is serving as steward. In politics he is a 
stalwart Republican, and for five years efficiently filled the office of township 
trustee. Socially he is' an Odd Fellow, and both he and his wife are con- 
nected with the Rebekah Lodge of Hilliard. Thev are well known in the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 657 

'Community and the hospitality of many of the best homes of the neighbor- 
hood is cordially extended them. 

It may be interesting in this connection to note something of the history 
of Mrs. Dominy's family. Her father, Nicholas E. Ferris, was a son of 
Dennis Ferris, a highly respected farmer and early settler of Perry township, 
whence he afterward removed to Worthington township, where his last days 
were passed. He married Nancy Egbert, who died in 1876, when more than 
eighty years of age. Their children were Nicholas E. ; John, who died in 
Oregon; Joseph, who died in California; and Mary J., who became the wife 
of Charles A. Holmes and died in Franklin county. 

Nicholas E. Ferris, the father of Mrs. Dominy, was born in Lancaster 
county, Pennsylvania, in 18 14, and in his boyhood accompanied his parents 
on their removal to Columbus, Ohio. Later his father purchased a farm 
in Perry township, on which the son was reared to manhood. He acquired 
a common-school education and afterward engaged in teaching for several 
terms. On the loth of December, 1837, he wedded Maria L. Samuel, who 
was' born in Wales, August 19, 181 3, a daughter of John and Elizabeth 
(Davis) Samuel, both natives of Wales. In 1823 the family came to the 
United States, landing at New York city, where they lived for a time, the 
father following his trade of cabinet-making. With his family he subse- 
quently came to Columbus, Ohio, where he engaged in the undertaking and 
cabinet-making business, subsequently purchasing and removing to a farm in 
Brown township, where he spent his' remaining days. His children were 
Maria L., who became Mrs. Ferris; John, who died in Iowa; James, who 
went to the Black Hills at the time of the gold excitement and acquired a con- 
siderable sum of money, for which he was killed by his supposed friend in 
Council Bluffs while he slept; Ann, wife of John Roland, who died in Brown 
township; William, who died near Westerville; and Samuel E., who for 
many years was' a druggist of Columbus, but died on his farm in Franklin 
•county. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Ferris resided in Mifflin townshin for 
a few years and then purchased a farm in Brown township, where his death 
occurred March 23, 1879, his wife having passed away January 15, 1863. 
They were Methodists in religious faith, and he was a Republican in his 
political belief. For many years' he was justice of the peace of Brown town- 
ship, was also township clerk for a long period and for one term was land 
appraiser. He had six children, namely: Cyrus D., Charles S., Mrs. 
Dominy, John E., Elyria J. and Bayard T. The last named died in infancy, 
and the fifth child is. also deceased. 

ANDREW PLANCK. 

The life of most farmers is uneventful. There are some who have had 
adventures by land and sea and there are some living who have had the 
experiences of the soldier, but there are not many remaining in Ohio who can 



658 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

look back upon the unique vicissitudes of emigration to California in the days 
following the discovery of gold there, as' the gentleman whose name is above 
is able to do. 

Andrew Planck, who is one of the most prominent farmers of Franklin 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, was born in Hopewell township. Perry 
county, Ohio, August ii, 1828, a son of Adam and Mary (Horn) Planck. 
Adam Planck was born and passed his younger days in Maryland and came 
with his parents to Ohio, about 1819, and settled with them in Hopewell 
township, and remained there till 1846, when he removed to Franklin county, 
and there his father died at the age of seventy-three, and his mother at the 
age of seventy-four. His parents were both of German descent and could 
speak the German language. They had nine children, of whom eight grew 
to manhood and womanhood and of whom the subject of this sketch was' the 
fourth in order of birth and the second son, and is the only one living in 
Franklin county, Ohio. Three of his sisters live in Perry county, Ohio, one 
of his brothers living in Missouri and two others live at Burlington, Iowa. 

Mr. Planck spent his boyhood in Perry county, Ohio, and there attended 
school in a log school house in the woods a mile and three-quarters from 
his father's house. He came to Franklin county with his father's, family 
and was a member of his father's household until 1852, when, attracted by the 
discovery of gold there, he went to California, going from his home to Cin- 
cinnati and thence to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he and his party bought 
ponies and packed their belongings on them and started on a long and perilous 
journey across the plains. Graves were seen on either side of the road all 
the way through. They were the first emigrants who went in the spring 
of 1852, by way of Fort Kearney, and they remained there for a time, and 
receiving accessions to their company went on by way of Fort Laramie and 
the Carson valley, arriving at Placerville July 4, 1852. The latter part of 
the journey was arduous for the reason that they disposed of their ponies and 
such supplies as they could not themselves carry, at Carson valley, and traveled 
on foot from that point. They were seventy-five days en route from St. 
Joseph, Missouri, to Placerville, California, where Mr. Planck remained until 
September, 1854, when he set out to return by water to New York, going 
by way of Graytown and Norfolk, and stopping at the latter place for pro- 
visions', landing- in New York twenty-two days after leaving San Francisco. 
]\Ir. Planck has stated that his sojourn in California was more fruitful in 
experience than in money, but he has never regretted it. 

In 1856 Mr. Planck went to Nebraska and pre-empted one hundred and 
sixty acres of land about three miles north of Blair, Washington county, 
upon which he erected a house for temporary occupancy. After remaining 
there for four years he went to Denver, Colorado, where he engaged in min- 
ing. He was for a time at Gregory's Diggings and was' afterward at South 
Park. From there he went to Denver and thence to Omaha. Denver then 
consisted of a few log houses and Mr. Planck, who had worked as a carpenter 
in Nebraska and who would have been very likely to have noticed such a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 659 

thing and remember it, states that he saw the first shingle roof put on a 
building in that now flourishing- city. It was put on with wooden pegs'. 
Omaha had but one istreet and was otherwise primitive. From Nebraska he 
crossed over into Iowa and assisted in building a bridge two hundred and 
forty feet long across the Little Sioux river at Little Sioux City, where he 
was placed in charge of the men and held responsible for the proper con- 
struction of the bridge. Returning to Franklin county, Ohio, he married, 
in i860, Lucy A. Schrum, a native of Columbus' and a daughter of Joseph 
Schrum, an early settler there, who married Chloe Breckenridge, a member 
of a prominent Franklin county family. Immediately after his marriage 
Mr. Planck settled on his farm in Franklin township, where he has since 
made his home. The farm then contained one hundred acres. The place 
i;ow consists of three hundred acres and has many improvements, most of 
which have been made by him. He has given his' attention to general farm- 
ing c'r-d has achieved a notable success. Mr. Planck, who is a stanch Repub- 
lican, has been treasurer of his township and was for many years a member 
of the local school board. His public spirit has led him to identify himself 
with every movement tending to benefit his town and county. 

Andrew and Lucy A. (Schrum) Planck have had eleven children, namely : 
Eliza O., who married Samuel Newner, of Piqua county, Ohio; William E., 
who married Augusta Stafford, and is a native of Nebraska; Thaddeus L., 
w^ho married Eva Wilson, of Franklin township ; Grant, who married Frances 
Derrer, of near Columbus', Ohio ; Emma, who married William Baker, of 
Franklin township; Oliver, who married Susie Warlie, of Franklin township; 
Charles and Laura, who are members of their parents' household; Martha, 
who married Lawrence Barbee ; and Albert and Clara, also members of their 
parents' household. The family is a highly respected one, and its several 
members' are safe in the good opinion of all who know them. 

JOHN J. EAKIN. 

One of the prominent business men of Franklin township. Franklin 
county, Ohio, wdio is the proprietor of the Midland dairy, is John J. Eakin, 
the subject of this :sketch. He was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, 
December 11, 1834, and w^as a son of William and Isabella (Kelly) Eakin, 
natives of Pennsylvania, of Irish descent. They engaged in farming in their 
Pennsylvania home and died there at about the age of eighty-seven years. 
They were parents' of eight children and our subject is the oldest chil 1 of 
the family. 

Mr. Eakin was reared on the farm, but early manifested a desire for an 
education superior to that of the district school. He was accordingly sent 
to school in Pittsburg, and later finished a course in the Pittsburg Commercial 
College and then he engaged in teaching. For three terms he rema'ned in 
his native state, but then came to Ohio and located in Franklin county, in 1858. 
Here he began to teach again and so well did he please the patrons that his 



'66o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

services were required in the same school for six years. In the meantime 
he had been purchasing land and after eight years of the life of the teacher 
he began farming. In 1888 he made his first trial as a dairyman, naming his 
place of business the Midland dairy, and so generous' has been his patronage 
that he now supplies a great portion of the city with milk and cream. 

Mr. Eakin was married, October 13, 1864, to Miss Ellen Chambers, a 
native daughter of Franklin county. Her parents are William and Elizabeth 
Chambers, who were early settlers in the township. Mrs. Eakin is the oldest in 
a family of seven children. She was reared in Franklin township, receiving her 
education in the city of Columbus and at Westerville, Ohio. Like her hus- 
band she engaged in teaching school for some years and is a lady of intelli- 
gence. Mr. and Mrs'. Eakin are the parents of five children : William, who 
married Elizabeth Thomas, has three children, — Ray, Evart and Esther; 
Marion, the w'ife of \\\ R. Hamilton, has two children, — Glenn and Lee ; 
Edwin D., who married Alma Watts and has one child; Bessie; and Dr. 
Stanley W., a dentist in Zanesville, Ohio. 

In his political faith Mr. Eakins is a Republican, and has been called upon 
to accept many of the local offices. He has been township trustee and clerk, 
always taking an active part in public affairs, possessing a large amount of 
civic pride. The family are consistent and valued members of the Methodist 
church, wdiere Mr. Eakin is steward and trustee. He has taken much interest 
in all things pertaining to the good of the church. The early life of our 
subject was often one of difficulty on account of limited means, but he has 
accumulated a competence, and lives in comfort upon a fine farm of eighty- 
seven acres of well cultivated land. His handsome brick residence was erected 
in 1887. Honesty, energy and perseverance have been with him the levers 
of success. 

CHARLES J. LEAP. 

Charles Jackson Leap follows farming in Norwich township, Franklin 
county. He is of English lineage. His great-grandfather, Gabriel Leap, 
was an English soldier, but not relishing military life he deserted, shot a 
guard and took passage on a boat bound for free America. His name was 
originally Lowden, but to escape detection he changed it to Leap. On reach- 
ing the new world he took up his abode at Mill Creek, Virginia, where he 
died. His son, Thomas Leap, the grandfather of our subject, was born at 
Mill Creek, whence he removed to Ohio, where he met and married Katie 
Harvey, a native of this state. They returned to the Old Dominion, and the 
grandfather served as sheriff of his county for twenty-one years. He w'as 
a very prominent and influential citizen and took an active part in religious 
work as well as' political affairs. An eloquent and convincing speaker, he 
many times filled the pulpit of the Christian church, in which he held' mem- 
bership. He afterward removed to Carroll county, Kentucky, where he 
owned and operated a farm, but he now lives in the city of Carrollton, at 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 65i, 

the very advanced age of ninety-two years. There he served as jail warden, 
for some time. His wife died in 1898, at the age of eighty-six years. 

Gabriel Leap, the father of our subject, was born in Carroll county,. 
Kentucky, reared upon his father's farm, and acquired a common-school edu- 
cation. In Franklin county, Ohio, he married Susan Wooley, a sister of 
S. J. Wooley, of Columbus, on whose farm in Brown township they located, 
building a log house on the western portion of the farm. There they lived 
for several years, and then returned to Carroll county, Kentucky, where Mr. 
Leap died in September, 1865, at the age of thirty-five years. His widow 
afterward became the wife of Guy Van Horn, with whom she removed to 
Van Wert county, Ohio, where she died in 1874. By her first marriage she- 
has three children : Elizabeth, who died at the age of eighteen years ; San- 
ford T., of Brown township, this county; and Charles. The children of the 
second marriage were Alice, Isaac and Fanny. 

Charles Jackson Leap was born December 12, 1865, on the farm in Brown- 
township owned by his uncle, S. J. Wooley. His father died three months 
before his birth. He spent the first nine years of his life in his native town- 
ship and attended the Helser school. He then accompanied his mother and 
stepfather to Van Wert county, where he remained until fifteen years of age, 
but his mother died and he was not kindly treated by his stepfather. He- 
had few school privileges and owing to unkindness he ran away from home. 
One morning he arose to build the fire and on being severely scolded by his 
stepfather he went out of the house and ran away, going to the home of 
Peter Menser. He there agreed to remain until he was twenty-one years 
of age, but his uncle, Joseph Leap, of Jackson county, West Virginia, came 
to Ohio to take the children back with him to his home, though his sister had 
died and his brother had married. Our subject, however, accompanied him- 
to West Virginia, living with him for eighteen months, during which time 
he aided him in cutting stays and sawing logs. He then went to his grand- 
father in Carroll county, Kentucky, where for eighteen months he worked on 
the farm raising tobacco. On the expiration of that period he joined his 
brother in Van Wert county, Ohio, continuing with him for two years, after 
which he worked for his uncle, S. J. Wooley, in Brown township, Franklin 
county, until 1888. 

On the 4th of July, of that year, Mr. Leap was united in marriagfe to 
Miss Marilla Grace, of Norwich, daughter of F. L. Grace, marshal of Hilliard. 
Their union has been blessed with two children : Frank Cecil Jack -on, born 
October 11, 1890; and Ferd McKinley, born May 8, 1896. Aft;r his mar- 
riage Mr. Leap rented the Jacob Hart farm for a short time and then removed 
to Brown township, where he rented the David Hamilton farm for two years, 
subsequently spending two years on the William Jones farm. His next homC' 
was in Jackson township, where he operated the S. J. Wooley farm for nearly 
five years and then purchased sixty acres of land in Norwich townsbin. t'^ 
which he has since added twenty acres. He carries on general farming and 
stock raising and deserves great credit for the success he has achieved, for- 



662 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

since an early age he has depended entirely upon his own efforts. At the age 
of eighteen years' he joined the Christian Union church in Kentucky and at 
the age of twenty-three joined the Methodist Episcopal church in Hilliard. 
In his political views he is a stanch Republican, but the honors and emoluments 
of public cfihce have had no attraction for him, as he prefers to devote his 
attention to his business affairs, in which he is now meeting with creditable 
and well deserved success. 

JAMES J. TILTON. 

James J. Tilton, who is now living a retired life at his home at No. 
608 East Third avenue, Milo, Ohio, was born in Newberry, Essex county, 
Massachusetts, August 13. 1830. His father, Josiah Tilton, was a native of 
Massachusetts, became a blacksmith by trade, and also followed the occupation 
of farming. He died November 17, 1830, when only thirty-eight years of age, 
while his wife, Mrs. Mary Tilton, passed away in November, 1867, at the 
age of sixty-four years. 

James J. Tilton was their only son. He acquired his education in the 
public schools and left home when in his' twenty-second year, going to Can- 
ton, Ohio, where he became connected with railroad service by building the 
first depot platform at that place for the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Rail- 
road. That was in the year 1852. He afterward worked at grading on that 
road for two years, and in 1854 he began running on a construction train 
for the company west of Crestline, Ohio. In 1856, however, he left the 
employ of that road and began work on the Wabash road. He has at various 
times been employed by different railroad companies on construction- trains 
in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan. In 1861 he 
entered the service of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad Com- 
pany and took up his abode in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1869 he was yard- 
master for the road at Logansport, Indiana, and the following year he went 
to Kentucky. Later he was in West Virginia, Indiana and Michigan, being 
employed in those states until 1889, when he returned to Kentucky, where 
he remained until he retired from the railway service in 1896. He is now liv- 
ing retired at his home in Milo, enjoying the benefits of a well spent life, the 
competence which he has acquired supplying him with all life's necessaries and 
many of its luxuries. 

Mr. Tilton was married, November 28, 1861, in Columbus, Ohio, to 
Miss Olive Foss, a native of Massachusetts, who in 1853 came to the west 
with her parents, locating in Crestline, Ohio. Her father, J. B. Foss', was 
master mechanic for the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railroad Com- 
pany in 1853, and in i860 he removed to Columbus, where he held a similar 
position until his retirement from business cares'. He died in the capital city 
in 1893, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife passed away in 1859. 
They had three daughters:' Mrs. Tilton; Mrs. Martha F. Wolf, wife of 
John P. Wolf, a cabinetmaker of Columbus; and Josephine, wife of Charles 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 663 

Karsh, a dealer in coal and lime in Columbus'. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. 
Tilton has been blessed with two children: Mary, who was born January 
I, 1865, and died in June of the same year; and Edith F., who was born in 
1869 and was married, in October, 1889, to W. M. Williams, a carriage- 
maker of Columbus. Their children are: Edith F., born July 16, 1890; 
and Alice, born in 1899. Mrs. Tilton is a member of Dr. Rextord's church 
in Columbus. For forty-seA^en years the subject of this review has been con- 
nected with the Masonic fraternity, having been initiated into the mysteries 
cf the order in a lodge at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in 1853. He has since 
been loyal to its principles, exemplifying in his life the teachings concerning 
mutual helpfulness, charity and kindliness. In politics he has been a lifelong 
Democrat. 

HENRY a: goad. 

Henry A. Goad, who resides at No. 106 West King avenue, Columbus, 
is of EJnglish lineage and birth. He was born in Cornw^all, England, in 
1 84 1, arid his parents always remained in that country. His mother is still 
living, at the very advanced age of ninety-one years. JNIr. Goad received a 
professional education and was graduated' in the Royal Agricultural Col- 
lege, at Cirencester, England, on the 5th of October, 1872. The following 
year he crossed the Atlantic to the new World, believing that he would have 
better business opportunities in this country, and took up his abode in Colum- 
bus. Here he engaged in the practice of veterinary surgery and was also 
connected with the dairy business for a number of years, but for the past 
tw^o years he has been unable to engage in active business affairs on account 
of ill health. 

In 1893 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Goad and Miss Lucy Jane 
Waterman, a daughter of Joseph and Fanny Waterman. They resided at 
the old Waterman homestead on Shepherd street until July, 1900, when they 
sold that and moved to the property Mr. Goad had purchased. Mrs. Goad 
can relate many interesting incidents of the early days in Franklin county, 
having a vivid recollection of the pioneers of Franklinton. She engaged in 
teaching 'school on the west side of the city and for several years was an 
active worker in the Trinity Episcopal mission. Both Mr. and Mrs. Goad 
have a large circle of friends in Columbus and enjoy their warm regard. 
Through a long period he was an active, honored and valued factor in busi- 
ness circles, bearing an unassailable reputation, and to-day he enjoys the 
unqualified confidence and respect of his fellow men. 

RUSSEL B. DEMOREST. 

The subject of the present sketch was born in Franklin township, Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, February 9, 1835. and died, October 19, 1896, lamented by 
a devoted family and a circle of friends. He was a son of Isaac Demorest, 



664 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

who had renioved to FrankHn township early in Hfe. His death occurred 
when our subject was but ten years of age, after which event the family re- 
moved to Illinois, but later returned to Franklin county, Ohio. Here Mr. 
Demorest attended school, his education, however, being interrupted by the 
necessity which required him to assist in the support of his mother and four 
sisters. He fulfilled this duty, caring for his sisters until they married and 
obtained homes for themselves. 

Mr. Demorest was married September 25, 1867, to Miss Harriet N. 
Buckbee, who was born in Delaware county, Ohio, August 25, 1848, a daugh- 
ter of Theodore and Martha (Sackrider) Buckbee, natives of New York. 
Immediately after his marriage Mr. Demorest located upon the farm. He 
successfully engaged in general farming, and now the land is well cultivated. 
At the time of his death, Mr. Demorest was possessed of this tract of one 
hundred and eighty acres, the accumulation of a life of industry. 

The family of Mr. and Mrs. Demorest consists of four children, — Law- 
rence W., who died at the age of thirty years; Frank B., who is at hom.e ; 
Herbert R. ; and Mattie, who died at the age of fifteen years. 

In politics Mr. Demorest was a Republican and ever upheld the prin- 
ciples of the party. 

JOHN SHORT. 

The biographical sketch which follows will be found somewhat out of 
the ordinary. A history of the successful career of John Short, a born busi- 
ness man, alone would be interesting from any point of view. To that must 
be added some account of the lives and achievements of his three soiis, each 
of whom became conspicuous in his chiosen field, and one of whom died just 
as his success was bringing brilliant promise for the future. That these 
sons inherited their great natural ability in no small measure from their aide 
and successful father no student of heredity can doubt. 

John Short was' born in Cornwall, England, April 26, 1826, a son of 
John and Jane (Glassen) Short, and came with his parents to Knox county, 
Ohio, in 1838, when he was twelve years old. The elder Short had pros- 
leered in his native land and brought with him sufiicient means to give him 
rank as a capitalist. He located on a farm near Millwood, Knox county, 
Ohio, and lived there, active as a farmer and as a business man, until his 
death, which occurred about 1855. He was a lover of liberty and an advo- 
cate of public education and national progress, and allied himself with those 
who later organized the Republican party, of which he was a devoted mem- 
ber from its inception until his death. 

The subject of this sketch had an innate desire for education and strong 
inclination for a business career. His' father sympathized with him in his 
desire_ for knowledge and permitted him to enter the preparatory school at 
Gambler, Ohio, but wanted him to isettle down as a farmer on the" homestead 
and strongly opposed him in his ambition to become a man of affairs. Results 




JOHN SHORT. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 665 

prove that what is born in a boy will surely come out. Young Short went 
to Gambier and entered school, but he also secured an interest in a dry- 
gioods store and assisted in its management and participated in its profits 
while pursuing his studies. In 1848 he located in Granville, Licking county, 
Ohio, with a stock of goods, but soon sold out and went to Galena, Delaware 
county, Ohio, where he merchandised successfully until, in 185 1, having sold 
his store in Galena, he was induced to go to Columbus to look after the inter- 
ests of David Hayden, a wholesale grocery merchant, whose store w'as in the 
Buckeye block, during Mr. Hayden's absence in Maine, to visit his old home. 
On account of an epidemic of cholera, Mr. Hayden did not return until irt 
the fall and Mr. Short was consequently at the head of his business for some 
months. While thus employed he was appointed secretary of the Ohio Tool 
Company, the oldest machinery concern in the city and for a year after Mr. 
Hayden's return he gave his energies entirely to that business. He gave 
up the position to accept the agency for Peter Hayden's rolling mill at a 
larger salary. About twelve months later he was the successful one of about 
seventeen applicants for the position of paymaster and purchasing agent of 
the Columbus shops of the Little Miami, Columbus and Xenia Railway, then 
employing about five hundred men. For fourteen years he retained his con- 
nection with this road, a part of the time as paymaster for the entire system, 
and had charge of its' shops at Columbus, Dayton, Xenia, Springfield and 
Richmond. When he resigned one hundred and nine officials and employes 
of the road, representing the whole body of men with w^hom he had had to do, 
either as superiors or subordinates, during his' official connection with the 
company, waited upon him at his home at the corner of High street and Fifth 
avenue, and presented him with silver plate valued at six hundred and fifty 
dollars specially imported from London by William Savage. 

Mr. Short now bought the Franklin Machine Works, of Columbus, 
which after three years' successful operation he sold to a stock company. He 
then bought tw^enty-eight hundred acres of timber land on the Ohio river, near 
Vanceburg. Lewis county, Kentucky, and, going to Cleveland, contracted to 
deliver to the Standard Oil Company one million 'staves for thirty-two thou- 
sand dollars. While filling this contract he put on the market fifty thousand 
feet of poplar lumber for chair bottoms, and a large amount of car lumber 
and a good quantity of wagon stuff which he sold in Chicago, and during 
the same time he opened a freestone quarry on his land and took out and 
sold to the United States government, for the old Chicago postoffice, six 
hundred and seventy-three blocks averaging fifty-one and one-half cubic feet, 
at sixty cents a foot for the first quality and fifty cents a foot for the second 
quality, delivered at Cincinnati, Ohio. He bought a steamboat to transport 
his own freight and carried passengers as well. 

N'ow Mr. Short engaged in a successful real estate speculation at A^ance- 
burg, buying six hundred and fifty acres at different points aronnrl and 
adjacent to the city. He had already had some satisfactory real estate 
experience at Columbus. He remembers well the old wooden depot of forty 



666 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

years ago where he had his first office, and the raih-oad shop just north. A't 
that time and for years after, where the High street viaduct now stands and 
all the country north and west of it was woods and corn-fields, Neil and 
Dennison owned the ground, but about that time platted and sold it in lots 
at from three hundred to three hundred and fifty dollars each. The lots sold 
r?pidly and were soon disposed of. The strip of ground west of the viaduct, 
between High and Park streets, was purchased by the railroad company, now 
the Panhandle road, for ten thousand dollars. From the railroads to the 
market house was the old cemetery, every vestige of which disappeared many 
years ago. Still north of the Capital University, now^ known as the Park 
Hotel, on the east side of High street were corn-fields' owned by William A. 
Neil. This land was platted by the owner and Mr. Short sold the lots to 
railroaders, principally, at from three hundred and fifty to four hundred dol- 
lars a lot. The land north of Russell street, east of High, was owned by 
William A. Gill. The tract was platted into lots and Mr. Short sold them at 
six hundred dollars for corner lots, five hundred and fifty for inside and three 
hundred and seventy-five to four hundred for rear lots. This was about 
1856. Lots as far north as Fourth avenue brought less. The land on the 
west side of High street as far north as First avenue was owned by William 
A. Gill, but was afterward purchased by William B. Hubbard and w^as known 
as the Hubbard estate. North and west of First avenue was what was known 
as the Starr farm, wdiich was sold in four and five-acre tracts, afterwards 
subdivided and sold in small lots. The land between Fourth and Fifth 
avenues on the east side of High 'Street was owned by William G. Deshler 
and was laid out into acre lots and sold by Mr. Short at from five hundred 
to eight hundred dollars each. 

Just north of Fifth avenue on the same side of the street Mr. Short pur- 
chased from William A. Neil a four-acre tract for twenty-five hundred dol- 
lars. Here Mr. Short built a residence and lived for twenty-seven and one- 
half years. Shortly after his purchase, how^ever, he sold one-third of this' 
tract to Charles Shewery for twelve hundred dollars. That was in 1858. 
In 1883, twenty-seven years afterward, he sold his homestead to D. E. Sulli- 
van for twenty-five thousand dollars. Mir. Sullivan erelcted three brick 
houses on the rear lots and was' shortly afterward offered eighty-one thousand 
dollars for the property and later has refused one hundred and forty thousand 
dollars for it. In the rear of the Short homestead was seventy-one acres 
which an old gentleman named John Hyer, who resided in the east, pur- 
chased for fifteen thousand dollars and made a cash payment of three thousand 
dollars, all the m'oney he had. He gave a mortgage to William Armstrong, 
trustee, for twelve thousand dollars. When the note came due the old gentle- 
man asked Mr. Short if he could save his farm, as he was unable to raise 
the money. Mr. Short took hold of the matter and advanced the money out 
of his own pocket to subdivide and improve the tract. He succeeded in sell- 
ing twenty-five acres for twelve thousand dollars, with w^hich he lifted the 
mortgage. He cut the balance into one-acre lots and sold them for enough 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 667 

to pay Mr. Hyer the three thousand which he had invested, and to himself 
aU the money he had advanced in the improvement of the grounds and a 
commission of twenty-five dollars an acre besides. And above all this' he 
turned over to Mr. Hyer eighty-five hundred dollars more in cash. It is' un- 
necessary to say that the eastern gentleman was highly pleased with Mr. Short's 
services. On the west side, between High street and Neil avenue, the land 
was owned by the Dennison heirs and was subdivided and sold in lots. North 
of Sixth avenue on each side of High street the land was owned by the Fisher 
heirs and was subdivided and sold for six hundred to seven hundred dol- 
lars a lot. 

Mr. Short was successful in his real estate deal at Vanceburg, cutting his 
holdings up into lots and selling them advantageously; but his steamboat 
was sunk one night and was a total loss, the only losing deal, however, that 
Mr. Short had in connection with his Kentucky enterprise, and that loss 
resulted from an accident and could not have been foreseen. He clos'ed up all 
his Kentucky interests successfully in twenty-one months, which may be 
taken as a sample of the energy with which, all through life, he has prose- 
cuted every enterprise which he has undertaken. Before this he had, with 
Ed. Eaton, cleared nine hundred and sixty acres' in Delaware county, Ohio, 
taicing off of the land six thousand cords of railroad wood and working day 
and night to carry out his contracts. In 1886 he went to Marietta, Ohio, and 
bought the Marietta Spoke Works of General Warner, a concern which was 
producing five thousand spokes each working day and which he managed from 
then until 1891, when he returned to Columbus, where he has since lived and 
given his attention chiefly to real estate. His home on west Broad street, 
where he has lived since 1891, is one of the most homelike and hospitable in 
the city. For eight years he was a member of the city council, representing the 
old "bloody" ninth ward, and while so serving his fellow townsmen was instru- 
mental in securing a franchise for the first street railway on the north side, 
from the viaduct up High street. North High street was then known as 
the Worthington plank road. Every time a rain fell the planks floated upon 
the water and it was impossible to drive over it without being covered with 
mud. At that time there were no buyers for north High street property at 
thirty dollars a front foot; now it is worth four hundred and five hundred 
dollars. In 1871 Mr. Short anl E. L. Hinman were members of the council 
from the old "bloody" ninth ward and were instrumental in introducing an 
ordinance for the improvement of north High street by asphalting. Prop- 
erty owners' along the street made a great fight, as they believed it would take 
all the property was worth to improve the street. Mr. Hinman desired the 
street preserved as a fine driveway, while Mr. Short wanted the street rail- 
way extended north and introduced an ordinance in council to that effect. 
This so enraged the north side residents that'those who had elected Mr. Short 
called upon him in a body to demand his resignation as a member of the 
council. He told them that he would resign after he had secured the street 
railway, and not before. A street railway company was then organized with 



668 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

John R. Hughes, John H. Winterbottom, John Smith, John Evans and Mr. 
Short as principal stockholders. A twenty-five-year franchise was secured 
by the aid of the south end German councilmen and the road was built from 
the tunnel to north Columbus. The rolling stock consisted of one car and a 
horse supplied the motive power; one man constituted the entire running 
force and cost the company one dollar and a half a day. The road did not 
pay, but the old down-town company was forced to buy it by the new C(jm- 
pany putting on a chariot from the court house to the tunnel, making the 
entire trip from the court house to north Columbus for five cents. These 
improvements doubled the value of north High street property and caused the 
first big real estate boom the north side had known. At this same time Mr. 
Short introduced an ordinance in the council for the widening of north High 
street to the same width south of the tunnel, but there was such great opposi- 
tion that the matter was dropped. There were only two small houses to be 
moved, and had the street been widened at that time, it could have been done 
at comparatively 'small expense and would to-day have been worth over two 
million dollars' to the city. 

May I, 1848, Mr. Short married Elizabeth L. Co wen, who was born in 
London, England, opposite Hyde Park, and came to America when about 
eighteen years of age. She received a good education in England and was 
a woman of great force of character and strong convictions and impressed all 
with her forceful, masterful disposition. Her sons never thought of disobey- 
ing her. She aided many young men in getting an education, her great idea 
being education for her own family and also for others as far as her means 
and influence extended. Her father, Robert Cowen, was of Scotch-Irish 
ancestry and in his day did a large stock business at Dublin, Ireland. Mrs. 
Short, who was a model wife and mother and an active Methodist, was highly 
esteemed in society. She died at Columbus, in 1896, aged seventy-two years. 
She bore Mr. Short four sons and two daughters. The daughters and one 
son died when young. 

Professor John T. Short, Mr. Short's eldest son, was born at Galena, 
Ohio, May i, 1850. At eleven he entered the preparatory department of the 
Capital University, at Columbus, and at fourteen he entered the freshman 
class of the same institution. At the end of the second year he entered the 
Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, to prepare for the ministry of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. He was graduated at seventeen and in 1869 
entered Drew Theological Seminary at Madison, New Jersey, where he was 
graduated in 1871, having completed the three years' course in two years. 
Before he was twenty-one years' old he had published "The Last Gladiatorial 
Show," an account of Roman life and manners. He took notes of the lectures 
of Dr. McClintock which formed the basis of the "Encyclopaedia and Myth- 
ology of Theological Science," and so well did he do this work that after 
President McCHntock's death, at the request of his executors. Professor Short 
published them in a book of two hundred pages which was immediately upon 
appearance prescribed by the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal church for 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 



669 



perusal by young mniisters. In 1872 he l>ecame pastor of Davidson Chapel of 
his donomination at Dayton, Ohio, and later for three years preached m C n- 
cinnati. His health failed gradually under stress of this work and he spent a 
year at Leipsic, Germany. Soon after his return to. America he published 
'The North Americans of Antiquity," an archeological work on which hr. 
reputation might safely rest had he done no other work for humanity, in 
reLgnition of that great literary and scientific achievement the degree o 
Doctor of Philosophy was conferred upon him by the College of Hi.tory of 
Leipsic, and he was elcted corresponding delegate for Ohio to f^- - ^^^^ l^ 
Ethnographique, Paris, France. Hon. George Bancroft placed the first ^ol- 
ume of hTs History of the United States in Professor Short's hands for cnti- 
ciTm and revision Delaware College called Professor Short to its faculty 
anTprofessor of English language and literature, and in 1879 he was m^de a 
mender of he faculty of the Ohfo State University at Columbus, as professor 
member o the faculty of the Ohio State University at Columbus, as professor 
??hort was a member of the American Antiquarian Society of the Societe 
Ethno-raphique, Paris, France, and of the American Historical Society. 
He wal chosen o write the history of Ohio for the Encyclopaedia Britannica 
fnd ; nt 3. time and labor oi^ "A Sl.ort History of the United Stat^ 
similar in plan and scope to "Green's History of the English People, but 
did not ivi to complete it. Professor J. T. Short wrote many articles or 
reading magazines and "Ohio," a sketch of industrial --^ P-|-f '^^^f^ 
"Historical Reference List" for classes m history, adopted by Yale, Cornell 
and Ha vard He died November 11, 1883, in his thirty-fourth year, haying 
Hved a life pure and lofty, devoted to work for God and man which will bear 
fruk to the^end of time."^ He married Miss Ella Critchfield daughter o the 
late Hon L. T. Critchfield, for forty-five years a prominent lawyer ot Colum- 
bus who worked with him in all his literary labors. His widow, a son_ and 
two' daughters survive him. His -son, John Bancroft Short, is now acquiring 
an education. His daughter Florence married Pro essor Bohannan, of the 
Ohio State University, and his younger daughter, Clara, married H. i . Aic- 
Cleary, secretary of the Columbus, Ohio, Coffee and Spice Factory. 

Sidney Howe Short was born in Columbus, Ohio, October 8, 185 1, and 
was graduated from the Ohio Statd University in his native city m 1884, and 
immediately thereafter was called to the Denver University at Denver, Colo- 
rado of which Bishop David H. Moore, who recently went to a mission field 
in China, was president, and remained there five years as vice-presiden and 
professor of science. During this period he not only took an active mterest 
in educational matters, but was enterprising and prominent otherwise es- 
oecially in the field of electrical development. He discovered a deposit ot 
cement near Denver which proved so valuable that it was adopted by the 
United States government for use in all its hydraulic works m the west, and 
with a son of ex-Governor Evans, of Colorado, as a partner, established a 
cement works at Denver. He also built the first electrical railway in Denver 
and took out many patents on electrical devices. About 1889 he returned to 



670 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Columbus and built a short electrical line to the fair grounds, the first electrical 
road in the city. Then at Huntington, West Virginia, he built a five-mile 
line to Grandot. From there he went to East St. Louis, Illinois, and built 
the East St. Louis electric railway. About that time a company und'er the 
style of the Short Electric Railway System, was organized at Cleveland, Ohio, 
and incorporated with a capital, of one million dollars. This' concern was 
placed under Mr. Short's management and he was allowed a salary of eight 
thousand dollars a year and given a large bonus in cash and stock for the use 
of his system and inventions, one of which was the armature axle now used 
by all electrical companies. Li association with the late Governor Roswell 
P. Flower, of New York, Professor Short bought the Walker Works at 
Cleveland, and Professor Short managed the concern as well as its eastern 
branch at New York, until, in 1888, the enterprise was sold to the Westing- 
house Company. Professor Short has constructed more that fifty electric rail- 
ways in the United States and at New York and Boston has built the largest 
dynamos in the world, one of which is in operation at the Brooklyn bridge. 
He has taken out one hundred and two patents in England. In 1898 he went to 
Great Britain and was given a large bonus to erect, at Preston, England, the 
English Electrical Works, the largest concern of its kind in the world, embrac- 
ing two immense shop buildings each covering a ground space of nine hun- 
dred by one hundred and twenty feet, filled with the best machinery, 
mostly of American manufacture. This great plant, which is revolutioniz- 
ing electrical business in Europe, was fully described and illustrated in the 
London Engineer of June 22, 1900. By his inventive genius, his thorough 
knowledge of electrical construction and great business capacity, inherited from 
his father. Professor Short has not only accumulated a large fortune, but has' 
placed himself at the head of electrical construction, now one of the world's 
most important interests. He married Miss Francis H. Morrison, of Colum- 
bus, a graduate and valedictorian of the Ohio State University, a fine scholar 
and chemist, who for a year before her marriage was a teacher in the Uni- 
versity of Cincinnati. Mrs. Short has given much attention to electro-chemical 
experiments and has rendered no small service to her husband in the develop- 
ment of his ideas. They have three sons and a daughter, named Henry Mor- 
rison, Sidney Albert, Frank and Jennette.' Professor S. H. Short now has 
an office at 112 Cannon street, London, England. 

_ Mr. Short's third son is Major Walter Cowen Short, of the Thirty-fifth 
United States Infantry, now stationed at San Gucld, sixty-five miles from 
Manila, and acting as governor at that point. Major Short was born at 
Columbus, Ohio, April 2, 1870, and after acquiring a primary education in the 
public schools, was for a year a student at Marietta College at Marietta, Ohio. 
From childhood he manifested a marked interest in military matters and it is 
not strange that at Marietta he should have become a member of the Third 
Battalion, Ohio National Guard, or that on returning to Columbus he should 
have been attached to the staff of General Axline, under Governor Foraker. 
Two years later he was transferred to the governor's staff and given the rank 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 671 

of rolonel He was entrusted with the responsibiUty of arranging for the 

Ttothard Lake Michigan, and immediately after his return home ^vas 
nltS d f hi^fppointmen'-t as professor of mU.tary tactics -d -ord^-^^^^^^ 

t%t''!:iroters"eltrwStortJroU^^^^^^^^^^ 

com, fnded tl™excellence of Professor Short's drill and d.scplme and when, 
sZ" V aftervvard a vacancy as second lieutenant occurred in the S.xth Reg - 
r^^en United Staes Cavalry, stationed at Niobrara, Nebraska he was, on the 
rommendation of Colonef'Heyl, inspector gene.-al °f '^e epar men, wo 
had seen his work at Orchard Lake, appomted to the P'^^' 'l^™^^ '^"' '^J^, 
eighteen hundred applicants for it and he was not one °f /hem. He saw some 
active service, however, before he pmed that command After havmg sue 
S fulH pa d a six d^ys' examination at Washh,gton, he w_as fven a leave 
of Xsence for thirty days. At its expiration he reported at Fort Sam Hous- 
ton San Antonio Texas. The officers were busy with a court martial and he 
was liven charge of the drill work of the post. Within a week the Garcia 
rouble broke oS on the Rio Grande and he was ordered to duty there with 
wo"'™o und^r Command of a captain. Within a f-^night he was gtven 

^:bta-:Tw.p,a^^^^^^ 

■an'dlt^tenan S'h'ort s™ld on the staff of Colonel Gordon^ ^he regiment 

ana i^ieuLciidUL Mpvpr near Washino-ton, and when Colonel Lror- 

r appointed Ssistant adjutant general and his appointment was coi^firmd 

onrfl h wound in the arm'and another wound m 'he wrist he pre .edfor^ 
ward over the breastwork and then fell. A picture m the London IHutrated 
News of August 20 1S98, shows Lieutenant Short being carried off the field 
by comradeT who did not believe he would recover. He was sent to Key 



672 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

West, Florida, but in ten days he was well enough to :;teal away from the 
hospital and rejoin his command at Santiago, Cuba. His three wounds healed 
up nicely. He was not sick a day, and when the regiment reached New 
York he was about the only officer who was in good health. He attributes 
his rapid and almost phenomenal recovery to the fact that, while he is a lover 
of a good cigar, he never drinks intoxicating liquors, and it may be added that 
he is an abstainer from coffee also. He w-as' promoted to be first lieutenant 
and a little later was brevetted major for bravery at San Juan. He was sent 
to Fort Reilly, Kansas, thence back to San Antonio. Texas, and thence to 
Santiago, Cuba. In command of one hundred men of the Tenth Cavalry, he 
went a hundred miles up the Cuban coast and was soon ordered to take his 
troop fifty miles inland to the interior at Beymer. He was' appointed governor 
of that district and captured and drove out the gangs of robbers who had 
long infested it, hanging and otherwise killing thirty-seven of them, cleaned up 
the capital city, established schools for four hundred and fifty children, put up 
telegraph lines and otherwise improved the road to the coast. He believes 
Cuba a country of the greatest promise and predicts for it a wonderful future, 
now that it has been emancipated from Spanish tyranny and robbery. After 
the successful performance of thi's; service be was ordered to Vancouver Bar- 
racks, in Washington, as major of the Thirty-fifth United States Volunteer 
Infantry. He took over to Manila, in three ships, twenty-one hundred men, 
thirteen hundred and twenty-five men and officers formedi the Thirty-fifth 
Regiment and the remainder were assigned to other regiments to fill vacancies. 
He has been in several engagements in the Philippines and has acquitted him- 
self gallantly and been fully equal to all responsibilities that have devolved upon 
him. One of the most expert swordsmen in the army, he has met and van- 
quished all the professional saber fighters' who have appeared in the United 
States in his time, including the famous Captain Duncan Ross, and in every 
combat he has faced his opponent without a mask, and has never yet faced 
one who would meet him with face likewise unprotected. He has a national 
reputation also as a rough rider and polo player. 

Mr. John Short is' now in his seventy-fifth year and is so well preserved 
that he does not appear to be more than 'sixty. He has recently returned from 
a visit to his son in England and is hoping for his younger son's early return 
from the Philippines. He takes a lively interest in all public affairs and gives 
all necessary attention to his important business interests and is held high in 
the esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. 

WILLIAM B. McCORMICK. 

William B. McCormick belongs to a family that may be said to be dis- 
tinctly American, both in its lineal and collateral branches, for, through many 
generations, his ancestry have been residents of the new world. The first 
of the name in America was George McCormick, who served as an officer in 
the British army many years prior to the war of the Revolution. He was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 673 

of Scotch ancestry, but was a native of, the north <.f Ireland. "^^^^S^^ 
h s commission, he located in northern Virginia, and when the financial stand- 
it of the country was at low ebb he loaned money to the contmenta con- 
gress but when fire destroyed the capitol at Washington, m 1812 evidences 
of the loan were lost and the family were, therefore, never reimbursed. 

Hi^s son George McCormick (2d), was the great-grandfather of our 
subiect He' was born in the Old Dominion and served m the continental 
line in "the war for independence, holding the rank of major. His native 
state at an early period of the Revolutionary war, raised two descriptions 
of tmops, state and continental, to each of which bounties m lands were 
oromised The lands within the limits oi the charter of Virginia, situated 
to the northwest of the Ohio river, were withdrawn from appropriation on 
treasury warrants, and the lands on the Cumberland river and between the 
Green and the Tennessee rivers, on the southasterly side of the Ohio were 
appropriated for these military bounties. Upon the recommendation of con- 
o-ress Virginia ceded her lands north of the Ohio upon conditions, one ot 
which was that in case the lands south of the Ohio should be insufficient for 
the legal bounties to her troops the deficiency should be made up from lands 
north of the Ohio, between the rivers Scioto and Little Miami. Major McCor- 
mick was entitled, under these laws, to about four thousand acres, which he 
located and for which he procured patents, in Fayette and Madison coun- 
ties, Ohio, but after paying taxes' on the lands for several years they were 
forfeited and never redeemed. , , . ^ -r , j .^ 

He was twice married. After the death of his first wife he removed to 
Kentucky residing for some time on Bear Grass river. His death occurred, 
according to the federal records, at Harrodsburg, fiercer county, Kentucky, 

'''' "^MaToTM^Corrnkk's son, George McCormick (3CI), was the grandfather 
of our subject. He was born in 1769 near Battletown, Clarke county, Vir- 
ginia of his father's' first marriage. After the father's second marriage 
George McCormick. the third, went to live with an uncle named Burns, who 
resided on a farm on the Bear Grass. He was then apprentice! to the car- 
penter's trade, and subsequently served as a soldier under General bt Clair. 
Afterward, about 1802. he went to Washington, D. C, where he worked at his 
trade on the capitol. He had married, in Kentucky, Miss Anna ^lariah Belt, 
who died at W^ashington. leaving two daughters' and one son. ^ , . 

The distinguished English architect, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, had 
designed, and at this time was constructing, the old house of representatives 
at Washington. McCormick and Latrobe came in contact and became well 
acquainted, and when Governor Worthington. then a senator m congress from 
Ohio engaged Latrobe to design and construct, near Chilhcothe, the mansion 
called Adena the architect selected McCormick to superintend the mechanics 
eno-ae-ed on the wood-work of that building. Accordingly McCormick arrived 
at Chilhcothe in the autumn of 1805, or spring of 1806, with his three 
orphaned children, and set about his work. It was not long after he reached 



6/4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Ross county until he formed the acquaintance of the Armstrong family, 
who had come from the Wyoming valley in Pennsylvania and who had suf- 
fered in the military operations and massacre there during the war for inde- 
pendence, and distinguished themselves in the greater movements in the Revo- 
lutionary war. Miss Fannie Malone Armstrong became McCormick's second 
wife, and they^ continued to reside at Chillicothe until the following year 
after the site called Columbus was decided upon as the future seat o"f state 
government. At Chillicothe two daughters were born to them. 

Having secured the contract to do the carpenter work on the first state- 
house, a brick building, at Columbus, McCormick and his family of five chil- 
dren removed to the embryo capital city in 1813. He acquired the original 
in-lot, sixty-two and one-half by one hundred and eighty-seven and one-half 
feet, at the southeast corner of High and Chapel streets, now occupied by the 
imposing business block known as Nos. 116-118 South High street, on the rear 
end of which he proceeded to erect a log house, which he and his increasing 
family occupied until they removed, some years afterward, to their small farm 
on the north side of Town street west of Parsons avenue. 

The religious trend of the, McCormicks for generations had been Cal- 
vinistic; but at this period the Methodist Episcopal church was aggressive in 
the propagation of its faith, through the agency of missionaries who were 
the most zealous and able in the ministry in the United States. George 
McCormick, a man of thought and action, had embraced the faith, but at the 
cost of serious estrangement between him and a much esteemed sister who 
lived at Mount Vernon, who was a stanch adherent to Presbyterian teachings 
and who denounced the apostasy. The records show that George McCormick 
and his wife Fannie, her sister Jane, and George B. Harvey, who, in February, 
1 814, married Jane, which wedding was' the first to take place at Columbus, 
formed the first Methodist Episcopal church at Columbus in the fall of 181 3. 
In December of that year, the membership having increased, a board of trus- 
tees, with McCormick as president, was .'selected, and early the following 
year the proprietors of the town site donated and conveyed to George McCor- 
mick, George B. Harvey and others as trustees, the lot on Town street where 
the Public School Library building now stands, for church purposes. In 
July, 181 5, the "meeting-house," a small hewed-log building, was completed, 
at a cost of $I57.53>^ "for material." In September, 1817, George McCor- 
mick and John Cutler were appointed a committee to have the "meeting- 
house chinked, daubed and underpinned, and to appoint a suitable person to 
keep it in order." In 1818 the house was enlarged by Michael Patton, under 
the direction of McCormick, at an expense of three hundred and sixty dollars, 
and from that time on various improvements were made, culminating in the 
commodious brick building which was' finally purchased by the city. The 
church edifice of this congregation is now located on Bryden Road and is known 
as the First Methodist Episcopal church, its members having recently cast 
off the historical title of Town Street IMethodist church. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 675 

In politics Mr. McCormick was a Whig. He was elected treasurer of 
Franklin county on that ticket in 1833 and served two years. 

He left the impress of his individuality upon many public movements 
and measures which contributed to the general welfare, and his wife, a 
woman of refinement and character, performed her whole duty to her family 
and community. He died at Columbus on March 21, 1854, aged eighty-one 
years and six months'. His remains were buried in the North graveyard 
alongside his wife Fannie, who had passed away on Christmas day, 1843, ^it 
the age of fifty-eight years. _When the burying-ground was abandoned a 
few years ago the remains of the pioneer couple were removed to Greenlawn, 
where they now rest, marked by the original stone. 

By his first wife his children were: Mary, who married Hosea High 
and died at Columbus in 1891, aged ninety-three years and three months; 
Clarissa, who became Mrs. Turner and died at Zanesville, Ohio: and Middle- 
ton, who married Miss Fox, of Clark county, this state, and died there. By 
his second wife they were : Eliza, wife of Francis Asbury Crum, died at 
Columbus ; Nancy, wife of William Grant, died at Springfield, Ohio ; Francis. 
A., father of our subject; William McKendry, married Margaret Martin, 
died at Columbus ; George, married Sarah Barrett, died at Columbus ; Martin, 
unmarried, died at Columbus ; Jane, wife of David Ball, died at Columbus ; 
Fannie, wife of Benjamin Kelley, died in Iowa. 

Francis Asbury McCormick, the father of the subject of this sketch 
and first son of George McCormick and Fannie Malone Armstrong McCor- 
mick, was born January 22, 1814, in a log house at the southeast corner of 
South Hig'h and Chapel streets, Columbus. He w^as the first white male child 
born at Columbus. Inspired by the teachings of Bishop Francis Asbury, his 
parents named the boy in honor of that divine. Young iMcCormick's edu- 
cation, like that of all those born in Ohio ninety years ago, was limited, and 
his schooling was confined to what he secured at home and at the subscrip- 
tion school of the village. At a very early age he was apprenticed to his 
maternal uncle, William Armstrong, to learn the tailor's trade, and when 
scarcely more than nineteen years old he set up in that business for himself, 
and in a few years carried on the leading tailoring establishment of the 
town. 

When he had not yet reached his majority he was joined in marriage 
to Miss Elizabeth Harriet Crum, a lady aged seventeen, seventh child of 
C'lristian and Hannah Barr Crum. The wedding occurred on September 
16, 1834, and the ceremony was performed by Rev. Edmond W. Sehon, of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. She was born near Winchester, Virginia, April 
7, 181 7, and died at Columbus', Sunday, March 3, 1895, aged seventy-seven 
years, ten months and twenty-six days. All but one of this generation of the 
Crum family were born in Virginia, all reached mature years and were mar- 
ried at or near Columbus, and all early in life became members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church. 

It was in 1822 that Christian Crum, a native of Frederick countv. A'ir- 



6/6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ginia, who was the son of a Lutheran minister, with his wife and nine chil- 
dren, bade good-bye to their home in the Shenandoah valley and journeyed 
westward. They tarried at Wheeling, Virginia, then at Lancaster, Ohio, 
and lived for a time at Franklinton, but finally located on South High street, 
Cclumbus, on the lot now the site of the Great Southern Hotel. Soon after 
Christian Crum had established his family in their new home he and his wife 
united with the Town Street Methodist Episcopal church, and from that time 
until their death both were consistent members thereof, the father for many 
years officiating as a class-leader. His death occurred October i, 1851, when 
he was aged seventy-one years and eleven months. His wife died July 5, 
1850, aged sixty-five years and eleven months, and both are buried in Green- 
lawn cemetery. 

The children of this couple were: Francis Asbury, the eldest, married 
Eliza McCormick, died at Columbus ; Sarah Ann, wife -of Samuel Thompson, 
after his death married Dr. Thomas Towler, died at Columbus: James died 
unmarried; Robert, married Miss Frank Seney, died at Toledo; Mary C, wife 
of William Searles, buried at Fostoria; Rachel Jane, wife of Joseph Fitz- 
water, died at Columbus; Elizabeth H., mother of the subject of this sketch; 
Martha Linda, wife of Augustus S. Decker, died at Columbus; Mahala Mar- 
garet, wife of George W. Howell, died at Columbus; Henry Delano, mar- 
ried Matilda Seney, died at Tiffin. 

Mr. McCormick continued in business at Columbus for a number of 
years' and then removed to the Yazoo valley, Mississippi, where he carried on 
the tailoring business, but soon returned to Ohio because of his, hatred of the 
institution peculiar to the southern states. About 1838 he removed to Illi- 
nois, then to Iowa City, Iowa, and then again returned to the place of his 
birth, and in 1848 w^as conducting a tailor shop on South High street. The 
Ohio State Journal was located in the building adjoining him. A young 
man named Legg, who spent his leisure hours at McCormick's store, was the 
foreman of the Journal composing room, and when news of the finding of gold 
at Sutter's fort reached, the newspapers in the east McCormick and Legg read 
it all and were fired with ambition to participate in the search for the yellow 
metal. Forthwith they set about to find a way to reach California. Both 
succeeded in being appointed members of a United States surveying partv 
bound for the coast, but before the appointments came they had assisted suc- 
cessfully in the organization, in February, 1849, o^ ^^ association called the 
Franklin California Mining Company, into the treasury of which each member 
paid two hundred dollars. Legg withdrew from the company and accom- 
panied the surveying expedition and died of fever on the isthmus of Panama. 
McCormick, having been elected treasurer of the company, continued with it. 
At this time he had grown to be a man of financial standing in the commu- 
nity, being the owner of various fine pieces of property. He sold all but a 
home. On April 12, 1849, the Franklin Company, with Joseph Hunter, cap- 
tain ; John Coulter, lieutenant ; J. H. Marple. secretary ; Francis A. McCor- 
mick, treasurer, and twentv-five others, left Columbus via the National road 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ^17' 

for Cincinnati bound for the gold fields. Their route was by water to St. 
Joseph, Missouri, then by wagon to the coast. The story of the ocmpany is 
one of disaster and failure, a;s an association, but full of dramatic situations 
and thrilling adventures. 

Mr. McCormick tinally arrived at Sacramento City, after having walked 
the entire distance from St. Joseph. He was without a coat, barefooted, 
and had twelve dollars in silver on his person. On the first day at Sacra- 
mento he fell in w'ith his former friend, Ebenezer Barcus, who had gone 
to the coast with another company, which had started later and reached there 
first. Mr. Barcus', on the occasion of the reunion, was attempting to yoke 
1 pair of cxen, w'ith no success. McCormick, whose experience had been • 
greater, proffered assistance and succeeded, and they immediately entered into 
a limited partnership with the purpose of merchandising at the mines on 
Feather river. They prospered, and subsequently associated J. C. Lunn 
with them. These three men, Messrs. Barcus, McCormick and Lunn, are 
probably the only members of either of the California companies of Colum- 
bus now living. They made money rapidly, and then lost their profits by 
a Sa.n Francisco bank failure; then prospered, and lost by robbery; and so. 
on until McCormick, having had enough of California experience, retj^irned 
to Ohio, in 1852, via the isthmus and the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. 

On his return to Columbus he engaged in the brokerage business, and 
in i860 retired to Prairie township, mainly because of the failure on the part 
of the contractors' for one of the new railroads then being built into Colum- 
bus, Mr. McCormick having heavily endorsed their paper. 

In California Mr. McCormick had walked thirty-five miles in one day to 
the polls in order to vote against admitting the territory as a slave state. 
In Ohio he voted the Republican ticket. During the war he was an inspector 
of clothing for the war department. When Horace Greeley ran for presi- 
dent he voted for him because he believed Greeley to represent Republican- 
principles. Although Prairie township had long been Democratic as two is 
to one, he was elected justice of the peace. Among the many cases disposed 
of by him was one which gave him considerable fame. Two young men, 
whose parents had died, had divided all the inheritance, without a jolt or a 
jar, except a well worn copper kettle. Both claimed the article. The result 
was resort to the law. Justice McCormick patiently listened to the testimony 
and the arguments, and at the close of the trial reflected a few minutes. He 
then said that the costs in the case would be assessed equally against the liti- 
gants, and directed the constable to take the kettle to the village blacksmith 
and have it cut as equally as possible into two parts and give each of the 
brothers one part; that was done. The case was not appealed. 

The spirit of unrest was in McCormick from youth until long after mature 
years. A continuous quiet life at Columbus \vould have made him a mil- 
lionaire. Fortune ever pursued him; he as persistently, seemingly, evaded it,, 
but it never forsook him ! 

'Squire McCormick and his wife lived together for sixty-one years.. 



6/8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

After eighty-eight years of a very active life he continues in full pos'session 
of his mental faculties and is in good bodily health. 

Their marriage was blessed with the following children: Elizabeth, 
who died in infancy; Fannie Frances, who became the wife of J&mes E. 
Sehon and died June 12, 1871, at Columbus; Charles A., who died at Farm- 
ington, Iowa, March 27, 1842; Mary Iowa, who was born at Iowa City, 
Iowa, and is the wife of Westley O'Harra, of Columbus'; William B., who is 
the subject of this review and the next of the family; Eleanor, who married 
D. M. Brelsford, of Columbus, and died in that city; Kate, who married 
Edward H. Clover and died at Alton, Ohio, April 9, 1880; Jane, who died in 
infancy; Jane Delano, who is the wife of George U. Harn, of Columbus; and 
Mahala Margaret, who is the wife of William S. Sheehan, and resides near 
Alton, Ohio. 

From the foregoing it will be seen that William' B. McCormick is a 
representative of one of the oldest families of Franklin county. He was born 
October 10, 1843, i^^ Columbus, on East Gay street, between High and Third 
streets, and resided in Columbus until seventeen years of age, during which 
time he pursued his education in the public schools. He then accompanied 
his parents on their removal to a farm near Alton, Prairie township, Frank- 
lin county. During the Civil war he enlisted as a private at Columbus for 
three months' service on the 27th of May, 1862, under command of Captain 
H. Burdell, of Company H, Eighty-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 
At Camp Chase, on the 23d of September, 1862, Mr. McCormick received 
an honorable discharge and then returned to the home farm, where he remained 
until March 3, 1863, when 'he re-enlisted as a member of the Twenty-second 
Independent Battery of Ohio Light Artillery for three years or during the 
war. When again mustered out at Camp Chase, on the 13th of July, 1865. 
he held the rank of sergeant. He continued with his battery, which was 
attached to the Army of the Cumberland, from start to finish. 

Mr. McCormick was united in marriage, at Columbus, on the 2d of 
September, 1880, to Miss' Louisa D. Koerner, who was born in New York 
city May 10, 1856, and spent the first seven years of her life in New York, 
and then became a resident of Columbus, where she was reared to woman- 
hood. Her father, John George Koerner, was born in the town of Wil- 
helmsdorp, Bavaria, Germany, May 30, 1823, and was a baker by trade. In 
early life he came to the United States and was married, in New York city, 
to Kunigunde Hoffman, who was born in Bavaria, about 1820, and came to 
the new world with her brother Frederick. She died in New York city in 
1859, and after her death Mr. Koerner married Miss Elizabeth Hoover. Dur- 
ing his' life he was a Mason of high standing. He died at Columbus in 
1879, leaving one child, who is the wife of our subject. 

Mr. and Mrs. William B. McCormick have three children, viz. : Fred- 
erick Koerner, born March 20, 1883; Lena Dorretta, born December 2, 1884; 
and Ella Nora, born April 27, 1888. After his marriage Mr. McCormick 
located on a farm in Prairie township. Franklin county. Ohio. He cleared 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 679 

much of it and the place is now well improved and is devoted to general 
farming and stock-raising. He is a member of W. H. Elliott Post, Xo. 420, 
G. A. k., Department of Ohio, Alton, Ohio, of which he was the first com- 
mander, and he belongs to Encampment No. 78, of the Union Veteran Legion, 
of Columbus. In politics he is a Republican. 

JOHN F. HAYNES. 

Among the old and well known railroad men of Columbus, Ohio, none 
is held in higher esteem inside or outside of railway circles than John F. 
Haynes, whose 'residence is at No. 36 East Seventh avenue and who was born 
in Chilicothe, Ohio, September 24, 185 1. 

John Haynes, father of the subject of this sketch, was a prominent cit- 
of Chillicothe, Ohio, where for many years he held the position of freight 
agent. He was married in Trenton, New Jersey, and when comparatively 
young came to Ohio. His ancestors were English and lived in England far 
beyond the point in time to which he was able to trace his genealogy, and his 
father came to this country in early manhood. Mrs. Haynes is descended from 
old families in northern Ireland in the paternal line. Her grandmother in the 
maternal line was a native of Ireland, but her mother was born in the United 
States, Mr. and Mrs. Haynes died at their home in Chillicothe, Ohio, the 
former in 1870, aged forty-seven years, and the latter in 1897, aged seventy- 
six years. They had eight children namely: Hiram L., Priscilla, Raymond 
and William, all deceased; Edward J., train dispatcher at Chillicothe, Ohio, 
Nellie and Anna, both residing in Chillicothe, and John F. 

John F. Haynes was educated in the public schools of Chillicothe, Ohio, 
and was married to Miss Alma Thompson, of that city, August 17, 1871. 
Their eldest daughter, Ira, was married in 1896 to George C. Blankner, 
formerly assistant attorney general of the state of Ohio and one of the most 
prominent young lawyers at the Columbus' bar. Carrie was married, in 
1895, to Logan McCormick, who is engaged successfuly in the portrait busi- 
ness on Broad street, Columbus. Their only child, Howard Haynes McCor- 
mick, was born August 26, 1897. Hattie is at home, and Dora was married 
to Walter Drayer, November 8, 1900. William Haynes, Mr. and Mrs. 
Haynes's youngest child, was born July 17, 1889, and is now in school. The 
family are highly respected by all who know them. 

Mr. Haynes took up his career as a railroad man in 1866, and learned 
the machinist's trade. His first employment as a fireman was in 1822. A 
year and a half later he was promoted to engineer and he has been in con- 
tinuous service in that capacity ever since. For twelve years he was employed 
on the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad, now a part of the Baltimore & Ohio 
system, and for a year after that he was employed on the Cincinnati & Co\- 
umbus Midland Road which was also merged into the Baltimore & Ohio 
lines. Since then he has been in the service of the Norfork & Western 
Railroad Company. 



68o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Haynes has been a passenger engineer for three years. He became- 
a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers at Chillicothe, Ohio, 
in 1875, and for the past five years he has been chief engineer of division 
number seventy-two of that order. Mr. Haynes is a RepubHcan and is a 
citizen of much progressive spirit. Mr. and Mrs. Haynes and members of 
their familv are communicants of the Methodist Episcopal church. 



GEORGE SCOTT. 

Of the members of the facuhy of Otterbein University at \Vester\ille, 
Frankhn county, Ohio, none is more efificient in the work of the class room 
than Prof. George Scott, Ph. D., some account of whose usieful career it will 
be attempted here to give. Prof. Scott was born in New York city May 10, 
1849, a son of John Scott, who was a native of the north of Ireland, and was. 
there reared and married. His wife was Sarah Brown, a native of London- 
derry, who died in Canada, aged about seventy-five years. This worthy 
couple came to America in 1848, and located in New York city. From there 
the family removed to Ontario, Canada, where the father died at about the- 
age of seventy-two years. Early in life Mr. Scott was a Baptist and Mrs. 
Scott was a Methodist, but later they attended the services of the Tinted 
Brethren church, with which their children were identified. 

Prof. Scott remained at home with his parents until hz was about six- 
teen years old and attended school with such good reS'Ults that he was at that 
early age able to take up the work of a teacher. As opportunity offered he 
was a student at the high school and later he was prepared for college at the 
Canadian Literary Listitute, at Woodstock, Ontario. In 1875 he entered 
Alfred University, a Seventh Day Baptist college in Allegany county. New 
York, where he was graduated in two years and wasi almost immediately 
thereafter elected first assistant professor of Latin and Greek. Later he 
was made professor of Latin in the same college, where he taught until 1888, 
except during one year while he was at Yale. In 1888 he came to Otterbein 
University as' professor of Latin. He got leave of absence in 1890 tO' spend' 
another year at Yale, where he received his degree of Ph. D. His progress 
in his studies was so rapid that he was permitted to leave Yale before the- 
expiration of the year and he went to Athens. Greece, and studied there for 
several monthsi. From there he returned to Otterbein University, where 
since that time he has filled the chair of Latin until elected president of the 
institution July 23, 1901. During two summer vacations he has had charge 
of Latin classes at the Chautauqua assemblies. 

Prof. Scott married Miss M^iry J. Erb, of Berlin. Ontario, Canada, who 
died in December, 1896, leaving a daughter, Leona, who is- a graduate of 
Otterbein University. Mrs. Scott was a devoted member of the United 
Brethren church. In 1898 Prof. Scott married Miss Isabel Sevier, of Knox- 
ville, Tennessee. They are helpful members of the United Brethren church. 




GEORGE SCOTT. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 68 1 

In politics Prof. Scott is independent, liberal in his views on political ques- 
tions' and tolerant of the views of others. His public spirit impels him to 
take a helpful interest in everything that pertains to the advancement of 
Westerville. 

WILLIAM GALBRAITH, M. D. 

Among- those who in early days represented professional life in Franklin 
county was Dr. William Galbraith, a medical practitioner of Columbus. Few 
men in this section of the state were more widely known. He traveled 
throughout the country, ministering to the needs of those who suffered from 
ill health, and his devotion to his patrons and his labors in their behalf won 
him the love and gratitude of many a household. There is no more important 
factor in society than the family physician, and Dr. Galbraith enjoyed the 
esteem and confidence of all who knew him, and his acquaintance was ex- 
tremely wide. 

He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, September 28, 1827, 
and was a little lad of eight summers when his parents took up their abode in 
Perry township, Franklin county, upon a new farm. The father erected a cabin 
and began the improvement of his little tract of land comprising twenty acres. 
Both parents, Samuel and Elizabeth (MacMinima) Galbraith, were of Scotch- 
Irish descent, and the sturdy characteristics of their ancestry enabled them 
to bear with fortitude the hardships and trials incident to establishing a home 
upon the frontier. Upon their farm they resided until death, the father pass- 
ing away in the seventy-second year, the mother in the seventy-third year of 
her age. They were the parents of ten children, namely: Martha, who mar- 
ried William Hannon, now deceased; Eliza, who became the wife of Rudolph 
Pheneger; Margaret, who married Albert Hard; Jane, wife of John Bacon; 
William, of this review; Mary, who became the wife of John Legg; Sarah, 
wife of Alanson Perry; James, who resides in Stockton, California; Samuel, 
who married Amy Josephine Huntley; and Robert, who died in childhood, 
The parents w^re both exemplary Christian people, holding membership in the 
Presbyterian church, and the lessons of industry and honesty which they 
mstilled into the minds of their children bore rich fruit later. 

Dr. Galbraith acquired his literary education in the public schools and 
after putting aside his text-books was thrown upon his own resources. He 
made his way through college without financial aid from his family, pursu- 
ing a course in Central College, near Westerville, Ohio. He thus fitted him- 
self for teaching, and in that profession he met with excellent success, per- 
forming the w^ork of an educator through the winter months, while in the 
summer season he worked at farm labor. At an early day he did much to 
advance the intellectual improvement of this section of the state, but prefer- 
ring to make the practice of medicine his life work, he began reading under 
the direction of Dr. Goble, of Worthington, who remained his preceptor until 
he was prepared to enter medical college. He was one of the first students to 



682 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

matriculate in the Starling ^Medical College, where he pursued the full course 
and was graduated with the class of 1855. He then opened an office in Perry 
township, his old home, and devoted himself to the demands of a large and 
constantly increasing country practice, which extended over a radius of at 
least twenty miles. He was a faithful follower of his calling, kept well 
informed on materia medica and in touch with the most advanced thought 
and discoveries connected with the profession. He was very successful in 
combating with diseases prevalent at that day. He possessed a social, genial 
nature, which was of great assistance to him in his work, for one of the most 
important elements in the sick room is cheerfulness. His cordial disposition 
won "him friends by the hundreds and a large practice brought to him a hand- 
some competence, which he judiciously invested in land, placing the same 
under a high state of cultivation. 

Dr. Galbraith was united in marriage to Miss Georgiana Umbaugh on 
the 27th of November, 1856. To them were born three children, but the 
eldest, Margaret Alice, is now deceased. The others are John Howard and 
George Calvin. The former is a graduate of the Ohio State University, of 
the class of 1883, was formerly editor in chief of the Daily Times and is now 
connected with the Columbus Dispatch. He is a fluent writer and is a frequent 
contributor to a number of the leading publications. George Calvin has 
charge of the home farm. 

In the latter part of his life Dr. Galbraith became connected with the 
Reformed church. He was a Democrat in politics, and for eighteen years 
was treasurer of Perry township, in spite of the fact that the township is 
strongly Republican, his election coming to him as a well merited compliment, 
indicating his ability and the trust reposed in him by those who knew him 
best. He passed away March 26, 1899, respected by all who knew him, and 
thus ended a career of great usefulness, but he left to his family an untarnished 
name, and the memory of his upright life is, in many respects well w^orthy of 
emulation. His wddow^, who still survives him, is also a member of the Re- 
formed church, with which she has been connected through many years. 
She takes a deep interest in all that pertains to its work and upbuilding, and 
is also a leader in the work of the Sunday-school. 

Mrs. Galbraith is a daughter of George Umbaugh, who was one of the 
early settlers of Franklin county, coming to Ohio when this section of the 
state was upon the western frontier. He was born in Frederick county, Mary- 
land, and was married in Washington, D. C, to Elizabeth Gregory, of his 
own state. In 1834 they came to Ohio, making the journey in a one-horse 
wagon. They first settled in Circleville, Ohio, and there Mr. Umbaugh fol- 
lowed his trade of carpentering until 1842, when he came to Columbus, set- 
tling on the commons near Fifth street. He then became identified with the 
building interests of the capital city, but later purchased a farm of sixty acres 
in Perry township and devoted a portion of his time to its cultivation and 
improvement. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Umbaugh were born eight children, as follows: 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 683 

Charles Henry, now deceased; Georgiana, widow of Dr. Galbraith; ^^'illiam 
H.; Alary Jane; Margaret E., who died at the age of seven years; John W.; 
Ellen C. ; and Ann Eliza. The eldest son served as a soldier in the Civil war 
and was wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro, the injuries there sustained 
causing his death. The father of this family died in August, 1886, at the 
ripe old age of eighty-four years. He held membership in the Evangelical 
church and did all in his power to promote the temperance and spiritual welfare 
of the people among whom he lived. His wife still survives him and is now in 
the ninety-fourth year of her age. Mr. Umbaugh was a man of sterling 
purpose and upright character and passed away after a useful and honorable 
career. 

JOSHUA GRIFFITH. 

Joshua Griffith is the oldest engineer now in active service on the Penn- 
S3'lvania road, having for twenty consecutive years been in charge of the 
train between Columbus and Dennison, while for thirty-nine years he has 
been a representative of the railroad service, winning the commendation and 
approval of his superiors by his faithful service and his capability. 

Mr. Griffith was born August 15, 1837, in Remsen, New York, but his' 
parents were natives of north Wales whence they came to this country with 
their respective families in early life. They were married in New York in 
1830 and in 1842 became residents of Newark, Ohio. Joshua Griffith, Sr., 
the father of our subject, died October 12, 1877, at the age of eighty years 
and the mother passed away April 14, 1888, at the advanced age of ninety- 
three, both being residents of Newark, Ohio, at the time of their demise. 
Joseph, the oldest child, was born June 6, 1831, and was married in 1856 to 
Miss Elizabeth Woolett at Newark, Ohio; Benjamin, born August 7, 1833, is 
married and resides in Athens, 111., John, born June 13, 1835. is married and 
lives in Newark, Ohio, and for twenty years prior to 1888 he was an engineer 
on the Panhandle railroad; Joshua is the next one of the family; and Eleanor, 
the one daughter, was born August 15, 1839, and was married February 22, 
1859, to James Vandigriff at Newark, Ohio. Her death occurred in that 
place November 3, 1897. 

At an early period in the development of the Buckeye state Joshua Grif- 
fith, of this review became a resident of Ohio, and before the public school 
system had been established he pursued his education in a log cabin situated 
two and a half miles north of Newark. He was afterward a student in the 
McKinney school. His father was a farmer and he too was early trained to 
the work of the fields and meadow. On one occasion he was given the task 
of removing a fence from corn stalks and set corn on fire from which the 
fence caught fire. For this act his father attempted to punish him, and Mr. 
Griffith feeling the injustice of the act, left home, going to Utica, Ohio, four- 
teen miles north of Newark. There he secured employment in a gristmill, 
in the capacity of fireman, remaining there for sixteen months. About that 



684 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

time he became acquainted with some raih-oad men, and beUeving that he 
would prefer railroad service he went to Newark, Ohio, where he obtained 
work at wiping engines, receiving a dollar for every engine for wiping. He 
was thus employed for a year and a half. Next he was employed at Newark 
by what is now the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. 
In September, 1855, he was engaged in digging ditches for the railroad and 
afterward was again engine-wiper and then night foreman. In September, 
1857, he was made fireman on an engine. He served in that capacity for some 
time and during the period made many trips to the state-house up Third street, 
hauling stone to be used in the construction of the capitol building. In Sep- 
tember, i860, he was promoted to the position of engineer and continued as 
such until July, 1861. Thus he was forty-five years in the railroad service. 

Feeling that his duty was to his country, Mr. Griffith then enlisted as a 
member of Company C, Twenty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but was 
in Camp Chase until September, 1861, when the regiment, under command of 
Colonel Fuller, proceeded by steamboat to St. Charles and thence by rail to 
Missouri. He participated in numerous engagements, and in October. 1861, 
was made engineer on a Missouri river boat. Later he was returned to his 
regiment, which was badly cut to pieces in its attempt to relieve Colonel Mul- 
ligan at Lexington, Missouri. Mr. Griffith had many exciting and interest- 
ing experiences in the army. The following account appeared in a news- 
paper many years later: "Away back in 1862, while Joshua Griffith of this 
city, an old time locomotive engineer, was in the army, the Confederates, in 
order to prevent the Unionists from obtaining possession of a locomotive, 
piled cord-wood around it and burned it until it was unfit for use. 
Mr. Griffith, who saw the engine, looked it over and gave the opinion that 
he could put it in running order. He was told to go ahead, and in short time 
he had the old engine in good running order and it was the means of perform- 
ing valuable service for the north. About nine years ago Mr. Griffith put in 
a claim for his work on the old engine, and on Monday of this week he 
received a check from the government for one hundred and six dollars and 
fifty cents. Thus, after a lapse of thirty-eight years does Mr. Griffith receive 
his reward." 

After being wounded Mr. Griffith was discharged and returned to New- 
ark, Ohio, where he resumed work as an engineer; but in September, 1862, 
he re-enlisted as a member of Company I, of the One Hundred and Twenty- 
ninth Ohio Infantry, in which command he participated in several battles 
at the front. He was again discharged on account of wounds, but for the 
third time enlisted and became the color-bearer of his regiment, the One 
Hundred and Thirty-fifth Ohio Volunteers, his place being in Company C. 
During the time of this third enlistment he was in West Virginia, and the last 
battle in which he participated occurred in Maryland Heights, near Harper's 
Ferrv, that state, on the 6th of July, 1864, after whicli he returned to Newark, 
Ohio. 

In September, 1865. jMr. Griffith was again given an engine and has been 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 685 

in continuous service in the capacity of an engineer on the same raih'oad, now 
called Pan Handle Railroad. He runs a local freight engine ; he has run this 
train twenty years, from that time to the present. He can relate many interest- 
ing experiences in his life upon the road, and no man in actve railroad service 
on the Pennsylvania line is more widely or favorably known. He is indeed 
popular and extremely trustworthy. For a pastime he indulges in hunting 
and fishing, in which sports he has superior skill. He is sixty-four years old, 
but looks much younger. 

On the 2d day of November, 1870, in New Philadelphia, Ohio, he then 
being a resident of Dennison, he was united in marriage to Miss Ella Marsh. 
He resided there for many years, but for the past twenty years has been a 
resident of Columbus. He has two children, the elder being Harry Benjamin, 
who was born October 4, 1871, and is a telegraph operator residing in Denni- 
son. He was married August 9, 1898, to Miss Eva Mears and they have a 
little daughter of a few months. The other child, Grace, was, married Novem- 
ber 21, 1898, to Fred Stocker, a telegraph opreator residing in Dennison, 
Ohio. 

There is in the life of every man who has been faithful to duty through 
a long period a lesson of great value which should serve as an incentive to 
others, and in this regard the history of Mr. Griffith is not lacking. His 
has indeed been an honorable career characterized by fidelity to every trust 
reposed in him. 

FRANK L. OYLER. 

A new chapter has been added to the history of America within the last 
two years ; again the historian has been called upon to relate the deeds of valor 
and of bravery of the loyal sons of the nation. The Spanish-American war 
was unique in history on account of the spirit which prompted it. Not in Amer- 
ica and probably not in the world had there ever been before a war waged in 
the interests of humanity by a people who had no connection with those for 
whom they fought, save the human tie of brotherhood. Lieutenant Oyler 
was among those of Ohio's sons who, at the president's call, joined the United 
States army and went forth to battle for humanity and the right. He was 
born December 4, 1868, in Columbus, where he yet makes his home, and his 
parents, Samuel and Lucinda Oyler, are still living in this city, both being 
natives of Newark, Ohio. 

The subject of this review acquired his education in the public schools of 
Columbus, and on the 26th of November, 1886, he became connected with the 
military service of the state, enlisting as a private in Company B, Fourth Regi- 
ment of the Ohio National Guards. He was afterward made corporal and 
later sergeant. On the 2d of August, 1892, he was commissioned second 
lieutenant of Company B, and on the 23d of May, 1893 ^^'^s made fits'f 
lieutenant. With his command he served throughout the Spanish-American 
war. On the 15th of May, 1898, he started for Chattanooga with his regi- 



686 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ment, which remained in camp at that place until July 22, when it was ordered 
to Newport News. After five days there passed the regiment embarked for 
the front on the transport St. Paul, ari-iving at Porto Rico after two and a half 
days, although the troops did not disembark until five days after leaving the 
American port. They landed at Orroyo and remained in camp for one day 
and two nights when, under the command of Brigadier General Haynes, they 
marched to Guayama, five miles distant. There they fought the Spaniards 
for one and a half hours and only five of the American troops were wounded. 
The Spaniards were driven from the place into the mountains and when they 
returned were again pursued. Company B* was the only company that 
marched across the entire island. After the termination of the war the 
command returned to New York, arriving on the 29th of October and landing 
on the morning of November 3d. On the evening of that day they left for 
Washington, where the troops were reviewed by the president on the follow- 
ing day. They then proceeded to Columbus, the city assuming its gala dress 
to welcome home the heroes who were received amid'st general rejoicing and 
were banqueted by the ladies of the city at the Auditorium. The regiment 
was then placed on w^aiting orders, and was mustered out January 5, 1889. 

Lieutenant Oyler was married in 1893 to Miss Martha J. Howard, Their 
only child. Belle, was born January 5, 1894. Mrs. Oyler is a daughter of 
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Howard, both of whom were natives of Ohio. Her fa- 
ther was a lieutenant in the Civil war, and her mother had a brother who also 
aided in the preservation of the Union. 

Lieutenant Oyler is a Republican, giving an earnest support to the 
party. His entire life has been passed in the city which is yet his home 
and he made a wide acquaintance. That many of his w^armest friends h^ve 
known him from boyhood is an indication that his career has been in every 
respect worthy of respect and confidence. 

JACOB BIRD. 

Jacob Bird has for more than half a century been a resident of Franklin 
county, whither he came in 1849, taking up his abode in Sharon township, 
where he purchased sixty-nine acres of land and began farming. He was 
born in Pennsylvania, February 22, 181 5, his parents being Albertus and 
Rebecca (Woolever) Bird, who had a family of nine children. 

The subject of this' review spent his early life in his native county of 
Northumberland, and when a youth accompanied his parents to Knox county, 
Ohio, the family locating upon a farm, where he grew to manhood. After 
arriving at years of maturity he wedded Miss Kesiah Craig, who was born in 
that county December 3, 181 7, their marriage being celebrated on the 9th of 
March, 1836. She is one of the oldest living of Ohio's, native citizens. Her 
parents were both of Knox county. Her father, James Craig, was born in the 
Keystone state and came to Ohio when the Indians were yet numerous. He 
built a loe cabin, which was the first home erected in Mt. Vernon. The 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 687 

journey from Pennsylvania had been made with a team and wagon, and he 
also brought with him a drove of sheep. He was a farmer by occupation, 
and in Knox county he entered large tracts of land, which he afterward 
developed and improved. There he made his home throughout his remaining 
days, taking an active part in reclaiming the wild country for purposes of 
civilization. He had been one of the founders of the Republic, for after the 
inauguration of the war of the Revolution he unhitched his horses from the 
plow where he was working in the fields and went at once to the seat of war, 
taking part in many engagements which resulted in winning independence 
for the American people. His wife, prior to her marriage, bore the name of 
Esther Ann Cavin. They became the parents of ten children, two of whom 
were born in Pennsylvania, and came with the parents, to Ohio. Mrs. Bird, 
however, is now the only surviving member of the family. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bird continued to reside in Knox 
county for a number of years', and in 1849 came to Franklin county, securing 
a tract of wild land in the midst of the forest, where there were no roads and 
where the w^ork of progress and improvement had not yet been begun. Mr. 
Bird at once erected a log cabin, into which he moved his family, then con- 
sisting of his wife and four children, namely : James, who died when five 
years, of age ; Phebe, who became the wife of Walter Burwell ; John ; and Jemi- 
mah, wife of William Stevens, who is now in Indian Territory, After the 
arrival of the family in Franklin county the following children were born : 
David ; Mary, who wedded Presley Field and is living in Abilene, Texas ; 
Lavina, wife of Benjamin Spengler, of Columbus; Jacob, who died when 
eighteen months old; Nancy J., wife of John L. Ballinger, of Columbus; 
Chauncey, who resides in Goff, Kansas; William M., who is living on the old 
homestead ; and Martha Ellen, widow of Silas Dague. 

After coming to Franklin county Mr. Bird engaged in the operation of 
a sawmill for a time, but later cleared his farm and made his, home thereon 
throughout his remaining days. He was a member of the Methodist church 
and took a very active interest in religious work. As a citizen he was' inter- 
ested in everything pertaining to the welfare, promotion and progress of the 
community and heartily co-operated in all measures for the general good. 
His death occurred May 26, 1886. 

SAMUEL BURWELL. 

In pioneer days, when Ohio was just emerging from its primitive con- 
dition to take on the equipments and adornments of civilization, when its wild 
lands were being transformed into richly cultivated fields and the domiciles 
of the red men were being replaced by the cabins of the early settlers, Samuel 
Burwell took up his abode in Franklin county, becoming one of the pioneers 
of Mifflin township in 1833. There he secured one hundred acres of land and 
became identified with agricultural pursuits. His, father. John P. Burwell, 
was a native of Connecticut, and in 1833 came with his familv from Wavne 



688 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

county, Ohio, to Franklin county. He had six children, four of whom became 
residents of this county, and one son, Daniel Burwell, resided in Columbus 
for some years before the father located in the county in 1833. He was a 
tinner by trade. The other children who came to this locality were Samuel, 
Joseph and Elizabeth, the last named becoming the wife of Christopher Rob- 
bins. All are now deceased, however. Samuel Burwell was a native of Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania, born in 1802, and was married in Ohio to Nancy David- 
son, a native of Marietta, this state. They became the parents of the fol- 
lowing children, wdio reached years of maturity, namely: Walter; Eliza, 
who is the widow of Michael Osborn; Armstrong, who died about ten years 
ago ; William, of Blendon township ; and Rebecca. The father of this family 
and his wife have also departed this life. 

Walter Burwell was born December 4, 1825, in Wayne county, Ohio, 
and on the 5th of September, 1858, he married Phoebe Ann Bird; thus uniting 
two of the old pioneer families of the community. They had three sons,, — 
John P., James S. and Jacob, but the last named died October 19, 1900, at 
the age of twenty-seven years. 

BERNARD W. MEYER, M. D. 

The acquaintances of Dr. Meyer — and the circle is an extensive- one — 
speak of him as a physician of marked ability, worthy of the trust and patron- 
of the public. He is a native of Covington, Kentucky, born March 21, 1864. 
His parents were Bernard H. and Lima (Midden) Meyer, natives of Han- 
over, Germany, whence they came to America in 1850, locating in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, where their marriage was celebrated in 1853. Mr. Meyer was 
was a merchant tailor by trade and followed that business in pursuit of a 
fortune for many years. By his marriage he had nine children, seven of 
whom are yet living. 

The Doctor spent his boyhood days in his native town until his twelfth 
year when his parents removed to Delaware, Ohio, where he continued his 
studies in the public schools and was graduate! in the high school of that town 
under the tutelage of Professor Campbell, a popular and prominent educator 
of the central portion of the state. During his high-school days he also 
studied German and subsequently received private instruction in that tongue 
from Professor Davies, a teacher of languages in the Ohio Wesleyan Universi- 
ty, so that he is now proficient in the language of his ancestors. He was eighteen 
years of age at the time of his graduation after which he began working at 
the tailor's trade and followed that without interruption until he began read- 
ing medicine in 1890, his preceptor being Dr. Z. Movn, a prominent physician 
in Columbus. Subsequently he matriculated in the Ohio Medical University 
in 1893, pursuing a three-years course, the year of his graduation being 
1897. He then opened an ofihce in Cynthiana, Kentucky, where he remained 
for a year and a half. In 1899 ^^ came to Columbus and established him- 
self in practice on Mount Vernon avenue. He remained at that place until 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 689 

■the fall of 1900, when he removed to the corner of Fifth and Cleveland av- 
enues. While practicing in Kentucky he was a member of the Kentucky 
Midland Medical Association. He is a physician of excellent standing, a con- 
servative, practical practitioner, who is in close touch wuth the best thought 
of the day in systematic and therapeutical knowledge. He is devoted to the 
medical science as a life work, having had a strong predilection for it from 
early boyhood. Dr. Meyer enjoys the respect and esteem of his fellow men 
in social life as well as in professional circles and is well worthy of mention 
among the representative citizens of Columbus and Franklin county. 

CHRISTOPHER SHOEMAKER. 

Christopher Shoemaker, deceased, was for many years a prominent busi- 
ness man of Clinton township, and one of its most highly respected and influ- 
•ential citizens. A native of Ohio, he was born in St. Albans township. Lick- 
ing county, July 30, 1820, and was a son of Christopher and Barbara (Keller) 
Shoemaker, the former of French, the latter of German descent. The family 
came from Pennsylvania to Ohio at a very early day and were among the first 
to make a settlement in Licking county. The father, who w^as one of the 
heroes of the Revolutionary war, and a millwright by trade, spent his last days 
in Franklin county. 

The early hfe of our subject was spent under the parental roof and he 
received a common school education. On the 7th of April, 1844, he w^as mar- 
lied in Licking county, to Miss Sarah Belknap, who was born in Washington 
county, this state, April 13, 1825, a daughter of Forace and Salhe (Bateman) 
Belknap, the former a native of Connecticut, the latter of Chenango county, 
New York, both being the youngest child of their respective families. On the 
maternal side she is related to Lewis Cass and General Buell. Her Grand- 
father Bateman was a college-bred man, and a descendant of a Mayflower 
family. Mrs. Shoemaker now has in her possession a sugar bowl, whicTi 
was brought to this country on that famous ship by her ancestors and w^hich 
is still in a fair state of preservation. Her parental grandfather, David Bel- 
knap, was also a well-educated man, and served in the Revolutionary war, 
under Paul Jones. On first coming to this state the Belknap family settled in 
Marietta, but later removed to Licking county, where they were numbered 
among the pioneers. Forace Belknap was an expert woodsman, swift of foot 
and a great hunter. He traded largely with the Lidians, and was very popular 
with them. He died on a farm in Licking county at an advanced age. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker were born eleven children, six sons and five 
daughters, namely: Elias F., born January 5, 1845, is the eldest; Lenira A., 
born April 10, 1846, is the wife of Dr. Sherman, of Columbus; Mary Rosella, 
born December 9, 1847, died in 1872; De voice, born February 20, 1850, is a 
resident of Clinton township, Franklin county; Seth S., born October 5, 185 1, 
is also a resident of that township; Franklin P., born September 15, 1854, 
lives in Kansas; Eva L., born September 14, 1856, is the wife of George W. 



690 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Williams, Esq.; William D., born September 19, 1858; Charley, born June 
24, 1861, is also a resident of Clinton township, this county; Stella M., born 
December 20, 1864, died February 22^, 1884; Amberetta, born July 19, 1866, 
died Easter morning, April 25, 1886. 

The year after his marriage Mr. Shoemaker and his wife started for 
Columbus, and the journey to this county was made through an almost un- 
broken wilderness. He had previously engaged in brickmaking in Licking- 
county for one year, and on his arrival in Columbus entered into partnership 
with Messrs. Leonard, Atchison and one other party to engage in the manu- 
facture of brick. He carried on that business for many years, and also con- 
ducted a sawmill, tile works and a dairy. He was one of the most enterprising 
and energetic business men of his community, and always gave his best 
efforts to whatever he undertook. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn 
that he was uniformly successful and accumulated considerable property, 
becoming the owner of a large amount of valuable land, which he selected 
with keen foresight. He led a very active and useful life, and retained his 
mental and physical faculties up to the last. He died on the 17th of March, 
1891, honored and respected by all who knew him. Mr. Shoemaker served 
his fellow citizens in the capacity of justice of the peace a number of years, 
and was also trustee of his township, besides filling other local offices. He 
was. from principle a Democrat, but was never active in party politics, 
though he always exercised his right of suffrage and faithfully performed 
all duties of citizenship. His estimable wife still survives him, is well pre- 
served for her years, her mind being bright and active. She has a distinct 
recollection of Franklin county for fifty-six years ; has seen it transformed 
from an almost unbroken wilderness to one of the best improved counties 
of the state; and recounts with ease and clearness the events through which 
she has passed. She is a true and earnest Christian, having been a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church since eleven years of age. 

GEORGE BOEHM. 

George Boehm,- an enterprising farmer, was born in Blendon township, 
on the place which is' yet his home, December 14, 1858. His father, Martin 
Boehm, was a native of Germany, born December 17, 181 7. There he was 
reared to manhood and followed teaming, but believing that he might better 
his financial condition in the new world he sailed for America in 1846, taking 
up his abode in Columbus,, Ohio, where he entered the employ of a man who 
owned a brick-yard. Mr. Boehm remained in his service for nine years, a 
fact which indicates in an unmistakable manner that he was an industrious 
workman, ever faithful to duty. Shortly after that period he was married to 
]\Iiss Agatha Klipfel, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, November 5. 1824, 
a daughter of Conrad and Barbara (Schirm) Klipfel. Her mother died in 
Germany and in 1846 the father came to America, accompanied by his two 
sons and three daughters. They made their way to Columbus, and Mr. Klip- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 691 

fel rented land and began farming in the vicinity of the capital city, there spend- 
ing his remaining days. He passed away in 1869, at the age of .sixty-seven 
years. Of the Lutheran church he was a member. The Klipfels made the 
voyage to the new world on the same vessel in which Mr. Boehm crossed the 
Atlantic. There were fifty in the cabin and nearly all came to Ohio, settling 
in Columbus. They left Germany on the 2d of April and arrived in the 
capital city of this state on the 226. of July. 

In 1855 Martin Boehm came with his family to the present Boehm home- 
stead in Blendon township, purchasing seventy acres of land to which he 
afterward added from time to time, until at his death he was the owner of four 
hundred and thirty acres of rich land, constituting one of the best improved 
farms in the county. His political support was given to the men and measures 
of the Democracy and he was an active member of the Lutheran church. He 
deserved great credit for his success, for when he came to America he had no 
capital and all that he acquired was the result of his close application and 
earnest efiforts. He passed away in 1891, and his wife still resides on the 
old homestead. She, too, was a member of the Lutheran church. They 
became the parents of six children, of whom five are now living, namely : 
Nicholas, a farmer of Plain township, Franklin county ; Lena, wife of George 
Wurm, of Delaware county; John, a farmer in Blendon township; George; 
and Agatha, the wife of John Baltz, w^ho resides near Gahanna, Ohio. 

George Boehm, whose name introduces this review, was reared under the 
parental roof and in the schools of the neighborhood pursued his educa- 
tion through the winter months, while in the spring and summer he 
assisted in the labors of the fields and early gained a practical experience 
which now enables him to successfully carry on farming on his own account. 
After his father's, death the estate was divided and the home farm of two 
hundred and forty acres was inherited by our subject. He keeps his fields 
under a high state of cultivation and everything about the place is neat and 
thrifty in appearance, showing his careful supervision. 

In 1895 Mr. Boehm was united in marriage to Miss Katie Huffman, 
a native of Lancaster, Ohio. He exercised his right of franchise in support 
of the men and measures of the Democratic party, and is a member of the 
Lutheran church, in which he has served as trustee. Charitable and benevo- 
lent, he gives' his support to all worthy measures calculated to aid or benefit 
his fellow men and in his life has ever demonstrated the possession of those 
qualities which in every land and every clime commands uniform confidence 
and regard. 

HENRY BRIGGS. 

One of the old residents of Franklin county, Ohio, who has taken part 
in the development of its interests' is Henry Briggs. He was born in Hamil- 
ton township. Franklin county, October 3, 1832. His father, John Briggs, 
a native of New York, came to Franklin county when about twenty years 



692 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

old, was married in the county, and settled on land about two miles south 
of Columbus, later locating on a contiguous tract, and still later removing 
to some land near Harri^burgh. From this tract he moved upon the land 
now occupied by our subject, becoming the manager of the land belonging 
to Michael Sullivan, who was' the largest land-owner in the township. His 
death occurred in 1848, when he was about forty-eight years of age. The 
mother of our subject was in her maidenhood Rachel Drake, a native of 
New Jersey, wdio had lived in Franklin county since her early youth. She 
lived to be eighty- four years old and left but two children, our subject and 
his sister Mary, who became the w^ife of William Cline. 

Mr. Briggs is the only member of the family surviving. He was about 
one year old when he was brought into Franklin township, and grew up 
am'id the primitive surroundings of the time and locality. After the death 
of his father he continued to carry on the work of the farm, engaging in gen- 
eral farming, and at the present has a finely cultivated and improved tract of 
one hundred and sixty acres, so near the city limits as to be of great value. 
In 1869 he erected his fine residence and commodious barns, thus increasing 
the value to a great extent. Mr. Briggs also owns considerable fine resi- 
dence property in Columbus, from which he enjoys the rental. 

The marriage of Mr. Briggs took place November 15, 1859, to Miss Mary 
Evans, a native of Wales, who was born October 22, 1832, coming to Ohio 
when a child of five years. Her father w^as Arthur Evans, a native of 
W' ales, who lived but a short time after emigrating to America. The mother 
was named Mary Evans' and was also a native of the same land as her hus- 
band. Mr. and Mrs. Briggs are the parents of two daughters, both mar- 
ried and living in the vicinity, Elsie being the wdfe of Dr. C. R. Vander- 
burg, and Elizabeth, the wife of Frank Main, of Columbus. 

Politically Mr. Briggs believes in the principles of the Republican 
party. He was formerly a Whig and cast his first vote for Scott, but in 
i860 he voted for Lincoln. He has acceptably served as township trustee and 
has been largely identified with the best interests of the county. He has 
seen with pleasure the rapid growth of every industry, promoting all to the 
best of his ability, and is one of the most prominent and respected members of 
the old pioneer band of Franklin county. 

JOHN D. MILLER. 

Jolm D. Miller was born August 11, 1859, in Fairfield, Ohio. His father, 
Martin M. Miller, is also a native of the Buckeye state, his birth having 
occurred within its borders in 1826. He is now living in Logan, Ohio, in 
which place his wife. Miss Sarah Miller, died on the 4th of November, 1899, 
when seventy-four years of age. 

In the common schools' of Fairfield John D. Miller was educated and 
in 1873 he accompanied his parents on their removal to Logan, Ohio, being 
at that time a youth of fourteen years. He was seventeen years of age when, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 693 

in 1876, he entered the railroad service, his efficiency soon gaining him pro- 
motion to the position of a conductor on a passenger train. For nearly a 
quarter of a century he has been thus employed. Long continued service 
with any of the immense corporations which control the railroad travel of 
the country is an indication of marked fidelity to duty, for incompetence and 
unfaithfulness are never tolerated. Mr. Miller has therefore made a credit- 
able record, winning the confidence of his superiors, and at the same time 
becoming a favorite with many who travel over his route owing to his oblig- 
ing manner and uniform courtesy. He became a member of the Brotherhood 
of Railway Trainmen in 1890, and for five years held the office of financier 
and secretary and is now master of his local lodge in Columbus. This lodge 
was organized in 1883 and now has a membership of two hundred and ten. 
He is well known among the followers of the order and his, influence is 
marked in labor circles. 

Mr. Miller was united in marriage, in 1883, to Miss Emma Moechle. 
They had but one child and that died in infancy. In his' fraternal relations 
Mr. Miller is a prominent Odd Fellow and holds membership with a lodge 
in Columbus. He has been both vice grand and noble grand and is also a 
member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity. In politics, he is a stanch 
Democrat who works untiringly in the interest of the party, yet never seeks 
office. He and his wife hold membership in the Baptist church, and their 
circle of friends is extensive and is also indicative of their many sterling 
traits of character. 

NELSON H. GLOYD. 

Nelson H. Gloyd was, born in Hamilton township, Franklin county, 
November 21, 1851. His father, William Gloyd, was a native of Vermont, 
and was probably of English lineage. He came to Franklin county in the 
'30s, and was therefore one of its early settlers. By trade he was a black- 
smith, and followed that pursuit in Hamilton township until his death, which 
occurred in 1856, when his son Nelson was only about five years old. His 
wife was in her maidenhood Mary Ann Crossley. She was a native of 
Virginia, and was of German lineage. Unto this worthy couple were born 
nine children, of whom five reached adult age. 

Nelson H. Gloyd, the seventh in order of birth, and the fourth son, is 
now the only survivor of the family. He acquired his education in the dis- 
trict schools of the neighborhood, but his, privileges in that direction were 
limited, for at the early age of nine years he started out in life on his own 
account, and has since been dependent upon his labors for a livelihood. He 
worked for Thomas Duvall, of Pickaway county, Ohio, who gave him his 
board and clothes, and allowed him the privilege of attending school through 
the winter months. For four years he remained with Mr. Duvall and when 
a youth of thirteen returned to his native township. Here he began work 
by the month for Martin Kissel, receiving ten dollars per month in com- 



694 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pensation for his services. For five years he continued in that employ and 
then entered the service of T. B. Vause, of HamiUon township, with whom 
he remained three years. Subsequently he worked as a farm hand for one 
year for Thomas Murphy, of Madison township, and for two years for J. C. 
Platter, of Hamilton township, 

Mr. Gloyd was then married, on the 28th of September, 1876, to Miss 
Maggie Teegardin, a native of Madison township, Pickaway county, where 
her girlhood days' were passed. They began their domestic life on a rented 
farm in that township, but after a year Mr. Gloyd returned with his wife 
to Hamilton township, where he continued the operation of rented land for 
two years. He then again went to Madison township, Pickaway county, 
where he remained for three years upon one farm, and seven years upon 
another farm, all of the time as a renter. He worked early and late in order 
to increase his capital, and when he had acquired a sufficient sum he pur- 
chased one hundred acres of land in Hamilton township, — the farm upon 
which he has' since resided. He has made this a valuable property, and the 
highly cultivated fields indicate to the passerby his care and supervision. He 
is practical and progressive in his methods and his place is supplied with all 
modern improvements and conveniences. 

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Gloyd has' been blessed with four children, 
namely: Alva H., born September 30, 1877; Annie C., who was born June 
12, 1880, and is now the wife of J. R. Bookman, their home being with her 
parents; Jesse James, born December 25, 1885; and Walter A., born Novem- 
ber 21, 1 89 1. Mr. Gloyd exercises his right of franchise in support of the 
men and measures of the Democratcy. For twenty-five years he has been 
a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity, and for ten years has held 
membership relations with Tent No. 55, K. O. T. IVI. Dependent upon his 
own efforts since the age of nine years, he has steadily worked his way upward, 
overcoming all the difficulties and obstacles in his path, and to-day he is 
accounted one of the substantial residents of the county. 

Mrs. matilda SCHART. 

Mrs. Matilda Schart resides' at her home at No. 607 Culbertson istreet. 
Columbus, where she is living surrounded by many warm friends who esteem 
her for her many excellencies of character. She was born in Kent, London, 
England, on the 8th of December, 1823, and has been a resident of Ohio's 
capital city since August, 1857. Her girlhood days were passed in London, 
her education being acquired in the schools there, and in that city, in 1842, 
she gave her hand in marriage to John Schart, who was born in Hesse, Ger- 
many, on the 17th of April, 1816. He was a boot and shoemaker by'trade 
and followed that pursuit through the early part of his life in order to pro- 
vide for his' family. 

Mr. and Mrs. Schart became the parents of the following children: 
Mary, the eldest, was born in London, England, May 4, 1844, and died 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 695 

July I, 1861. Franz, who was born September 22, 1847, is married and 
resides in Springfield, Ohio. Henry, born December 20, 1851, is, married 
and resides in Columbus, where he is employed as a machinist in the Pan- 
handle railroad shops. John, who was' born January 14, 1854, is also a 
machinist and is married and makes his home in Columbus. His living 
children are Laura, John, William and Stella. They lost one child, Effie, 
who died June 12, 1875. Martha, who was the youngest child born in Eng- 
land, her natal day being August 19, 1856, is the widow of Ephraim John- 
son. Eliza was born in Columbus March 8, 1859. Spafford, born October 
5, 1861, married Miss' Emma Hall, and they reside with his mother at the 
old homestead. Christiana P., born Jjtnuary 19, 1864, is the wife of George 
Mawhorr, who is in the service of the Hocking Valley Railroad Company. 
Daniel J., the youngest of the family, was born September 25, 1870. 

The father of this family died after only one day's illness, December 19, 
1878. He was an honored citizen, for his life was at all times upright and 
consistent with every manly principle. His sons, Henry and Spafford, are 
members of the Knights of Pythias fraternity and of the Order of Red Men, 
of Columbus. The family have resided at their present home since 1876, and 
they are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, contributing liberally 
to its support and doing everything in their power to promote its advance- 
ment along normal linesi of progress. Mrs'. Schart and her family are enjoy- 
ing the high regard of those with whom they have been brought in contact, 
and now, at the age of more than four score years, she is still living at her 
pleasant home in Columbus, enjoying the warm regard of friends and the 
loving care and attention of her children. 

ANDREW STRAUB. 

The German element in our national commonwealth has been an import- 
ant one, conducing to the substantial growth, progress and development of 
the country. Our subject is one whom the fatherland has furnished to the 
new .world, having been born in Bavaria, Germany, December 10, 1825. 
His father died when the son was only five years of age, and the mother, 
Mrs. Elizabeth Straub, passed away after Andrew came to this country. The 
only relative of our subject who sought a home in America is his brother, the 
Rev. John Straub, a Catholic priest, who is now living in Detroit, Michigan. 

Andrew Straub spent the first twenty-three years of his life in his native 
land and on account of being drafted into the service of the Bavarian army 
he left home and sailed for America in the year 1848. After arriving on 
the Atlantic coast he proceeded across' the country to Chillicothe, Ohio, and 
worked at his trade, that of painter, which he had learned in the fatherland. 
In the year 1850 he was united in marriage to Mi&Si Catherine Lautenklos, a 
native of Germany. Her parents both died in Chillicothe some years ago. 
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Straub were born the following named: Mary, who 
was born in Chillicothe January 3, 185 1, became the wife of James Stewart, 



696 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

by whom she has one child, Clarence ; Joseph John, who was born December 
lo, 1852, and is deceased; Andreas Marcus, who was born Jmie 19, 1855; 
Catherme P., who was, born January 8, 1858; Elizabeth Barbara, born Sep- 
tember 28, i860, is the wife of M. J. Oates, of Columbus; Johann Bernard, 
born March 30, 1864; Anna Gertrude, born March 7, 1866; and Frank 
Joseph, born March 23, 1869. 

Mr. and Mrs. Straub began their domestic life in Chillicothe, where they 
remained until 1853, when they came to Columbus. They celebrated their 
fiftieth wedding anniversary in April, 1900. They had traveled life's jour- 
ney together for half a century, sharing with each other the joys and sor- 
rows, the adversity and prosperity which checker the career of all. In 1901 
Mr. Straub was called upon to mourn the los's of his wife, who died at their 
home in Columbus on the 5th of February, the burial service being held in 
Holy Cross church on the 8th of February. The family are all members 
of the Catholic church. Mr. Straub still resides at the home at No. 274 
Woodward avenue, and has reached the ripe old age of seventy-six years. His 
career has been an honorable and upright one and wherever he is known 
has commanded the respect and confidence of all his associates by reason of 
his sterling worth. 

GEORGE F. WHEELER. 

The horologe of time has marked oft' se\enty years since George Fred- 
erick Wheeler came to Columbus; and several decades were added to the 
cycle of his age during his business connection with the city. He was num- 
bered among the esteemed and valued residents of the capital, and it is fitting 
that this memoir be given a place in the record of Columbus. He bore an, 
unassailable reputation as a reliable and trustworthy merchant, and in all 
life'si relations he was held in the highest regard for his fidelity to manly prin- 
ciples and his unwavering allegiance to truth and honor. 

Mr. Wheeler was a native of Germany, born on the 26th of August, 1826, 
and when only five years of age was brought by his parents to the new 
world, the family locating in Columbus. Here he was reared, the public 
schools affording him his educational privileges, and in early manhood he 
secured a clerkship in a drug store. He expected to learn the business of 
pharmacy and make it his life work, but events shaped his course otherwise. 
In 1849, attracted by the discovery of gold in California, he made his way 
across the plains to the Pacific slope and spent two years in the Golden state. 
He then returned to his home in Columbus, but in 1856 again made the trip, 
to California, returning in 1857. Here he became actively engaged in mer- 
cantile business, and by his untiring efforts, his resolute purpose and hon- 
orable methods, soon built up a large trade in the grocery business at No. 
15 North High street. The enterprise which he established in 1852 has 
since been conducted under the name of George Frederick Wheeler. He 
studied carefully the wants of the public, carrying a large and well selected 



r 





GEORGE F. WHEELER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 697 

line of goods, and his straightforward dealing, combined with his reasonable 
prices, secured him a continuance of a liberal patronage. 

In 1857 Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss Emma Randall 
Waterman, at her home on Shepherd street, Columbus. His mother, Mrs. 
Henrietta Wheeler, lost her husband in Germany and was afterward married 
in the same country to Gottlieb F. Hinderer. Her birth occurred in the 
fatherland, in 1793, and in 1831 she became a resident of Columbus, where 
she remained until her death, spending the last few years' of her life with her 
son, Mr. Wheeler, on Broad street. She passed away September 16, 1884,. 
and her loss was deeply mourned by her family and a large circle of friends,, 
for her womanly qualities, kindly disposition and many admirable character- 
istics of head and heart endeared her to all with whom she was associated. 
j\Ir. Wheeler's children comprised three sons and a daughter, but Joseph 
Frederick Wheeler, the eldest, who was born January 16, 1859, died on the 
15th of July of the same year. Charles Reynolds, born i\pril 5, i860, was 
married, March 5, 1887, to Mary E. Reed, of Chillicothe, Ohio. They now 
occupy a beautiful residence at No. 354 West Sixth avenue, in Columbus^ 
They have two children: George Frederick, born February 26, 1888; and 
Elizabeth, born June 5, 1894. Since the death of his father Charles R. 
Wheeler has conducted the grocery, his brother, Edwin Randall, being asso- 
ciated with him until his death, February 15, 1899. The grocery was estab- 
lished by their father and had throughout all the years been conducted under 
the name of George F. Wheeler. Fanny Ellen, born March 14, 1865, is the 
only daughter. She was' married, February 7, 1889, to Harry G. Huston, 
who' is engaged with his father in the drug business in Columbus. Their 
only child is Marion Huston, who was born August 27, 1891. Edwin Ran- 
dall Wheeler, the youngest, was born June 13, 1869, and died February 
15, 1899, at his mother's' home. He was a very intelligent and enter- 
prising business man and a loving and affectionate son; and his death was a 
great blow to his mother and the other members of the famil}-. 

Mr. Wheeler, the subject of this memoir, was a member of the Masonic 
fraternity and' attained the Knight Templar degree, being a member of 
Mount Vernon Commandery, No. i, K. T., Columbus. He was a charter mem- 
ber of Enoch Lodge of Perfection; Franklin Council, Princes of Jerusalem; 
and Columbus Chapter Rose-Croix. He was also a prominent member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was an active and valued member 
of the Trinity Episcopal church, contributing liberally to its support and doing 
much for its upbuilding. In the midst of a successful business career he 
was stricken by death, passing away at his home at No. 413 East Broad street, 
on the 28th of March, 1887. His interest in everything which affected the 
welfare of the people of Columbus and the growth and development of the 
city in industrial, commercial and financial lines was deep and abiding. He 
had the respect of all who had knowledge of his straightforward methods and 
his uprightness of character. Business men esteemed him and trusted him, 
and his social acquaintances had for him warm friendship. His' activity 



698 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in business affairs resulted in the acquirement of a handsome competence, 
and thus he left his family well provided for. His widow still resides at_ her 
elegant home on East Broad street and is widely known to a large circle 
of friends iu the capital city. 

PAUL O. RHOADS. 

Among the representatives of the railway service on the Pennsylvania 
line is Paul O. Rhoads, who occupies a beautiful home at No. 357 West First 
avenue, Columbus. A native of Franklin county, he was born in Reynolds- 
burg on the 26th of March, 1854. His father is Hope Rhoads'. His grand- 
parents, natives of Pennsylvania^ came to Franklin county, Ohio, at an early 
period in its development and lived upon a farm, being numbered auKing the 
enterprising agriculturists of the community in pioneer days. Hope Rhoads 
also engaged in the tilling of the soil, owning a valuable tract of land near 
Reynoldsburg. There his wife died in 1861, and he afterward removed to 
Muncie, Indiana, where his death occurred in 1866. In their family were 
three daughters, and two sons : Elizabeth, wife of George Hill, a resident 
of Indiana; Belle, now deceased; Kate, wife of J. Johnson, also a resident 
of Indiana; and Charles, who was a seam.an and has not been heard from 
since 1859. 

Paul O. Rhoads, the fifth member of the family, acquired his education 
in the country schools during the winter terms. He was reared upon the 
home farm, early becoming familiar with all the duties and labors' that fall 
to the lot of the agriculturist. He followed farm work until 1S70, and in 
1 87 1 he became a brakeman on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, working 
for six months with that company. In July, 1872, he was made a brake- 
man on a freight train on the Pennsylvania road and was afterward on a 
passenger train as brakeman and baggageman for twelve years. He was 
then urged to- accept a position as conductor on a freight train, which he 
reluctantly did, and afterward was promoted to paisisenger conductor, in which 
capacity he is' now serving. For twenty-eight years he has been continuously 
in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad, on the Pittsburg division between 
Columbus and Pittsburg. The only personal injury which he ever sustained 
in the railway service was in the first year of his connection with the line, 
when he was acting as brakeman on a freight train, and had the bones of one 
o.f hisi limbs fractured. 

Mr. Rhoads was married, November 17, 1874, in ^^''ragram, Ohio, to 
Miss Sallie Matthews. Her mother died five years ago and her father, who 
was a farmer, passed away before her marriage. The children of Mr. and 
Mrs. Rhoads are as follows: Estella, who was born in 1876 and died in 
1887; Cornelia, at home; Arthur, who was born in 1880, and is now holding 
a clerkship in Columbus'; and Charles, who was born in 1883 and is now a 
student in the high school. For twenty years the family have resided in 
Columbus. Mrs. Rhoads and her children hold membership in the Methodist 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 699 

Episcopal church, and he is identified with several fraternal organizations. 
In 1888 he became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
now belongs to Capital City Lodge, No. 334, and also the encampment in 
Columbus. His. name is also on the membership roll of the Maccabees, and 
he enjoys the high regard of his brethren of these fraternities. 

ANDREW C. WISLER. 

For a quarter of a century Mr. Wisler has been in the railroad service, 
and occupies the position of conductor on the Panhandle road. He was 
born at Gettysburg on the 19th of May, 1857, and is a son of Ephraim and 
Louisa Wisler, both of whom spent their last days' in Gettysburg, the father 
dying on the nth of August, 1863, at the age of thirty-one years, while the 
mother passed away on the ist of September, 1874. In the family were 
but two sons, Andrew C. and Joseph Edward, the latter now a resident of 
Great Falls, Montana. With his parents and his brother Mr. Wisler was 
residing on the Chambersburg pike, three miles west of the town of Gettys- 
burg, when the battle began. The first shell fired that day struck their house. 
It was early morning and they were eating breakfast. A hole w^as knocked 
through the end of the house, but none of the family were injured. As' 
the Confederates advanced they were told to leave at once, so, locking up 
their little home, they made their way to the grandfather's home, remaining 
upon his farm near Gettysburg during the battle. After the Confederates 
retreated they returned to their own house, but found that it had been used 
as a hospital during their absence and all the furniture had been removed, 
so that they suffered considerable loss thereby. Although but a young boy 
at the time, Mr. Wisler vividly remembers and relates in an interesting man- 
ner many of the incidents' which occurred in connection with one of the most 
important engagements that occurred throughout the Civil war. 

Leaving home and entering upon an independent business career, he 
became connected with the railroad serA'ice in 1876, as a brakeman on the 
Pennsylvania Central. He left that road in January, 1883, and on the 3d 
of July, 1884, he entered the employ of the Panhandle Railroad Company as 
a brakeman, serving in that capacity until the 12th of January, 1889, when 
he was made a conductor. For twenty-five years he has been in railroad 
service, and this fact indicates the efficient manner in which he discharges 
his duties. The patrons of the road find him a most obliging and courteous 
official, and he has thus won many friends among those who often travel over 
his line. He indeed has an enviable record. Although he has been in many 
wrecks, he has never sustained a personal injury. He is prompt and 
methodical in the discharge of his duties and at the same time does every- 
thing in his power to promote the comfort of those who are in his care. 

Mr. Wisler was married, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, June 13, 1876, 
to Miss Annie Mackley. Her mother is still living on a farm near Gettys- 
burg, Pennsylvania, but her father died in 1897. The marriage of our sub- 



700 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ject and his wife has been blessed with two sons: Samuel, who was born 
in 1878 and was married, in January, 1899, to Miss Mary Keef, who died 
December 16, 1900, leaving a baby girl that died six weeks later. Samuel 
Wisler is employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Grover, who 
was born in 1884, is also in the service of the same road. Whatever suc- 
cess Mr. Wisler has achieved in life is due to his own efforts and has resulted 
from persistency of purpose and fidelity to the trusts reposed in him. 

HUGH L. FERGUSON. 

American citizens of Irish descent are often found in the ranks of the 
leaders in business and professional life. This reflection applies with full 
force to the family of Ferguson of which Dr. Hugh L. Ferguson, of Wester- 
ville. Franklin county, Ohio, is' a representative. Doctor Ferguson was born 
in Hopewell township. Perry county, Ohio, March 13, 1835, and Daniel 
Ferguson, his father, w^as a native of the same township. Daniel Ferguson 
was a successful farmer and dealer in tobacco and stock until eight years 
before his death, when he moved to Galesburg, Kansas-, where he died at the 
age of seventy-five years. He was a Whig and later a Republican, was a 
Mason and for several years a local preacher in the Baptist church. He 
was a son of Joseph Ferguson, a native of Pennsylvania, who was a soldier 
in the war of 1812. He was married in the Keystone state and was an early 
settler in Ohio, where he died at the age of about sixty-two years'. His 
father, the great-grandfather of Hugh L. Ferguson, was a Presbyterian from 
the north of Ireland, who sought in the United States larger liberties and 
better opportunities for advancement than were afforded him in his native 
land. 

Mr. Ferguson's mother was Louisana Holmes, a daughter of John and 
Chloe (O'Neal) Holmes, and a native of Virginia, who was brought to 
Perry county, Ohio, when a girl by her parents. Her father was born in 
Virginia also, and was of English extraction. He lived to be four score 
and ten years old. Mrs. Ferguson, who was a devout Baptist, died in Kan- 
sas, aged about eighty-three years. Daniel and Louisana (Holmes) Fergu- 
son had nine children, of whom Hugh L. was the second born. 

Doctor Ferguson spent his boyhood on his father's farm and was edu- 
cated in the common school, the high school, Dennison University and in 
Ohio University at Athens. At the age of twenty years he began teaching 
in a district school, being thus employed for ten years, readin'g medicine 
meanwhile under the preceptorship of Dr. W. C. Lewis, of Rushville. Perry 
county, Ohio. He was graduated from the Cincinnati College of Medicine 
and Surgery in 1869, but had been practicing medicine successfully in Perry 
county since January, 1866. In the spring of 1871 he went to Stoutsville, 
Fairfield county, Ohio, and entered upon a satisfactory career there, which 
continued until 1888, when, in order to better educate his children, he removed 
to Westerville, where he has since continued his medical practice. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 70i 

His medical studies were broken in upon by the Civil war, and July 31, 
1862, he turned his back on the school-room and his' medical studies and 
enlisted in Company H, Ninetieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with 
which he served, in the Army of the Cumberland, until the close of the war, 
when he was mustered out of service, his regiment having been in the Fourth 
Corps, First Brigade and First Division. He entered the service as first 
duty sergeant of Company H; in the spring of 1863 he was promoted to 
orderly sergeant; in 1864 to first lieutenant; and at Rome, Georgia, he was 
transferred to Company F. He participated in every battle in which his 
regiment engaged, including those at Murfreesboro, Stone River, Chicka- 
mauga, Resaca, Jonesboro, Franklin and Nashville. At the close of the war 
he resumed the study of medicine. After his graduation he practiced for a 
short time in partnership with his preceptor. 

In i860 Doctor Ferguson married Susan Hitchcock, a native of Perry 
county, Ohi'o, and a daughter of John F. and Rosannah Hitchcock, and they 
have had five children : Minerva D., who married A. W. Grove, of Picka- 
way county, Ohio ; Maggie, now deceased ; Frank Reese, of Chicago, Illi- 
nois, a railway mail clerk, whose route is between Chicago and Grafton, Vir- 
ginia ; Rosannah, who married George Balthaser, of Westerville ; and Charles 
D., a grocer at Plain City, Ohio. Doctor Ferguson is a Republican in poli- 
tics, has' been an active member of the city council and is now filling the 
office of mayor. He w^as received as an entered apprentice, passed the fellow 
craft degree and was raised to the sublime degree of master mason in Blendon 
Lodge, No. 339, F. & A. M., of Westerville, Ohio. He is a member of James 
Rice Post, No. 50, Grand Army 'of the Republic and is its surgeon and one 
of its' past commanders. Doctor and Mrs. Ferguson are active and helpful 
members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

ALPHEUS D. MYERS. 

Many of the men employed iji the different railway companies w^hose 
trains enter Columbus are residents of the capital city and among this number 
is Mr. Myers, conductor on the Pennsylvania road, whose home is at No. 
159 North Seventeenth street. He was born June 23, 1852, on a farm in 
Licking county, Ohio. His' father, David Myers, passed away in 1865, and 
the mother's death occurred in i860, both departing this life at their old 
home in Licking county. The former was born in Virginia and became a 
resident of the Buckeye state at an early day. In his family were two 
daughters : Jennie, wife of A. D. Mount, now a retired business man living 
in Cheny, Washington; and Maria, wife of M. J. Parkinson, a resident of 
Springfield, Missouri. 

Alpheus D. Myers, the subject of this sketch, spent the first thirteen 
years of his life upon his father's farm, working in the fields and meadows 
until after crops w^ere harvested in the autumn, w^hen he entered the public 
schools, there to pursue his studies. Between the ages of fifteen and seven- 



702 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

teen years he engaged in driving a hack. In 1869 he began working on tlie 
Baltimore & Ohio Raih'oad, running from Columbus to Zanesville, under 
Conductor Armentrout. After nine months' service he was placed in charge 
of the train, although only eighteen years of age at the time, his run being 
between Columbus and Bellaire. He continued in that position for six 
years and then left the company. In 1876 he accepted a position on the 
Pennsylvania road as brakeman, but after a few months, left that service and 
traveled through the southwestern part of the United States and down into 
old Mexico. In 1877 he returned and resumed work on the Pennsylvania 
road. He was promoted to conductor in the same year, and has been in the 
service of the same company continuously since that time. 

On the 27th of April, 1884, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Myers 
and Miss Carrie Rogan, the wedding ceremony being performed by the 
Rev. Anderson, of Columbus. Her father, William Rogers, came to the 
United States from Ireland when a young man, and he died before Mrs. 
Myers was old enough to retain any recollection of him. Her mother was 
born in Warren county, Ohio, and her father was the owner of a grist- 
mill on Tods Fork in that county. Since the death of her first husband the 
mother of Mrs. Myers has again married and is now Mrs. Helen Shields. 
She lives with her daughter in Columbus. Alonzo Rogan, a brother of 
Mrs. Myers, is a carriage trimmer of this city. Alice, her sister, married 
Judson Outcalt, and has been a widow for ten years. She has a young lady 
daughter, Edna, and they, too, reside in Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Myers 
have but one child, Lora, who was born July 2, 1887. She is in the seventh 
grade at school and has marked ability as an artist, as several pictures on the 
walls of her home attest. Mr. Myers' has been a member of the Knights of 
Pythias fraternity since attaining his majority. As the result of his industry 
and energy he has acquired a comfortable competence, and is now enabled 
to surround his family with all of the comforts of a modern home. 

CHARLES H. KECK. 

One of the most reliable engineers on the Pennsylvania line, running on 
the limited express between Columbus and Indianapolis', was born February 
25, 1854, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Charles Keck, was born in Penn- 
sylvania, in 1818, and in an early day removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where 
he died' in 1870. He had five brothers: George, W^illiam, Adam, Leonidas 
and Samuel, all of whom have passed away with the exception of Adam. 
One of the number, William Keck, served in the Civil war for four years, 
being with the Army of the Potomac. He was wuth his regiment in many 
important engagements, yet he was never w-ounded. The mother of our sub- 
ject. Mrs. Mary Keck, is still living in the old home in Cincinnati with her 
daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Davis. In addition to Charles H. the members of 
their family w^ere as follows: Mrs. Unity Robinson, a widow, Mrs. Mary 
Davis, George and Samuel, all residents of Cincinnati. Samuel Keck has 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 703 

been in the service of the Pennsylvania road for a number of years and is now 
a Pullman conductor, while George is an electrician. 

On the 4th of September, 1877, Charles. H. Keck entered the employ 
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in the capacity of fireman, and thus 
served until the 9th of July, 1883, when he was made engineer and has since 
occupied that position. For the past five years he has been on a passenger 
train and until three years ago was on the run between Cincinnati and Spring- 
field, Ohio. Since that time he has been on the limited express between 
Columbus, and Indianapolis. In 1884 he became a member of Division No. 
480, B. L. E., of Cincinnati, Ohio. He has always been true to the trust 
reposed in him, manifesting particular care in the discharge of his duty, and, 
realizing fully the responsibility which devolved upon him, he has carried 
forward his work in a manner that he lias avoided accidents and gained the 
highest commendation from' those whom he served, which praise he well 
deserves. 

JOSEPH POOR. 

Joseph Poor, who has one of the best improved farms' in the county, 
his home being in Plain township, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, July 
6, 1848. His parents were William and Mary (Ward) Poor. His father 
was born in Pennsylvania, in 1816, and when only two or three years of age 
was brought by his parents' to Ohio, settling in Fairfield county, where he 
was reared and married. For twenty years he engaged in farming there 
upon rented land and for some time, in addition to his farming operations, 
he conducted a shingle factory. Late in the '50s he purchased a small farm 
of fifty acres in Bloom township and afterward added to it a tract of fifteen 
acres, upon which he lived up to the time of his death. In politics he was a 
Democrat, and in religious connection was a Methodist for a number of years, 
but in later life he became associated with the Evangelical church, which 
erected a house of worship upon his place, and there he worshiped until his 
decease. He passed away August 19, 1895, and his wife, who was born 
November 12, 181 7, died on the 6th of March, 1876. Her father was a well 
known business' man in Circleville, Ohio, at an early day. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Poor were born twelve children, and of that number the following are 
yet living: Ir.vin; Elizabeth, the wife of Israel Gayman; Sarah, wife of 
Charles Brown; Joseph; Calista, wife of David Brownback; Catherine, wife 
of Wesley Lecrone; Mary P., wife of Theodore B. Moss; and Clara, wife of 
David Keiser. 

In his parents' home Joseph Poor spent the days of his childhood, and 
his' education was obtained in the common schools. As a companion and 
helpmate on the journey of life he chose Miss j\Iary E. Xotestine, their mar- 
riage being celebrated on the 14th of January, 1872. The lady is a native 
of Muskingum county, Ohio, and a daughter of William Notestine, who was 
born in Pennsylvania. Of the six children who graced their union, three 



704 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

still survive, namely: Charles E., a resident farmer of Plain township; 
Jesse W., at home; and Layton E., who is' a member of the United States 
navy. 

After his marriage Mr. Foor 'operated a farm for two years and then 
removed to Piqua, Ohio, where he rented a farm for two years. On the 
expiration of that period he returned to Fairfield county, carrying on farming 
just within the boundary line that separates Franklin from Fairfield county. 
After hisi mother's death he returned to the old homestead and rented the 
property for five years. In 1882 he purchased his present farm of ninety- 
five acres in Plain township, and has' made his home thereon continuously 
since. He has good buildings for the shelter of grain and stock, a com- 
fortable residence, well kept fences and richly cultivated fields, and has made 
his farm one of the best improved and desirable properties in the county. 
In his political affiliations he is a Democrat and religiously is connected with 
the liberal branch of the United Brethren church. In all life's relations he 
has been true to duty and to^ the right, and his career is one which has gained 
for him the confidence and good will of all with whom he has been associated. 

CHARLES A. POGUE. 

In the railroad service of the Pennsylvania line Charles Allen Pogue is 
employed as a conductor. He makes his home at No. 443 Denmead street, 
in Columbus', and is numbered among Ohio's native sons, for his birth 
occurred in Caddis, Harrison county, January 3, 1859. His father, James 
Pogue, had two brothers, William and John. The paternal grandfather wsls 
a tailor and worked at his trade in Caddis, Ohio, where he died many years 
ago. His wife was a member of the Bancroft family of Pennsylvania and 
was a Quaker in religious belief. James Pogue, the father of our subject, 
conducted a cigar factory in Caddis and there died in the year 1864. His' 
wife, Mrs. Sarah A. Dratton, is yet living in Caddis. They had but one 
son, Charles A., of this review, but their family numbers three daughters, 
Mrs. Elizabeth Marshall, who is now living in Woodbury, New Jersey; Mrs. 
Anna Browning, a resident of Fort Calhoun, of Washington county, Nebraska ; 
and Mrs'. Mary Martin, who is living in East Liverpool, Ohio. 

Charles A. Pogue was only five years of age at the time of his father's 
death. His mother afterward married again, and when in his thirteenth year 
our subject began carrying the mail for his stepfather from Caddis to Cam- 
bridge, Ohio, being thus employed until he had attained his eighteenth year. 
The most important event wdiich occurred in his life during that period was 
his attendance at the Centennial Exposition, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
in 1876. After carrying the mail he worked upon a farm in New Jersey 
for a year and then returned to his home, where he remained until 1880. 
In the winter of 1 880-1 he began work on the railroad as an employe of the 
Baltimore & Ohio line, running out of Newark, New Jersey, as a brakeman. 
In the spring of 1881 he returned home, remaining until June of the same 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 70S 

year, when he secured a position as brakeman on the P^^^^^^^'^^^^^, f^[[°^ 
ben.g in that service until July, 1882. Subsequently he worked on the Colum- 
bus & Toledo division of the Hocking Railroad for four 'f^'''^'-^^:\^^' 
service was at Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, where he remanied until ^^^^^'^ 
he returned to his home in Caddis, Ohio. On the 27th of August, 1885 he 
beo-an braking for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and on the ist ot 
Jamiary 1889, he was promoted to conductor, since serving in that way on 
the run from Columbus to Denmson, Ohio. 

Mr. Pogue was married, August 27, 1883, when Miss Addie Tice, of 
Columbus, became his wife. Her parents, John and Mar.a E Ti^^, are liv- 
ing in the capital city. Her father served as a m;ember of the Seventy- 
sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war and her mother had our 
brothers in the Federal army, namely: William, Jacob, Saul and Nelson 
Conine The last named was wounded and died during the war from the 
effects of his injuries. Mr. Pogue, of this review, has a nephew, Charles 
A Marshall, who is now serving his country in the Philippines, as a member 
of the Eleventh Regiment of United States Volunteer Infantry. For the 
past ten years Mr. and Mrs. Pogue have resided in Columbus and have formed 
a wide acquaintance and gained many friends. Their children are. Samuel 
B who was born May 17, 1886; Charles Earl, born March 14, 1889, and 
Lawrence C, born October 23, 1897- Mr. Pogue exercises his right of 
franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican par y and 
keeps well informed on the issues of the day, although political office has no 
attraction for him. He has, many admirable qualities which have gained 
for him high regard, and his worth as a citizen and individual as well as 
in the line of his chosen occupation is widely acknowledged. 

FRANK ARMSTRONG. 

Frank Armstrong, a reliable and popular conductor on the Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad, is numbered among the residents of the capital city, his home 
bein? at No 562 Hamilton avenue. He was born January 22, 1862, near 
Gallipolis', Ohio, and is of Irish lineage. His father, Robert Armstrong, 
was born on the Emerald Isle in 1830, and when a young man came to this 
country In 1852 he married Miss Angeline Sharp and their children are 
as follows: John F., who is engaged in farming in Delaware county, Ohio; 
Joseph William, who resides in W^ashington, Ohio; Ida, now the wifeof 
Brent Hornbeck, a conductor on the Norfolk & Western Railroad, living 
in Columbus; Andrew F., who died July i, 1897, at his home m Delaware 
county; and James Henry, who died in Columbus October 30, 1894. 

Mr. Armstrong, of this review, began his railroad career in September, 
1885, as a brakeman on the Pennsylvania line. In January, 1890, his faith- 
fulness was rewarded by his promotion to the position of conductor, and he 
has since served in that capacity, losing not a single day. He is always 
found at his post of duty and is' trustworthy to the greatest degree in matters 



7o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the most unimportant details. He enjoys the unquahtied confidence of 
those whom he serves and well merits the good opinion of his superiors in 
the railroad service. 

On the 28th of July, 1891, 'occurred the marriage of Mr. Armstrong 
and Miss Annie Miester, of Columbus, in which city they have made their 
home since their marriage. Her father, Jacob Miester, died August 6, 1877, 
but her mother, Mrs. Louisa Miester, is still living at the old home in Newark, 
Ohio. Their children are : Mrs. Mary McPherson, of Columbus ; Mrs. 
Elizabeth O'Connor, of Cincinnati; Mrs. Catherine Ewers, of Columbus; 
Mrs. Emma Reese, of Newark, Ohio; and Edward, who makes his home in 
Evansville, Indiana. Mr. Armstrong is a charter member of Division No. 
278, O. R. C, of Dennison, Ohio, and has been a member of Excelsior Lodge, 
L O. O. F., of Columbus, since 1890. He also belongs to Buckeye Camp, 
L O. O. F. Although his' life has been quietly passed, like the history of 
every man who is faithful to his duty, to himself, to his neighbors, to his 
country and to his employers, it contains many lessons that are well worthy 
of emulation. 

HARRISON E. STRAIN. 

The story of personal experiences, struggles and successes which it is 
the intention of the writer now to narrate has' its beginning early in the history 
of Ohio, when the ancestors of Harrison E. Strain, of Columbus, who were 
of Welsh descent, came to Highland county. The time was so early that 
Indians roamed over the state and several men of the Strain family lost their 
lives in Indian warfare. Both of Mr. Strain's grandfathers served in the 
war of 1 81 2 and his grandmother's' brothers were killed by Indians and one 
of his uncles and one of his aunts were captured in childhood by the savages, 
who adopted them into their tribe. 

The parents of the subject of this sketch were William and Jane Strain. 
His father died at Marion, Indiana, in October, 1867. aged forty-nine years, 
and his mother died at Xenia, Ohio, in 1878. William Strain was a con- 
tractor and builder who operated quite extensively in Greene county, Ohio, and 
who in 1 86 1, when Harrison E. was' eight years old, erected buildings on 
the Reid farm in that county. Mr. Strain was at the farm with his father 
and saw Whitelaw Reid bid his mother good-bye at his departure from his 
old home for New York city to accept a position on the editorial staff of the 
New York Tribune. Mr. Reid was then about twenty-four years old and 
Mr. Strain says that he had black hair which hung down on his shoulders, 
and wore clothing patched but clean, being to all appearances a typical green 
young man from the country. 

• William and Jane Strain had a good sized family of chilclren, the fol- 
lowing information concerning whom deserves a place in this record : Martha 
married E. Wike, at Xenia. Ohio, by whom she has five children: Walter, 
Harry. Donald, William and Frank. Eliza married Angus Brady, by whom 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 707 

she had one child who died in infancy, and died about a year after her mar- 
riage. Agnes married Ira Kelly and has six children : Lyda Bell, Chase, 
Helen, Linnia, Frank and Park. They make their home in Indiana. David 
F. enlisted three times for service in the Civil war, married and has five 
children : Chester, jMinnie, Lillie, Maud and Frank. He is now engaged 
in fruit farming at Grand Junction, Colorado. John and Jane died in infancy. 
Frank Strain died at the age of eighteen years. Flora married Park Wright, 
by whom she had four children : Jennings, Letha, Flossie and Mary, and 
died in Indiana in September, 1883. Charles L. Strain was an engineer and 
conductor for about ten years. He was married, in 1886, to Miss Jessie 
Kent, who bore him a son, Kenneth, January 12, 1888, and died in July, 1891. 
Mr. Strain enlisted for service in the Spanish-American war in an Arkansas' 
regiment, in 1898, but got no nearer the seat of war than Chattanooga. Ten- 
nessee. He enlisted again, in January, 1899, in the Eighteenth Regiment, 
United States regular army, which was sent to the Philippine islands May 29, 
1899, and is still stationed there at Iloilo. He was w^ounded by the explosion of 
the magazine of his own gun, which was struck by a bullet from the enemy, 
but otherwise his. health has been excellent. 

Harrison E. Strain was born at Xenia, Ohio, June 13, 1853, and was 
married, at that place, May 14, 1878, to Miss Rosa John, daughter of Joseph 
and Mary John. Mrs'. Strain is of Welsh descent and her father was born 
at Troy, Ohio, November 16, 1827, and her mother near Dayton, Ohio, 
December 20, 1827. Her mother's brothers, Samuel and Peter Benham, 
fought for the Union for four years as members of the Seventy-fourth Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Joseph Benham, another of her uncles, 
served one hundred days in the Civil war. Joseph and Mary (Benham) 
John are living at Xenia, Ohio, where Mr. John is prominently identified 
with real-estate interests. David John, Mrs. Strain's brother, was married, 
June 25, 1875, to ]\Iisb Jennie Lamb, and has sons named Edgar, Lester. 
Ray, Ralph and Lawrence, and lives at Xenia. Sarah John, Mrs. Strain's 
sister, was married, about 1867, to Jacob Ridenour, of Xenia, and has chil- 
dren named Haskin, William, Minnie. Frank and Clarence. 

Harrison E. and Rosa (John) Strain have had five children: Charles 
E., born March 6, 1879; Eltha M., born July 11, 1882, and died April 23, 
1894; Edna, born November 10, 1886; Gertrude, born August 2-^, 1891 ; 
Luella, born April 3, 1894. Their eldest son, Charles. E. Strain, is a grad- 
uate of the Columbus high school and of Parsons Business College, and is 
employed in the Hocking Valley shops at Columbus. He was married. July 
4, 1900, to Miss Martha Burke. 

Mr. Strain ran away from his home at Xenia during the Civil war and 
came to Columbus with the idea of enlisting as a soldier, but his extreme 
youth was so apparent that his offer of himself received little favor, and after 
he had remained around Camp Chase three days and around Camp Dennison 
about a week his father made a raid on him. captured him and took him back 
home. His railroad career began in 1872 and was interrupted in 1873 by a 



7o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

strike on the Miami road. In 1878 he secured employment on the Dayton 
Narrow Gauge Road, in which he continued four years and five months. 
June 28, 1879, he was promoted from fireman to engineer. March 2, 1882, 
he went on the Santa Fe Railroad as engineer, remaining four months. 
Then, returning to Ohio, he was an engineer on the old Scioto Valley Road 
from August 18, 1882, to August i, 1898, running from Columbus to Kenova, 
Wayne county, West Virginia, four years of the time as a freight engineer 
and after that as' a passenger engineer. 

During his career as a railroad man Mr. Strain has been in several excit- 
ing and disastrous railroad accidents, but has never received any serious 
personal injury. In a wreck on the Dayton Narrow Gauge line in 1879, when 
he was running between Dayton and Chillicothe, Ohio, his engine and four- 
teen cars ran off the track at a switch and went down the bank, but no one 
was hurt. In the freight service on the Scioto Valley Road in the winter 
of 1884 his train collided with another and one man was killed and several 
were injured. At Valley Crossing, August i, 1898, a locomotive which he 
was running through a switch yard, with trains of cars on either side, blew 
up without injuring anyone in the slightest degree, though there were three 
men on the engine which exploded and others in dangerous proximity to it. 

For about a year after his marriage Mr. Strain lived at Xenia, Ohio. 
From there he removed to Dayton, where he remained four years'. After 
that he lived at Portsmouth, Ohio, a year and a half. From Portsmouth he 
came to Columbus in 1884 and he has since lived at No. 561 East Second 
avenue. Politically he is a Republican and all members of his family belong 
to that party. 

RICHARD W. JOHNSON. 

Richard W. Johnson is one of the reliable and trustworthy engineers 
in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He resides in Colum- 
bus, his home being at No. 374 Denmead avenue, and he is a native of Ohio, 
his birth having taken place in Champaign county in 1861. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Johnson have been born but one child, Harold, whose birth occurred 
December 20, 1898. The family resided in Dennison, this state, until March, 
1900, when they became residents of this city. 

Mr. Johnson's railway service dates from the i8th of December, 1889, 
when he began on the Panhandle Railroad as fireman. His fidelity to duty 
and his close application to his work won him promotion in January, 1893, 
when he was made engineer, in which capacity he has since served. He had 
some remarkable experiences in the railway service when a young man, but 
has never sustained any serious injuries. He has held membership with the 
orders of Locomotive Firemen and Locomotive Engineers. In his political 
views he is a Republican and keeps well informed on the questions of the 
day, but has neither time nor inclination for public ofiice. His parents^ 
Joseph and Loretta Johnson, were both natives of Champlain county and are 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 709 

still residing there. The other members of the family are Fred, who is a 
train dispatcher at St. Louis, Missouri; and Jennie, a widow residing at the 
old home in Champlain county. 

The subject of this sketch received his early education in the public 
schools. No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of 
life in his youth. He was married, June 7, 1894, to Miss Lilly Laver, who 
was born in Cincinnati, but their marriage was' celebrated in the capital city. 
Her father was a native of Mansfield, Ohio, and her mother of Germany. 
He resides in Alliance, Ohio, but her death occurred in Colum^bus August 
6, 1893. 

JAMES STINEMETZ. 

James Stinemetz, of Columbus, isi numbered among the native sons of 
Ohio, his birth having occurred in Mt. Vernon on the 15th of July, 1865. 
His paternal grandparents were pioneer residents of Mt. Vernon, where they 
died many years ago. Natives of Germany, they crossed the Atlantic to 
the new world and took up their abode in that city. The parents of our 
subject were John and Caroline Stinemetz, who still reside in Mt. Vernon, 
of which place the father is a native. He is a carpenter and contractor and 
for a number of years, has been prominently connected with the building 
interests there. In his family are the follown'ng named : Bence, w^ho is mar- 
ried and resides at Mount Vernon, Ohio, has for eleven years been an engineer 
on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad, and in 1888 he lost one of 
his feet through a railroad accident; Albert and Lawrence are also living in 
Mt. Vernon, and the former follows the molder's trade, while the latter 
is an engineer by occupation ; and Lewhanna is the wife of James Monahan, 
an engineer on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad, now residing 
in Zanesville, Ohio. At the time of the Civil war the father of this family 
donned the blue, offered his services to the government and went to the 
south in defense of the Union. 

James Stinemetz spent the days of his youth in his father's home, and 
in 1882, when seventeen years of age, became connected with railroad work 
as a brakeman on a freight train on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus line. 
Later he wasi offered and accepted a position as conductor on the Pittsburg 
& Western Railroad, serving in that capacity from 1885 to 1887. ^^ the 
latter year he became a fireman on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Rail- 
road, running from Columbus to Hudson, Ohio, and in 1890 he was pro- 
moted to engineer, in which position he has since remained. He is known 
as one of the popular and reliable engineers on the road and has' never sus- 
tained any personal injuries except in 1883, when he met with a serious 
accident, the breaking of his collar bone, which necessitated a rest of two 
weeks. He is always found at his post of duty and is most faithful and care- 
ful in his' work. 

In January, 1895, occurred the marriage of j\Ir. Stinemetz and ]Miss 



710 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Nina W'orley. the wedding being celebrated in j\Iount Vernon. The lady 
is a daughter of John and Ruth Worley, both of whom are residents of 
Mount Vernon, and whose family number four children, namely: Mrs. 
Stinemetz; Dora, who died in 1898; and Patrick and Woods, both of whom 
are residents of Mount Vernon. Mr. Worley was also a Union soldier during 
the Civil war, going to the front with an Ohio regiment. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Stinemetz have been born two interesting children : Carl, whose birth 
occurred February 16, 1896; and Ruth, born January 22, 1898. The parents 
hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active interest 
in its work and upbuilding. Mr. Stinemetz also belongs to Division No. 34 
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, of Columbus, and in his political 
affiliations he is a Republican, believing firmly in the principles of the party. 

WILLIAM TURPIE. 

William Turpie is one of the most prominent and well-known repre- 
sentatives of real-estate interests in the city of Columbus, and a man of 
splendid executive and business ability and discriminating judgment, hav- 
ing control and management of extensive and important affairs. His father 
was born in the Emerald isle about the year 1810, and on coming to America 
located in White county, Indiana, in 1852. He had in the meantime acquired 
a good education in the schools of his native country, being thus well fitted 
for the practical duties of life. When he took up his residence in the Hoosier 
state he purchased an extensive tract of land and began farming. He had 
married in 1840, the lady of his choice being Miss Bridget Finn, and unto 
them were born two children: James H. and William, both natives of Ire- 
land, whence they came with their parents to the new world in early boyhood. 

Our subject w^as born in 1848. In consequence of a serious accident 
which happened to his younger brother, disabling him from performing man- 
ual labor in life, William Turpie conceded to his brother the opportunities 
for acquiring an education, while he remained upon the farm and assisted 
in its work. James was sent to Stockw'ell College, at Colfax, Indiana, where 
he completed his literary course and subsequently studied law in the ofifice 
of David Turpie, who for many years was a United States senator from 
Indiana. 

William Turpie in his early manhood married Miss Mary Frances Mc- 
Cray, of White county. This was in March, 1868. They became the par- 
ents of two children, the elder being Viola J., w^ho was born April 4, 1869, 
and became the wife of Charles Swartz, of Columbus, where they now reside. 
The son, James H. Turpie, was born April 5, 1871, and matriculated in the 
Ohio State University, in which institution he was graduated. Upon attain- 
ing his majority he removed to Nebraska, settling near North Platte, where 
he now resides, being extensively engaged in stock raising. Mrs. Turpie 
died on the 29th of April, 1891, and for his second wife Mr. Turpie chose 
Mabel W. Williams, a daughter of Enoch Williams, of Paulding, Ohio, who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7 1 1 

for many years was engaged in the real-estate business in that place, but is 
now living retired. By the second marriage there are also two children: 
Stubert M., who was born in 1893; and Clyde W., born in 1900. 

For ten years Mr. Turpie was an extensive stock raiser of northern Indi- 
ana, annually feeding a large number of beef cattle for the Chicago and eastern 
markets. Later he became interested in real estate and conducted important 
transactions in the handling of property. In 1885 he took up his abode in 
Columbus, where he is now residing. He has engineered a great many real- 
estate deals, some of great magnitude, involving the transfer of thousands 
of dollars. ' In the capacity of agent for the sale and exchange of property 
owned by capitalists it may be safely said that few men in the state of Ohio 
have in the same length of time negotiated a greater number of realty trans- 
actions than William Turpie. Deprived in early life of the opportunities 
of acquiring more than a common-school education, he has by his energy, 
pluck and perseverance achieved a success far greater than many other men 
whose advantages in early life have greatly surpassed his own. He belonged 
to that class of resolute youths who by sheer force of character advance 
steadily on the highway of prosperity. His resolute purpose would not per- 
mit him to be discouraged by obstacless and difficulties in his path, and with 
courage and determination he has mad^ his way continually upward to a 
position of affluence. 

EDWARD L. PHELAX. 

Edward L. Phelan was born September 7, 1858, in Franklin county, 
Ohio, and is now a well known teacher of Columbus. His father, Martin 
Phelan, was born in Ireland in 1814. and died in Columbus in 1890. His 
wiie was' also a native of the Green Isle of Erin and is now living in Colum- 
bus, in her sixty-ninth year. Their eldest son, ]\Iichael Phelan. was born in 
1856, and the other members of the family are: Edward L. ; William; and 
Joseph, a resident of this city. 

Under the parental roof the subject of this review spent the days of his 
boyhood, and the public schools afforded him his educational privileges'. He 
began railroading in 1876, when eighteen years of age, and was thus employed 
until 1890. being successively brakeman and freight and passenger conductor. 
He filled that last named pos'ition for eleven years, a most capable and efficient 
emplove of the road, his uniform courtesy and obliging manner winning him 
favor 'with the traveling public, while his' fidelity to duty won him the con- 
fidence of the corporation which he served. On his retirement from that 
service in 1890 he was appointed deputy under Sheriff James Ross and as 
his term in that position expired he was made bailiff of the county, an office 
created by the legislature of the state for only five counties in Ohio. Mr. 
Phelan occupied that position and his prompt and faithful discharge of his 
duties has won him the confidence of all law-abiding citizens. 

Mr. Phelan was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Monroe, of Colum- 



712 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus. Her father died during her early girhiood, but her mother is still liv- 
ing and isi now in her seventy-first year. Unto our subject and his wife 
were born eight children, namely : Mary, Edward, William, Annie, Frank, 
Walter, Robert and Raymond. Mr. Phelan and his family are members of 
the Catholic church and take quite an active part in all local movements in 
Columbus, and he has been a delegate to many of the national conventions. 
In manner he is pleasant, genial and jovial and has many friends in Columbus, 
especially in the executive department of the city service. 

FREDERICK WATERMAN. 

Frederick Waterman, now deceased, represented a family whose name 
figures conspicuously in connection with the history of Franklin county. He 
was a son of Joseph Waterman, one of the honored pioneers of this section 
of the state, and the old family homestead is a landmark in Columbus. Mr. 
Waterman, of this review, was born in Franklinton in 1832, and his occupa- 
tion through life was farming. He carried on agricultural pursuits in a 
most practical and progressive manner, and his labors brought to him an 
excellent return. 

In early life Frederick Waterman was united in marriage to Miss Re- 
becca Anderson. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Waterman were born nine children,, 
of whom three are yet living, namely : Emma, Mary and George L. The 
family continued to reside upon the farm until 1897, when, putting aside 
the more arduous duties of a business career, Frederick Wa^-erman retired 
to private life and with his living children took up his abode in Columbus, 
at No. 54 South Grubbs street. His wife had died while on the farm, in- 
1890, at the age of fifty-seven years. Mr. Waterman w^as an active and 
influential member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Order of 
Red Men, and his son is also connected with the same organization. His 
death occurred in 1899, and thus passed away one who had long been an 
active factor in agricultural circles in Franklin county. His business record 
as well as his private career was above reproach, and he left to his children 
the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. The family have always- 
been Episcopalians, and the present representatives are of that faith. 

JOSEPH W. JONES. 

As citizen, soldier, farmer, stock dealer and public official, the well known 
citizen of Columbus, Ohio, whose name is above has' commended himself to 
his fellow citizens of all classes and of all shades of political belief. He was 
born on a farm in Athens county, Ohio, March 8, 1836, a son of David and 
Sarah (Dixon) Jones. Hisi parents were natives of Pennsylvania. His 
grandfather in the paternal line was James Dixon, who came from Pennsyl- 
vania to Ohio in 1832. and located on a farm in Athens county, where he 
died in 1846. His wife died in the seventy-eighth year of her age. Air. 




JOSEPH W. JOHES. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 713 

Jones' father was also an early settler in Athens county, and there Air. Jones 
was reared to manhood and educated in district and select schools. He 
remained on the home farm until his twentieth year and by the time the Civil 
war began he had made an encouraging- start in life. In 1861 he enlisted in 
Company A, Sixty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, commanded by 
Colonel John Sprague. The regiment was sent to the front and tb? first 
engagement in which Mr. Jones participated was the memorable fight at New 
Madrid. After that he took part in the fighting at Island No. 10, Fort Pil- 
low, Farmington, Corinth and luka Springs and in a number of less import- 
ant engagements. In November, 1864, he was promoted to be second ser- 
geant of his company and he served in that rank until honorably discharged 
in 1865. He made a three-years record as a soldier which does him great 
credit and should be preserved by his descendants as a precious heirloom. 

Returning to his home in Athens county, Mr. Jones engaged actively in 
farming and dealing in live stock. After a few years he gradually drifted into 
the real-estate business, buying and selling farms on his own account, and in 
time he became one of the prosperous farmers in his township. His judg- 
ment in the practical affairs of life came to be respected and he was several 
times elected to the office of justice of the peace by the citizens of Gloucester, 
Ohio. In 1898 he was appointed United States pension agent at Columbus 
for a term of four years by President McKinley. He took up his residence 
in the capital city of Ohio in August of the same year and has since devoted 
himself conscientiously and unreservedly to the performance of the duties of 
his office, with such success that any pension agent in the United States might 
bs proud of his record. As a Republican Mr. Jones has always been active 
and influential and his counsel has been sought by- other party leaders in local, 
county and state politics. He keeps alive the associations of the Civil war 
by membership in W. P. Johnson Post, No 340, Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic, and he is a member of Bishop Lodge, No. 470, A. F. & A. M., of Bishop- 
ville, Morgan county, Ohio. 

Mr. Jones wasi married, December 8. 1864, to Miss Alartha E. Anderson, 
daughter of George S. Anderson, of Hocking county, Ohio, who died January 
10, 1881, after having borne him seven children, named as follows: Sara 
E., Ella S., James S., Joseph E., Elmer L., Alice B., and Silas H.. wdio died 
January 10, 1881. Mr. Jones' present wife was Miss Louisa Wyatt, daugh- 
ter of Jacob L. Wyatt, of Gloucester, Ohio, who has borne him three chil- 
dren, as follows: Louise F., David W. and Dana. 

JOSEPH C. THOMPSON. 

Among those whose lives in former years have constituted an integral 
part of the history of Franklin county and contributed in large measure to 
its substantial grow^th was Joseph C. Thompson, now deceased. ^ He was a 
native of Maryland, born near Baltimore. The family is of Scotch-Irish 
lineage and was founded in the new world during the colonial epoch in our 



714 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

country's history Alexander Thompson, the father of our sul:)ject, was also 
a native of Maryland, and when the colonies, no longer content to wear the 
yoke of British oppression, resolved to sever all allegiance to the mother coun- 
try, he joined the army and commanded a company during the seven years' 
struggle which resulted in winning liberty and independence for the Ameri- 
can nation. He also had two brothers, John and William^, who were num- 
bered among the heroes of the Revolutionary war. The former was a colo- 
nel in the United States troops and commanded his regiment through the 
greater portion of the war. The family owned a manor in Maryland. The 
birth of our subject occurred at the family home in 1788, and when about 
twelve or fifteen years of age, being of a venturesome disposition, he went 
to sea on board a boat belonging to his uncle, Mr. Chaplain, the vessel sailing 
to the West Indies and along the Atlantic coast. Subsequently he was em- 
ployed in the United States Arms Manufactory at Harpers Ferry. In 1818 
Joseph C. Thompson left the capital city with his uncle. Colonel John Thomp- 
son, and made an overland journey to Ohio, taking up his abode on the Scioto 
river. He .remained there only a short time, however, going thence to Cleve- 
land, but later he returned and took up his abode in Columbus, where he 
followed his irade of blacksmithing and gunsmithing. \\'hile at Harpers 
.Ferry he had served his country in the war of 18 12, enlisting in a company 
which w^as there formed and with which he remained until hostilities had 
■ceased. He was taken prisoner at the Stone ]\Iills, in Canada, and partici- 
pated in the siege of Baltimore. 

After locating in Columbus Joseph C. Thompson was united in marriage 
to Miss Mary Guy, and they became the parents of two children, Alexander 
and John, both of whom have now passed away. The mother also died, and 
for his second wife Mr. Thompson chose -Eliza Smith, a daughter of Joseph 
Smith. This marriage was blessed with five children, namely : Joseph C., 
Samuel, James G., Catherine, who became the wife of J. Q. Andrews, and 
William. Of this family three have passed away; James is yet a resident 
of Perry township, Franklin county, and Samuel is living in Columbus. 

Mr. Thompson, the father, continued to reside in Columbus until 1830, 
there following the blacksmith's trade. In that year, however, he removed 
to Perry township, taking up his abode north of Dublin, on the Scioto river, 
where he established a shop, following his chosen vocation until advanced 
age compelled his retirement from business life. At one time he resided for a 
brief period in Detroit, Michigan, where he engaged with the government 
in the manufacture of tomahawks and knives, which were used in making 
compromises with the Indians. He was an industrious and energetic man, 
and was actively associated with business affairs in Franklin county at an 
early day. He was a member of the Episcopal church, and his wife held 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. Both were earnest and con- 
sistent Christian people, their lives exemplifying their belief in the principles 
taught by the lowly Nazarene. Mr. Thompson was also a representative 
of the Masonic order, belonging to Eastern Star Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7 1 5 

of Worthington. He died in 1862, and his wife, who was born in i797, 
passed awa; in 1876, at a ripe old age. Through the period of pioneer de- 
^"orment fn Franklin county they were identified with its W. and M 
Thompson in a quiet and unassuming way aided m the xNoik ot P^^-'^l "^ 
pr^gXand improvement, so that his name was deeply engraved on the loU 
01 tlie honored early settlers. 

JAMES G. THOMPSON. 

Tames G. Thompson is a worthy representative of one of the pioneer 
families of Franklin county, and throughout his entire life he has resided 
V trnfits borders, his birth having occurred on the old homestead m Perry 
ow ship Februar'y 3, 1833. There he was reared to --hood experiencing 
the usual hardships and trials as well as the ^^'^'^'^'i;^^''^''^^^^^ 
life His education was acquired m the primitive school, of that da) and 
hen old enough to enter upon an independent business career he began farm- 
mo"whicl he has made his life occupation. _ He now owns one hundre^^^^^^^ 
seventy-five acres of valuable land, well improved and highly c^ ti ated. 
His farm is one of the best in the township and indicates his careful super- 
vision and earnest effort. . , . ■ », -vr.c. Mar 

In early manhood Mr. Thompson was united m marriage to Mis» Mar- 
garet Friend, a daughter of John and Mary (B-rd) Friend, p«.neers o 
Oliio The wedding of our sub ect was celebrated May 22, 839- Wer 
fate, John Friend, was a native of Virginia, born in 1801, ^"d ™ /aking 
UD his abode in Ohio located in Hocking county, where he resided until 1839 
In he came to Franklin county. In Zanesville this =tate, lie was joined 
in wedlock to Mary Beard, who was born in Franklmton, Ohio, •" i8°3, her 
parents taking up their abode in that place m the same year Her father 
participated iS the Indian wars, and was also in the war of 1812 V^ h his 
family h« resided in Franklinton for many years, there rearing his cl Idren^ 
numbering two sons and seven daughters. His wite engaged in gahermg 
roots on tlie tract now included within the state-house g™unds in Columbu^ 
The most far-sighted at that time could not have dreamed of the ^^onder ul 
ctorges which would occur, founding and building the capital city and tran,- 
formfng Franklin into one of the most populous counties »< /his great con - 
monwealth. John Friend was a comb-maker by trade and al.o a potter^ 
Fo everal yiars he carried the mails for the stage companies He resid d 
at various ^ints in Ohio, but at length permanently located - Fr^nkhn 
county, following farming in Perry township, tnto Mr. and ^rs Friend 
were born eight daughters, all of whom are yet living, namely . Emily, wit. 
of John Isenberg; Mary Jane, wife of Richard Davis; Caroline, who married 
John Zachariah; Margaret, wife of J. G. Thompson Betsy who wedded 
Mack Sells; Nancy, wife of Charies Sells; Catherine, widow of J. C. Thomp- 
son; and Hannah, wife of William Bacon. The father of this family died 
in 1879 and his wife, surviving him about three years, passed away in i8b.. 



7i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

The marriage of Mr. and ]\lrs. Thompson has been blessed with seven chli- 
dren, of whom five still survive, namely : Robert, a prominent citizen "of 
Columbus; Emily, wife of William E. Brown; Thurman, who is assistant 
superintendent of the workhouse at Columbus; Susie, wife of Heriiian Ealey; 
and William, who is living in Columbus. After the marriage of the parents 
they located upon a tract of land in Perry township, where they have since 
resided. This property was purchased by Mr. Thompson's father in early 
pioneer days, and has been the home of our subject and his wife from the 
time when they started on life's journey together. Mr. Thompson has been 
identified with numerous public offices, having been called to office on sev- 
eral occasions without solicitation on his part. He has always evinced a 
deep interest in educational matters, and at intervals through many years 
has served as a member of the school board, filling that position at the pres- 
ent time. In 1880 he was appointed by the United States government to 
take the census of Perry township. This appointment came to him as a com- 
pliment, inasmuch as he is a Democrat and was given the office over a Re- 
publican opponent in a Republican district. Mr. Thompson holds membership 
in New England Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., of Worthington, having attained 
the master degree. Both he and his wife have lived upright lives, in harmony 
with the golden rule, and wherever they are known have commanded the 
respect and confidence of those with whom they have been associated. ]Mr. 
Thompson has been a worthy successor of his father in the work of promot- 
ing the development and upbuilding of his county, in which he has ever mani- 
fested a deep and abiding interest. He is unostentatious in manner, but his 
sterling worth shines forth from his quiet disposition and makes him one of 
the valued and reliable citizens of his native county. 

Mrs. HANNAH M. LEONARD. 

Mrs. Hannah j\L Leonard, a resident of Columbus, was born in England, 
in the year 1821, and came to Delaware, Ohio, in company with her sister, 
Mrs. Margaret Wallace, nee Brentnal. There, in 1840, she gave her hand 
in marriage to Thomas Roberts, and they began their domestic life in Colum- 
bus. Mr. Roberts was a printer by trade, and with the exception of five years 
spent in the west they resided in Columbus up to the time of his death, which 
occurred in 1847. They were the parents of four children, three of whom died 
in early childhood, and George E. is now married and resides upon his farm 
in Franklin county. 

After the death of her first husband Mrs. Roberts was again married, 
becoming the wife of Theodore Leonard in 1856. The wedding was cele- 
brated in Columbus, and has been blessed with two daughters and two sons. 
The eldest, Mrs. Rose Byrne, is the wife of N. G. Byrne, a prominent lawyer of 
the capitol city, while Josepha is the wife of Theodore Watterson, who is en- 
gaged in the insurance business in Columbus, and by whom she has one 
child, Hannah, who was born in 1896. Mrs. Leonard's surviving son, Robert 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 



717 



T Leonard is a resident of tliis citv. Mrs. Leonard makes lier liome at Ko. 
[.erPrankl n avenne She l,as been a resident of Columbus for sixty year», 
a^d lias he efo e l^een a witness of much of its growth and development. 
She has 1 widfacciJtaintanee among the best class of people here, and enjoys 
the high regard of many friends. 

SAMUEL A. DAVIS. 

The subject of this personal narative is one of the most successful and 
proo-i4ssive agriculturists of Norwich township and owns and opera s one 
S tlie best fa1-ms within its borders. Here he has spen h.s -tire h^e h. 
birth having occurred upon his present farm October 8, ^^SS- He a wortny 
renresentatfve of one of the honored pioneer families of Franklin county, 
ri o rtrand^on of Samuel and Elizabeth (Smith) Davis. His father, 
Asa Davilw"; their eldest child. Both parents of our subject are now de- 

"^'^Mr Davis was reared to agricultural pursuits, and attended the district 

thit he thoroughly understands the occupation which he has chosen as 

"^' lTi884 Mr. Davis was united in marriage with Miss Amanda Cook, a 
dau^h e ol*Seth Cook, of Cardington. They began 'heir domestic life on 

mmmsmwmM. 

office-seeking. He was reared in the Presbyterian church, and is highh 
respected by all who know him. 

CHARLES LINDNER. 

Columbus. Ohio, one of the most important railroad centers in the state 
k the DlaS of residence of many efficient and popular rai road men among 
whom none i more prominent in his special field than Charles Lindner, o 
No 450 East Second'avenue. Mr. Lindner is of German -vestry and has 
fnherlted all those sterling German qualities which ^^%?f^P ^^^^J^^^^^^f °,tt 
successful in whatever walk of life they may choose. His g^andtather lett 
Ws native land and sought better opportunities for progress and prosperity 
in this country at a comparatively early day. 



7i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Lindner's father, Andrew Lindner, died at his home in Portsmouth, 
Ohio, in 1881, and his widow is still living there with her son Fred. Charles 
Lindner was born at Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1866, and was married in 1889 
to j\Iiss Mary Flanagan, a native of Wheelersburg, Scioto county, Ohio, 
where her father died and where her mother is still living. Mrs. Lindner 
has two brothers, James and Richard Flanagan, living at Wheelersburg, 
and another brother, Thomas, living in Colorado. Her sister, Miss Sarah 
Flanagan, lives with her mother. The Flanagans are descended from an 
old L'ish family, which for many generations has produced men and women 
of the highest respectability. Mr. and Mrs. Lindner have a daughter named 
Martha. The family are members of the Catholic church, and Mr. Lindner 
is a Democrat of influence in his party, but is not an office-seeker. 

It was as a fireman that Mr. Lindner began railroading in 1889. After 
three years service with that company he entered the service of the Norfolk 
& Western Railway Company, which, after he had served six years as fire- 
man, advanced him to the position of engineer, which he still holds. He 
has been so successful as an engineer that he stands high in the estimation 
of his employers, and his experience has been remarkable in that during his 
entire career as a railroad man he has never lost a day's work on account 
of sickness or sustained a personal injury. He became a member of the 
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers at Columbus in 1893, and has since 
devoted himself zealously to the advancement of all interests of the order. 
He possesses many genial qualities which enable him to make and retain 
friends, and his personal popularity in all circles in which he moves is every- 
where recognized. He is helpful to his church and to many public interests, 
and is regarded as a useful and progressive citizen. While active and influ- 
ential politically, he has never been an office-seeker, and he has persistently 
refused such offices as have been tendered him. 

JOHN M. SHOCKER. 

John M. Shocker was born on the 9th of August, 1851, in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, and is now living in Ohio's capital city. His father, Henry 
Shocker, is also a native of the Keystone state, born in 181 5, and in an 
early day he came to Ohio, his death occurring in Alliance, this state, in 
i860, while his wife passed away in Crestline, Ohio, in 1884, at the age of 
fifty-nine. His brothers and sisters were Joseph, William, Margaret and 
Emeline. In addition to the subject of this sketch the members of the family 
of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Shocker are : Henry, a machinist, who was born 
in 1845, ^i^d is now living in Philadelphia; Thomas, of Mansfield, Ohio, 
who was born in 1849, ^^^ is a fireman in the Pennsylvania roundhouse at 
that place; Samuel, who was born in 1847, ^^^ died in 1875; William, who 
was born in 1854, and died in 1870; and Mary, wife of C. Jackson, a resi- 
dent of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and is employed as an engineer on the 
Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. Of this family Harry and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7^9 

Thomas both served in the Civil war, aiding in defense of the Union as 
members of the Tenth Iowa Cavalry. 

In taking up the personal history of John AI. Shocker we present to our 
readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known among 
the train men and also to others in different walks of life. He acquired his 
early education in the public schools, and when seventeen years of age began 
working on the railroad, in the employ of the Pennsylvania company, as 
brakeman, remaining with that corporation until 1873. He then accepted 
a similar position with the Cleveland; Akron & Columbus Railroad, and two 
years thereafter he was made conductor, running upon a local freight for 
three years. He was next made passenger conductor, and has held that posi- 
tion continuously since. He has never lost any time, and is always found 
at his post of duty, capably discharging the duties which devolve upon him. 
He has never received any personal injuries, and has a clean and enviable 
record. 

On the i8th of January, 1872, Mr. Shocker was joined in wedlock to 
Miss Margaret Hoover, of Crestline, Ohio. Her parents are both now de- 
ceased, her father, General Hoover, having passed away in 1887, while his 
wife died in 1884. Unto our subject and his wife have been born seven 
children: James, who was born September 14, 1873. and is now a fireman 
on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad; William B., born September 
19, 1875; Eliza May, born February 2, 1877; Jennie P., born February 7, 
1879; Lena P., born June 7, 1881 ; Margaret, born April 24, 1895; and John 
C. All of the children are living at home. The family hold membership 
in the Disciple church of Columbus, and the members of the household enjoy 
the warm regard of a large circle of friends. In his political views Mr. 
Shocker is a Republican, but has never sought or desired office, although he 
keeps well informed on the issues of the day. 

JOHN W. McCANN. 

John Wesley McCann, deceased, was for many years a prominent farmer 
of Norwich township, and one of its most highly esteemed citizens. On the 
paternal side he traced his ancestry back to Ireland, his grandfather, Robert 
McCann, being a native of the Emerald isle, who came to America when a 
young man and located near Chillicothe, Ohio, where he followed farming 
until his death. He married a lady of German descent. 

John McCann, father of our subject, was born near Chillicothe. and 
also became a farmer. In early manhood he wedded Elizabeth Golden, a 
native of Virginia, who came to Ohio with her parents when only seven 
years old, and could relate many interesting incidents of pioneer days. Early 
one morning in winter she heard a deer bleating on the ice, and running to see 
what was the matter she found that the deer had fallen on the ice and broken 
its leg. She procured a butcher knife and dispatched it without much loss 
of time. After his marriage the father of our subject located near Lebanon, 



720 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Ohio, and about 182 1 brought his family to Norwich township, this county, 
locating on a farm south of Hilliard, now owned by Mathias Schatz. He 
was one of the earliest settlers of that section. Having cancer of the stomach 
and there being no physician in his neighborhood, he at length moved to 
Darby's Plains, Madison county, where he could be under the doctor's care. 
Becoming better, he determined to return home, but on the way back was 
forced to stop at the home of Isaac Fuller, where he died a short time after- 
ward. His widow survived him some years, and subsequently became the 
wife of Andrew Noteman. After the letter's death she made her home with 
our subject, where she died at the age of seventy years. Both parents of 
our subject were earnest and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, and the latter efficiently served as justice of the peace for many years. 
In their family were the following children: Thomas G.. who died in ISIadi- 
son county, Ohio; Eliza M., who married Benjamin Carter, and died at 
Waverly, Ohio; Robert, who died at Plain City; George W., who died in 
Norwich township; John W., our subject; Andrew J., who died in Dublin, 
this county; Nancy Jane, wife of Aurelius Hager, of Plain City; Syms, who 
died in Bro^vn township, this county; and Mary Martha, who married Alfred 
S. Golden, and died in Iowa. 

The subject of this review was born in a log house in Norwich township, 
as he said, "in 1822, when the squirrels tried what they could do." There 
he grew to manhood. His education was obtained under adverse circum- 
stances, as at first he had to go a long distance, the nearest schoolhouse being 
in Brown township. Among his teachers was David Thomas. He w-as 
only twelve years old when his father died, after which he made his home 
with his mother until she married again and left the home farm, leaving it 
to her eldest son, with whom our subject lived for some time. 

On the 23d of October, 1840, in Norwich township, Mr. McCann mar- 
ried Miss Jane Geddes, who was born in Northumberland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, a daughter of James and Harriet (Smiley) Geddes. Her father was 
born in the same county, February 21, 1776, and spent his entire life there, 
dying in the house where he was born in 1826. For his first wife he mar- 
ried Mary Ann Smith, by whom he had six children, four reaching years of 
maturity. Of the two children born of his second marriage Mrs. McCann 
is the older. James S. came to Ohio with his parents, and when a young; 
man went to Dayton, where he learned the carpenter's trade with John 
Thomas. He then went to northern Indiana, married Sarah Martindale, 
and is still living in Stark county, that state. After the death of James 
Geddes his widow married John G. Laird, w^ho brought the family to Ohio 
in 1838, and in 1855 moved to Illinois, locating six miles from Monmouth, 
where he made his home for many years. There his wife died in 1871, and 
he afterward went to Iowa, making his home near Lenox until his death. 
His remains \vere taken back to Illinois and buried by the side of his wife 
at Kirkwood. Mrs. McCann's paternal grandparents were Paul and Mar- 
garet Geddes. The former was a native of Ireland, and on his emigration 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 721 

to America taught school for a time in Virginia, and later located perma- 
nently in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, where he died when well 
advanced in years. Matthew Laird went to Africa as a missionary in 1833. 
Harriet Myer was to accompany him, and although they had never met, 
their friends thought they had better marry, which they did. Mrs. McCann 
lost her father when only two years and a half old, after which she was taken 
by her grandfather and lived with him until four years of age. She then 
joined her mother, who was teaching school in Mifflinsburg, Pennsylvania, 
and later lived at intervals with her grandparents and mother, who had mar- 
ried again, attending school in Mifflinburg, Louisburg and other places, in 
Pennsylvania. In 1838, at the age of fourteen, she came with the family 
to Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, and continued her education 
under the direction of her step-father and others until sixteen years of age. 
She then taught one term of school in what was known as the Bowser dis- 
trict in Brown township. It was the first school in the district and was con- 
ducted in an old log cabin. As there were only five scholars there, Mrs. 
McCann brought her brother and two sisters with her, making eight in all. 

To Mr. and Mrs. McCann were born the following children: James 
Harvey, who died in infancy ; Eunice, at home ; George Milton, a resident 
of Cleveland, Ohio; James William, who died at the age of forty-two years; 
David S. and Charles M., both at home; Thomas Syms, a resident of Nor- 
wich township; Laura Jane, wife of David Breese; Ada Sophia and Ida 
Maria, twins, the former of whom died at the age of twenty-eight years, 
the latter in infancy; Frank G., a resident of Indianapolis; and Clara B., 
at home. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. McCann went to housekeeping on a 
farm of forty acres, in a log cabin, eighteen by twenty feet, with a stick chim- 
ney and old-fashioned fireplace. To the improvement and cultivation of his 
farm Mr. McCann at once turned his attention, and, meeting with success 
in his labors, he later purchased thirty-seven acres in one tract and fifty acres 
in another. He was an energetic, enterprising business man, and became a 
very prosperous farmer. Politically he was first a Whig and later a Repub- 
lican, and was called upon to fill several township offices. Prior to his mar- 
riage he united with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was ever 
afterward an active and consistent member, and died in that faith, February 
t8, 1897, honored and respected by all who knew him. His estimable wife 
still survives him. She is a lady of great intelligence and remarkable mem- 
ory, and has a large circle of friends and acquaintances, who have for her 
the highest regard. 

Mrs. SUSANNAH MULL. 

Mrs. Susannah Mull has a wide acquaintance in Columbus, being a 
representative of one of the old and prominent families of the city. She is 
a daughter of William and Margaret Fleaiing. Her father was born in 



722 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1807, mid was married in 183 1 to Margaret Feifzell, in Franklinton. H.r 
birth occurred in Virginia in 1809, her parents be.ng Edward and Susanna.i 
Feirzell, both of whom were natives of the Old Dominion and owned a large, 
Virginian plantation near Fairfax Court House. The surviving children 
of Mr. and Mrs. Fleming are : Mrs. Susannah Mull, Frank, Andrew J., and 
Maria, who are residents of Columbus. Those that have passed away are 
Mrs. Sarah Ann Barber, Samuel, Mrs. Elizabeth P. Mull, Edward, Fanny, 
Martha and Leonard. Mrs. Maria Fleming resided with her mother until 
the latter's death, which occurred in January, 1901, at her home at No. 36 
North Fifth stfeet, Columbus, and though in her ninety-second year at the 
time of her demise, she retained her mental faculties unimpaired to the last. 
Susannah Fleming spent her girlhood days in her parents' home, and on the 
loth of July, 1863, she gave her hand in marriage to John H. Mull, the wed- 
ding being celebrated at her home in this city. Her husband was born in 
Columbus June 30, 1835. He has a brother and sister, Frederick and Mrs. 
Perkins, both of whom are residing in the capital city. The former lost 
his wife in 1881. She died leaving one child, Ida, who is now living with 
her aunt,^ Mrs. Susannah Mull. Frederick Mull has long been in the rail- 
way service, and through an extended period was an engineer on the Pan- 
handle road, but after his brother's death he refused to serve longer in that 
capacity, and has since been in the yard service in Columbus. 

John Mull entered the railroad service as an employe of the Columbus 
& Xenia Company, in 1853, when only eighteen years of age. He became 
a fireman, and before he was twenty-two years of age was made engineer. 
In 1859 he became an engineer on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton road, 
and two- years later entered the employ of the Panhandle Railroad on the 
Piqua & Indianapolis division. For twenty-seven years he was in continuous 
service with that road in one capacity, being the oldest engineer on the west- 
ern division of the line. In all his railway service he never missed a day 
and no complaint was ever uttered or filed against him. He possessed the 
rare gift to awaken within fifteen minutes of the time necessary to report 
for duty, and for this he never required the assistance of an alarm clock, nor 
had he to depend upon any of his family to call him. There seemed to be 
an intuitive perception which enabled him to awaken at the right time. His 
last run was made in 1890. On the 30th of July of that year, while making 
the return trip from Bradford Junction, he left his engine on a side track 
at nine thirty in the morning and proceeded to the telegraph office for orders. 
Upon his return he was blinded by the steam which was being blown ofif from 
his engine, and was struck by an east-bound fast passenger train, being 
thrown a distance of ten feet and instantly killed. His remains were brought 
back to his home, No. 271 North Twentieth street, Columbus, and were 
interred in Greenlawn cemetery. The engineer on the locomotive which 
caused his death was an old friend, George Beckwith, who for years had 
served as fireman under Mr. Mull. The latter was one of the best known 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 723 

engineers in the railway service, always reliable, prompt and trustworthy, 
and he enjoyed the confidence of his superiors in an unusual degree. 

After their marriage Mr. and Airs. Mull located first in Franklinton, 
and several years before the Civil war they went to Richmond, Indiana, 
v.'here they remained for a year. On the expiration of that period they 
returned to Columbus, establishing their home at No. 51 Chestnut street, 
where they remained until July, 1889, when Mr. Mull purchased the property 
at No. 271 North Twentieth street, where his widow is still living. They 
had two sons, who are now in the railway service: David, who for seventeen 
years has been an engineer on the Panhandle road, and is now married and 
resides on Alonroe avenue; and John, who is also an engineer for the same 
company. He is married, and makes his home at No. 428 Hamilton avenue. 
Another son, Arthur, who is in the service of the Adams Express Company, 
is married and has one child, Arthur, who was born June 6, 1895. The 
dates of birth of the three sons are: David, born February 15, 1865; John, 
born September 23, 1867; and Arthur, born August 25, 1869. The name 
of Mull has long figured prominently and honorably in connection with rail- 
way service, and in the capital city the family is widely known, the sterling 
characteristics of its members winning for them the confidence and friendship 
of all with whom they are associated. 

CHRISTIAN OFFEXBARGER. 

Among the self-made men of Norwich township who as farmers have 
attained success through their own unaided efforts is Christian Offenbarger, 
who was born in the province of Baden, Germany, November 21, 1864. 
His paternal grandfather, John Offenbarger, spent his entire life there, at- 
tending school until fourteen years of age, and later following the stone 
mason's trade, wath the exception of the three years spent in the German 
army. He died in old age prior to the birth of our subject. 

Lawrence Offenbarger, the father of Christian, was born in Baden, 
April 24, 181 1, and was a student in the schools of that province until he 
attained his fourteenth year. At the age of twenty-one he entered the Ger- 
man army, and during the three years of his service participated in the revo- 
lution of 1848. He wedded Aliss Mary Zandt, who was born in Baden June 
6, 1814, a daughter of Charles Zandt. The father died in his native place 
in 1882, and in 1893 the mother came to the United States to make her home 
with her son Albert in Canton. Ohio, where her death occurred four years 
later. In their family were the following children : George and William, both 
residents of Canton; Albert, who came to America in 1880, and also lives 
in that city; Charles, a resident of Canton; Jacob, of Norwich township, 
this county; Christian, our subject; and Henry, of Columbus. 

As soon as he had attained sufficient age Christian Offenbarger entered 
the schools of his native land, where he pursued his studies until fourteen, 
and then worked as a farm hand at thirtv dollars per year. In 1884 he and 



.724 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

his brother George emigrated to America, saiHng from Bremen on the steamer 
Weilland, which landed them safely in New York after a voyage of nine 
and a half days, during which they encountered a severe storm which lasted 
two days. His brother Albert had sent the money to pay the passage of our 
subject, and he joined him at Canton, where he spent two weeks before 
coming to Alden, this county, where he worked for a stone mason one year. 
He was cheated out of his wages, and at the end of a year did not have as 
much as he had at starting. In the fall of 1885 he commenced work for 
Richard Jones, of Brown township, receiving only his board in compensation 
for his labors, but he was out of money and had to accept any occupation 
which he could find. The following winter was a very severe one. In the 
spring Mr. Oftenbarger found employment with John Renner, and remained 
with him twelve years. Managing to save some of his wages, he purchased 
thirteen acres of his present farm in Norwich township, and has since been 
able to add to it sixteen acres, which he has placed under a high state of 
•cultivation, and which he successfully operates. 

In that township Mr. Offenbarger was married, in 1897, to Miss Bertha 
Switzer. They attend the German Lutheran church; he affiliates with the 
Democratic party, and has most capably filled the office of supervisor of his 
township. He is strictly a self-made man, and deserves great credit for the 
success that he has already achieved in life, while undoubtedly a prosperous 
future yet awaits him, for he possesses the necessary qualifications to success, 
being industrious, enterprising and economical. 

REUBEN TAYLOR. 

Reuben Taylor, a passenger engineer on the Cleveland, Akron & Colum- 
bus Railroad, residing at No. 226 North Twentiieth street, Columbus, was 
born in England, on the 29th of February, i860. His parents came to this 
country from England in 1863, locating in Hudson, Ohio, where the father 
died about the year 1880, when seventy years of age. His wife survived 
him, and passed away in Columbus on the 30th of January, 1899, at the age 
of seventy-seven years. Their children were : Reuben ; James, who is in 

the employ of the Penns3dvania Railroad Company; , wife of 

Andrew Rellick, a passenger conductor residing in Columbus; Mrs. Fannie 
y\ur, who resides in Lorain, Ohio, and whose husban'd is also a railroad con- 
xrluctor; and Mrs. Mary Guritney, who resides in Akron, Ohio, where her 
husband carries on business as a mechanic. 

Reuben Taylor spent the days of his childhood and youth in Hudson, 
Ohio, and in Franklin county, and his education was obtained in the public 
schools. In 1877, ^vhen seventeen years of age, he entered the railway serv- 
ice of the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus road in the capacity of brakeman, 
and after one year he secured a position as fireman, continuing in the service 
of that company until 1881, when he w'as made an engineer. For nineteen 
years he has filled that position, and has one of the best records of any engin- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. J^S- 

eer on the road. With a full realization of the responsibility which devolves 
upon him he exercises extreme care and good judgment m the discharge of 
bis duties; and is most trustworthy and faithful. He is a member of Division 
No ^4, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. . , .r 

■ On the -7th of ^lay, 1882, Mr. Taylor was united m marriage to Miss 
Mary Higgins, of Akron, Ohio. Her father, James Higgins was a native 
of England, and on the Emerald isle was married his wife, Mrs. Mary Hig- 
gins, being a native of that country, where her b^^th occurred in 1832. Cro.- 
mg he Atlantic to the new world, they located at Niagara Falls, m Canada 
whence they emigrated to the United States. The father died m 1886, at 
he a-e of sixty-five years, but the mother is still living and makes her home 
in Akron Ohio. Two of their children were born ere their emigration to 
America 'namely: Elizabeth, who became the wife of Richard Lewis, and 
resides in Akron, Ohio; and John, who died in Cleveland, Ohio, "^ Seijtem- 
ber IQOO. The first one born in this country was Bridget, whose birth oc- 
curred at Niagara Falls, and who is now the wife of Phihp McLane. Jhe 
next of the family was Thomas, who died at Rootstown, Ohio, m 189/ bai all 
who was born in Freedom, Ohio, is now the wife ot Burtis Hddrebidd 
and Belle is a young lady living m Cleveland. The marriage ot Mi- and 
Mrs Taylor has been blessed with three children: W ilham born March 18, 
1883; Charles, born June 3, 1885; and Nona Belle, born October 15, i894- 
The family are members of the Catholic church, being communicants ofbt. 
John's cathedral of Columbus. In his political afi^liations Mr. Taylor is a 
Republican. Starting out in life for himself at an early age, ^^jl^f^ever suc- 
cess he has achieved is due entirely to his own efforts, and for it he deseives 
great credit. 

EUGENE E. DUTOIT. 

Eugene E. Dutoit was born at the family residence at the corner of 
Main and Front streets in Columbus June 21, 1850, and is of French lineage. 
His grandfather, Eugene Dutoit, Sr., m whose honor our subject was named 
was born in France m 1780, and on emigrating to America made his way 
across, the country to Ohio, locating upon a farm in what was then Jie suburb 
of Dayton. He was a man of affluent circumstances, making judicious invest- 
ments in realty and had large property interests in Dayton and in other 
portions of the country. He engaged in dealing in real estate and m look- 
ing after his investments. He died at his home in Dayton, m 1864, at the 
age of eighty-four years, and his wife passed away two years later, when also 
eighty-four years of age. , • it 

Philip Dutoit, their son and the father of our subject, was born m i^ ranee 
March 11 1818, and when a young boy accompanied his parents to the new 
world In early manhood he came to Columbus, about the year 1835, and 
here he worked at the trade of blacksmithing, following that business for 
many years. In 1848 he was engaged in the lousiness of wagon-making on 



726 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Cherry street, near High street, and made the first wagons that went over- 
land to Cahfornia from this place. On the 6th of October, 1839, in Colum- 
bus, he married Miss Phoebe M. Pope, who was born in the capital city March 
4, 1823. His death occurred at the family home at the corner of Main and 
Front streets on the 20th of October, 1855. and his widow afterward became 
the wife of Arthur Haney, their marriage being celebrated in Columbus 
April 6, 1857. By her first marriage she had the following children: Alfred, 
who was born February 18, 1841, and died on the 21st of the same month; 
Charles' L., born January 30, 1842. and is yet living in Columbus; Mary 
L., who was born July 7, 1844, and died December 19, 185 1; Auriel, who 
was born November 29, 1846; Eugene E., the subject of this review; Philip 
H., born October i, 1851, and died June 29, 1853; ^^"^^ ^^^ ^-j who was 
born February 10, 1854, and died June 10, 1855. By her second marriage 
Mrs. Haney had three children: William C, who was born February 15, 
1858; Arthur G., who was born March 27, 1861 ; and Catherine A., who was 
born October 11, 1863, and died August 11, 1869. The mother passed away 
at her home in Columbus January 11, 1879. 

Mr. Dutoit, of this review, acquired his education in the public schools' 
of his native city, and in the year 1867 he enlisted in Company B, of the 
Thirtieth United States Regulars, then stationed at Columbus, and his regi- 
ment did duty in guarding and protecting the Union Pacific Railroad, which 
was being constructed through Nebraska, \\'yoming and Utah, and had 
a number of skirmishes' with the Indians. In 1870 Mr. Dutoit left the 
service and returned to his' home in this city, aker three years absence. In 
1872 he entered the employ of the Piqua Railroad Company as brakeman, 
serving in that capacity for four years, after which he spent seven years with 
the Norfolk, Western & Hocking Valley Railroad, first as brakeman and 
afterward as conductor. While serving in the former capacity, in 1880, he had 
then ends of the fingers on his left hand cut off, while coupling cars, but he 
soon resumed work and was later made conductor, serving in that position 
until his retirement from the service of the railroads. During the past five 
years he has been in the employ of the Columbus Street Railway Company 
as' motorman and is one of the most trustworthy men on the road. 

On the 7th of August, 1870, Mr. Dutoit was united in marriage to 
Miss Lucinda Fleming, at the latter's home in Columbus. Her father, James 
Fleming, was born in 1835, and passed away in April, 1879. Their living 
children are : Mrs.. Dutoit ; Mrs. Sarah Romosier and Mrs. Julia Kohn. both 
of Columbus; and Isaac, who was born and yet lives' in this city. Those 
who have passed away are Franklin, David, Elizabeth and Mrs. Mary 
Dutoit. Unto our subject and his wife have been born eight children: Will- 
iam F., who was born May 12, 1871, and is a conductor on the Ohio Central 
Railroad; Edward L., who was born May 10, 1873, ^^^^^ died August 13, 
1893; Albert E., who was born August 15, 1875, is now a conductor on the 
Hocking Valley Railroad; Franklin, who was born February 18, 1877, and 
is a brakeman in the service of the same railroad; Charles P., who was born 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 



727 



Tanuarv -7 iSS^ and died June 12, 1884; Elmer E., born January 26, 1885, 
sTsTu^d;/.; In a.; high schL; Stewart, born June .6, ^f 7, ^sals.^ attend- 
ing school; and Eugene E., born June 15, 1889, died May 2, 1890. A grand 
son, Harr; Flennng, who was born April 22, 1S77, is also livmg with Mi. 

'""^ Our'sS^Tecfis a charter member of Beaver Tribe of the Red Men, Live 
Oak Lodo-e No i. For twelve years he has also held membership rela- 
tes w^tlfkollingsworth Lodge, No. 100, of the Order of Railway Con- 
ductors The greater part of his life has been passed m his native city and 
he has here a wide acquaintance, being particularly well known m rail- 
road circles. / 

NATHAN W. DULIN. 

From an early age Nathan W^illiam Dulin has been dependent entirely 
upon his own resources, and his life record illustrates what ^^y be accom- 
plished through determined purpose and earnest effort. He was born Jul} 
7 1839 on ?he old familv homestead in Washington township Frankhn 
county but at an early age was left an orphan. His grandfather Lewis 
DuhS^ was a native of Virginia, and about 1810 with his wife and children, 
he came to Ohio, making the journey on horseback. He located m Chilli- 
cothe, and about 1850 removed to Delaware county, where he niade his home 
with his daughter, Mrs. Lucinda Latham, until his death. His wife also 
died at the home of their daughter. • at- • • • rQon 

Lawson Dulin, the father of our subject, was born m Virginia m 1800, 
and during his early boyhood accompanied his parents to the Buckeye state^ 
He was married near Chillicothe, his wife being a native of Ohio ihey 
located in Washington township, Franklin county, on a farm of one hundred 
and sixteen acres,^vhich has since been divided into four farms the pre - 
ent owners being Travey Latham, Hiram Judson, Mr. Shyer and Se^r 
Latham. The father of our subject died on his farm m ^845, and his wife 
passed away in 1852. Their children were: Lucy, who died at the age of 
fwenty ylaTs; Nancy, wife of WilUam Michaels of Muncie, Indiana Cath- 
erine, Veceas^d ; Ann, who became the wife of David ^f^.^^^ 
Washington township; Sarah, deceased ; Susan, :^'\ "^^^^ '^^'^^ .""I'^^^o 
her death having occurred in Union county, Ohio; Nathan \y. ; and Asa ^^ho 
was a member of the Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died in 
Tennessee in 1862, during his service. 

Nathan W. Dulin was only thirteen years of age when he was left an 
orphan. He went to live with Lewis Hard, of Sharon township, and though 
he was not sent to school, he was taught to spell by an invalid daughter of 
Mr Hard He had gone to school for a limited period bet^y^en his fourth 
and fifth years, but his educational privileges were very limited After 
leaving Mr. Hard he lived with different farmers for a year, and then went 
to live with Alonzo Hard, a son of Lewis Hard, with whom he remained 



728 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

until fifteen years of age. Subsequently he was employed as a farm hand 

until his enlistment in the Civil war. In 1861 he joined Company C, 

Regiment, but did not serve out his time. In 1862 he became a private of 
'Company B, Eighty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was on duty a part 
of the time at Camp Chase, and took prisoners to Vicksburg from that point. 
On the expiration of his term of service he was discharged at the state house 
in Columbus, returning then to Washington township, where for a short 
time he again worked as a farmhand, but in 1864 he once more joined the 
Union army, becoming a member of Company F, Eighty-eighth Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, wnth which he remained until the cessation of hostilities. 

Mr. Dulin was married in 1865 to Miss Harriet Latham, of Washington 
tow-nship, a daughter of Moses Latham, and later he purchased tw^enty-five 
acres of land, on which they lived for two years, after which they spent a 
short time on her father's farm. Subsequently Mr. Dulin sold his property, 
and after renting land for two years purchased a home in Washington town- 
ship, and conducted a small store at Sandy's School-house for seventeen years.. 
He then remained at Hilliard for a few months, after which he purchased 
his present farm of forty acres. He has made many changes on the place, 
adding improvements, repairing buildings and placing the land under a high 
state of cultivation. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Duli^ have been born seven children : Alonzo, who 
died in childhood ; Franklin, deceased ; Estella, who has engaged in teaching 
school for four yearsj Susan, deceased; Lewis, of Columbus; Emma, a. 
school teacher; and Beatrice, at home. Mr. Dulin and his family attend 
the Methodist Episcopal church. He votes wath the Republican party, and 
is a public-spirited and progressive citizen, as well as an industrious and 
energetic business man. 

CHARLES ALBERT. 

The men of prominence in Ohio who trace their lineage to France are 
much smaller in number than those of English and German ancestry, but 
Ohio has no citizens who are more able and progressive than those of French 
extraction. This' is true of Frenchmen and men of French descent in busi- 
ness life and in the professions. The grandfather of Charles Aubert was 
named Claudius Postian Aubert. He was a drummer boy in Napoleon's vast 
army that crossed the Niemen in 181 2 toward Moscow to commence war with- 
Russia because the Czar opened his ports to British goods, and was with- 
Napoleon's army in that decisive combat — the battle of Waterloo^ — on the 
i8th of June, 181 5, against the English and Prussians under Wellington and 
Blucher. He came with his family to Ohio in the pioneer days of this part 
of the country. Charles Aubert, the father of Charles Aubert, of Columbus, 
was then about eight years old. Claudius Postian Aubert located on land 
in Hamilton township, Franklin county, and remained there until his death. 
After his father's death Charles Aubert, Sr., made a successful start in life 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 729 

for himself and in due time acquired a large and valuable farm, now known 
as the Aubert farm, and considerable capital in money, and devoted much 
attention to real-restate and money loans. He married Miss EHizabeth 
Reiselt, a native of Germany, who became a prominent farmer in Hamilton 
township. His son, Claudius P. Aubert, a brother of the subject of this 
sketch, was graduated at the Ohio Normal University in 1887 and is the prin- 
cipal of the public schools at Port Townsend, Washington. 

Charles Aubert, whose name forms the caption of this sketch, was born 
in Hamilton township, Franklin county, September 20, 1866. He received 
his primary education in the public schools and was' graduated at the Ohio 
Normal University in 1887. After that he taught in the public schools of 
Franklin county until 1895 and also occupied the chair of Latin in the Ohio 
]\Iedical University at Columbus from 1892 to 1895. He read law meanwhile 
under the direction of Donaldson & Tussing, a prominent law firm of Colum- 
bus. He was admitted to the bar in 1895 ^'^'^'^ immediately entered upon the 
practice of hisi profession, in which he has been increasingly successful. Not 
only has he become popular as a lawyer but also as an active worker in the 
cause of the Democracy, and he has been several times tendered nomination 
for offices of responsibility, but has declined it in order to give his undivided 
attention to his professional work. His work as an educator is one of which 
any teacher might well be proud, and during the period of his work in the 
schools he was not only prominent in county institutes but became well known 
in state and national educational bodies, in whose state conventions he took 
a prominent part. He was married, in 1897, to Miss Marie Renner, a daugh- 
ter of John Steven Renner, a prominent farmer and extensive land-owner 
of Franklin township. 

WILLIAM HART. 

Among the prosperous and successful agriculturists of Norw'ich town- 
ship, Franklin county, Ohio, is numbered William Hart, who was born here 
on the 9th of September, 1861, and having lost his parents when only three 
months old he was taken to the home of Moses Hart, by whom he was reared, 
remaining with him until reaching manhood. He obtained a good practical 
education in the public schools, which he attended until twenty-one years of 
age, and during his youth aided his foster father in clearing and cultivating 
the home farm, thus becoming thoroughly familiar with the occupation which 
he has chosen as' a life work. 

On the i8th of November, 1885, in Norwich township, ]\Ir. Hart was 
united in marriage with Miss Jennie Weeks, a daughter of John and Mar- 
garet (Hart) Weeks, and a granddaughter of Moses Hart. By this union 
were born six children: Stella J., AA'iHiam F., Margaret B., Ruth ]\I.. Jacob 
G. and Grace Edna, all at home. 

After his' marriage Mr. Hart located upon his present farm of two 
hundred and seventy-five acres, which he has converted into one of the best 

46 



730 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

farms of the locality, being supplied with all the conveniences and accessories 
of a model farm of the twentieth century. Besides his valuable property he 
owns ten acres of the old Hart homestead, and is successfully engaged in 
.general farming. He is an honored member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows 
Lodges at Hilliard, and is a stanch supporter of the Republican party and its 
principles. In the spring of 1897 he was elected trustee of Norwich township, 
and is now serving his second term, having been re-elected in the spring of 
1900. He is a wide-awake, energetic and progressive business man, and his 
succes's in life has been worthily achieved. 

GEORGE PORSCHET. 

The subject of this sketch, one of the most industrious and enterprising 
agriculturists of Norwich township, now owns, and operates the old home- 
stead formerly belonging to his paternal grandfather, Martin Porschet, a 
native of Germany. In that country the latter was married to Katy Haine, 
and there their only child, the father of our subject, was born. The grand- 
father served some time in the German army and received his discharge in 
1800. In 1840 he came to the United States, accompanied by his little fam- 
ily, and landed in New York. After spending a short time in Union county, 
Ohio, with George Haine, a brother of his wife, he came to Franklin county 
and purchased thirty acres of woodland in Norwich township, which he at 
once commenced to clear and improve, erecting thereon a log cabin. For 
many years he was engaged in the arduous task of transforming the wild 
land into rich and fertile fields, and died upon that place in 1866. His wife 
,'Airvived him until 1885, when she departed this life when past the age of 
seventy years. 

Mr. Porschet, the father of our subject, was a mere boy when brought 
by his parents to the new world, and in Norwich township grew to man- 
hood. In early life he learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed in 
connection with farming. In Norwich township he married Miss Lena 
Arnold, also a native of Germany. She came to the United States alone 
when a young lady. After his marriage Mr. Porschet located on the home 
farm, and in 1880 added forty acres' to the original purchase. He died 
August 24, 1900, and his wife passed away in 1885. They were active 
members of the German Lutheran church, and God-fearing, consistent Chris- 
tians. In politics the father was a Democrat. Their children were : Powell, 
a resident of La Rue, Marion county, Ohio ; John, of this county ; Michael, 
of Union county; George, our subject; Dora, wife of Frederick Koener, of 
Prairie township, this county; Eva, wife of Henry Coleman, of Union county; 
Fred, who died in January, 1898; Henry, of Union county; Barbara, wife 
of George Roush, of Marysville, Ohio; and Charles, of Union county. 

George Porschet, of this review, was born December 26, 1864, on his 
present farm, and was there reared to agricultural pursuits, while attending 
the district schools from the age of six to sixteen years throusfh the winter 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 73 1 

months only. On the 28th of August, 1886, in Norwich township, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Caroline Pusecker, who was born in Prairie 
township, this county, in 1870, a daughter of Charles and Margaret Pusecker. 
By this union were born six children, as follows: Louis C, born March 7, 
1887; William F., September 18, 1888; Carrie Marguerite, June 12, 1890; 
Charles, May 30, 1897; Alma, August 23, 1894; and George E., June 19, 
1899. All are living with exception of Charles, who died in infancy. 

After his marriage Mr. Porschet located] in Franklin township, this 
county, but at the end of six months returned to Norwich township. For 
three years he worked in the stone quarries, and on retiring from that busi- 
ness rented a farm, wdiich he operated until 1894, when he located on the 
old homestead. Here he has since successfully engaged in general farming 
and stock raising. He is a communicant of the Lutheran church and a sup- 
porter of the Democratic party. For four years he has filled the office of 
school director, and takes a deep interest in any enterprise calculated to advance 
the moral, educational or material welfare of his township and county. 

JOHN HARPER. 

John Harper is the conductor on the Pennsylvania fast trains Nos. 20 
and 5, running between Columbus and Indianapolis. He maintains his resi- 
dence at the former city, his home being at No. 198 Cleveland avenue. He 
was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1854, and is a representative of one of the 
old families of Pennsylvania. His father, George Harper, was 'born at 
Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1820, and when a young man came to Ohio, 
entering the railway service in this state soon after the construction of the 
first road here. He long served as passenger conductor, resigning the posi- 
tion only when .age incapacitated him for further service in that connection. 
He died in Cleveland in the year 1898. His wife died in the same city 
August 4, 1899, at the age of eighty-six years. They were the parents of 
the following named: George, who was baggagemaster for many years, 
died in 1874; Lorenzo, who is a passenger conductor on the Wisconsin Cen- 
tral Railroad, living at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and is now fifty-eight 
years of age; Henry, who follows farming near Chillicothe, Ohio; and a 
sister, who is living in Cleveland. She was married twenty-three years ago. 

John H., of this' sketch, began his railway service April 4, 1864, as a 
water boy on a work train on the old Indiana Central, which is now the 
Indianapolis division of the Pennsylvania line. He afterward became car 
inspector on his father's train, his father being one of the first conductors 
in this part of the country. His duties, were extremely varied. He had to 
pack the boxes, keep a lookout for hot boxes, keep the car windows clean, 
see that the wood box was filled in winter and sweep and dust. Having 
served his time as car inspector Mr. Harper became a switchman in the 
Columbus yards. x\fter two years' service there he was promoted to freight 
brakeman and was afterward passenger brakeman. In order "to learn the 



732 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

road" he was made a freight conductor and served in that capacity for seven 
years, after which he was made baggagemaster, being in that position for 
three' years. In 1884 he was promoted as passenger conductor and has 
since filled that position, covering a period of sixteen consecutive years. As 
a reward for his ability, discretion and carefulness he was given the most 
desirable run on the road, and is to-day recognized as one of the most reliable 
and efficient men in the service. It is a conservative statement to say that 
he has never had an accident, never neglected a duty, never forgot an order. 
He gives his attention wholly to the discharge of the tasks that devolve upon 
him and his unfailing courtesy and obliging manner have made him a favorite. 

During his thirty-six years of railway service he has seen wonderful 
changes in the methods of transportation. He recollects that in the early 
days all trains' were run by a time card, certain stations being designated as 
meeting points. At these meeting points passenger trains waited fifteen 
minutes and freight trains thirty minutes, and thus a passenger train, if on 
time, could start out on its route and it was the business of the other trains 
to keep out of the way. If both trains were more than fifteen minutes late 
at meeting stations then both forfeited their rights and they had to feel their 
way along. When they came to a curve, and there were a good many curves 
in those days, each train would have to stop and send out a flagman to see 
if the track was clear on the other side of the curve. Mr. Harper has done 
such service many a time. It thus required many hours to mak^ a journey 
over the road and the conductor was a greater man than all of t'.ie stock- 
holders, directors and officers combined. It would seem a very ridiculous 
idea for anv of the fast express trains of to-day to come to a complete stand 
still every time they approached a curve. 

Mr. Harper was united in marriage, May 18, 1882, in Columbus, to 
Miss Anna McGowan, whose mother is now a resident of St. Joseph. Missouri, 
but her father has' been dead for a quarter of a century. Four children grace 
the union of Mr. Harper and his wife: Susie May, born in 1884; Margaret, 
born in 1885; John, born in 1887; and Martha, in 1895. Since his early 
boyhood days Mr. Harper has been a resident of Columbus and he has here 
a very wide acquaintance, while his many sterling traits of character have 
gained for him a large number of friends. 

JUSTIN R. COCHRAN. 

Justin R. Cochran, a conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad, running 
from Columbus to Pittsburg, was born September 3, 1858, at Summer dean, 
Augusta county, Virginia. His father, Calvin S. Cochran, was born in the 
Old Dominion, and when the Civil war was inaugurated he enlisted in the 
Confederate service, participating in the battles of the Army of Virginia in 
1861-2 and 3. At the battle of Chancellorsville, on the 3d of May, 1863, 
he was wounded and died from the effects of his injuries on the 6th of June. 
His wife, Mrs. Susan Cochran, died at the old Virginia home October 4, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 733 

1865. There were but two sons in the family, James W., born at the old 
homestead m Virginia, November 15, 1861, came to Ohio in 1885 and mar- 
ried Miss' Susan Summers, of Wellston, Ohio, on the 14th of March, 1888. 
They are now residents of Columbus and Mr. Cochran is holding a responsible 
position as foreman with an extensive contractor and builder. 

Justin R. Cochran has been connected with the railroad service for 
twenty-four years. He began railroading on the Chesapeake & Ohio in 
West Virginia in 1876, and for six months' acted as wiper in the roundhouse, 
for he was thought too young to be allowed to become a brakeman. How- 
ever, he wasi soon given such a position on a freight train and for three years 
served in that capacity and was then made a freight conductor. He ran a 
train for four years and then voluntarily left the company, going with the 
Elizabeth, Lexington & Big Sandy division. Subsecjuently he came to Colum- 
bus in 1883, and has since been in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company. He was' a brakeman on the road until 1889, when he was made 
conductor and is now running on the Pittsburg division between Columbus 
and Pittsburg. 

Mr. Cochran was married, February 7, 1887, in thisi city, to ]\Iiss Ellen 
S. White, a daughter of Thomas and Savilla White. Her father was born 
in Reading, Pennsylvania, and now resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while 
her mother was born in Stark county, Ohio, and was of German lineage. She 
died on the 30th of October, 1885. In their family, in addition to Mrs. 
Cochran, are the following named: William A., who was' born February 5, 
1852, but is now in the government postal service, is married and resides in 
Crestline, Ohio; Oliver, born March 2, 1854, isi married and resides in Ander- 
son, Indiana; George T., who was born November 24, 1865. is a polisher 
and resides in Cleveland, Ohio ; Laura D. is the wife of Joseph Dickson, of 
Crestline; and Mary E. completes the family and makes her home in Colum- 
bus. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran have one child, Ray Eugene, who was born 
November 8, 1888, and is now in the eighth grade of the grammar schools 
of the city, displaying special aptitude in his school work. 

Mr. Cochran has been a member of Magnolia Lodge, No. 20, F. & A. 
M., since the 19th of February, 1895. His life has been a busy, useful and 
honorable one, and he is one of the most reliable and popular conductors on 
the Pennsylvania line. His residence is at No. 485 Lexington avenue and he 
has many friends in his adopted city. 

JOHN HART. 

This prominent citizen of Norwich township. Franklin county, Ohio, is of 
old Virginia stock, and some of his ancestors fought for American liberty 
in the Revolutionary war. Moses Hart, the grandfather of our subject, 
was a native of Virginia and w^as reared a farmer. He married Elizabeth 
Hight and in 18 18 came to Ohio, bringing his wife and six children, and 
locating in Sullivant's bottoms, Franklin township, not far from the present 



734 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

site of the asylum which is so conspicuous a landmark in that part of the 
county. The journey was made with a wagon and four horses and one mule. 
In 1820 Mr. Hart bought six hundred acres of land in Norwich township, 
for a part of which he paid one dollar and a quarter an acre and for the re- 
mainder a dollar and a half an acre. When they moved from Sullivant's bot- 
toms to Norwich it required five days to cut their way though the forest. 

Mr. Hart and his boys built a small log cabin, in which the family was 
domiciled until a better residence was erected several years later, and gave them- 
selves with might and main to clearing the land and developing a farm. Later 
Mr. Hart sold part of the land to Ephraim Fisher, and at his death four hundred 
acres were divided equally among his four boys. He died on his farm in 
Norwich township, September 8, 1841, aged seventy-seven years, and his wife 
died September 22, 1847, aged eighty-four years, five months and twenty- 
three days. They had children named as follows : Joseph, who died in Iowa 
in 1851; Moses, father of John Hart, of Norwich township; Valentine, who 
died in childhood in the year 1826; Betsey, who married Henry Krider and 
died near Chillicothe, Ohio; Mary, who died unmarried; and John, who died 
in Norwich township in 1858. 

Moses Hart, son of Mcses Hart, Sr., and father of John Hart, was 
born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1 791, and was married there 
to Sarah Margaret Nicely, who was born in Alleghany county, Vir- 
ginia, in April, 1802, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Circle) 
Nicely, both of whom were born in the Old Dominion. He came to 
Franklin county with his father, from whom .he bought fifty acres 
of land, upon which he began the work of improvement, and there 
erected a log house. For some years he returned every spring to Virginia, 
sometimes on horseback, oftener on foot, and worked there during the sum- 
mer, coming back to Ohio in the fall. He was a natural sportsman and in his 
early days here shot much game. He served in Captain Davidson's command 
in the war of 1812. There were plenty of maple trees on his land and he 
made much maple sugar. He raised hogs also and sold them at a cent and 
a half a pound, using the money to buy salt, kettles and other necessary 
supplies for his farm and family. The children of Moses and Sarah 
Margaret (Nicely) Hart were: Jacob, who died in Norwich town- 
ship in 1897; Moses' V., of Hilliard; Martha, who married Edward Brown 
and lives in Columbus; John, who is the immediate subject of this 
sketch; Mary, who married Joseph Thackeray and after his death Jack- 
son Flynn and is now living widowed at Hilliard; Margaret C, who married 
John Weeks, who died in Putnam county, Ohio; Joseph, who lives in Colum- 
bus, Ohio; Sarah R., who is Mrs. William Walton; and Amanda, who is Mrs. 
Ferdinand Grace. 

John Hart was born on the old Hart homestead in Norwich township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, June 18, 1832, and was reared to farm life with 
limited educational advantages. His first teacher was Mr. Versell. He was 
only a child w^hen he took up farm work and he helped to clear part of his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 73 5 

present farm, which now consists of one hundred and three acres. He owns 
another farm of eighteen acres, in his landed possessions, makmg a total of 
one hundred and twenty-one acres. He is a Master Mason and a member o 
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and m politics he is a consistent 
Democrat in general elections, while in local elections he votes for the men 
w "m he belfeves will best fill the offices. He was married m Alleghany 
county, Virginia, December 22, 1891, to Miss Sarah Margaret Nicel). 

ISAAC P. HEDRICK. 

Amono- those whose long connection with railroad service plainly indi- 
cates thir worth to the company and their fidelity and ability in the discharge 
of heir duties is numbered Isaac P. Hedrick, who is now a conductor on the 
Pennsylvania roads and makes his home in Columbus, his residence being at 
No "93 Summit street. He was born in South Charleston, Clark county 
Ohio Tuly S 1859, and his early education was acquired m the public schools. 
Hi fathe'r,^'lsaac H. Hedrick,\vas a native of the same county and was 
born in the year 1805. He lived to a ripe old age and passed away on he 
19 h o JanvLy, 1892. He was twice married and was the father of twelve 
o^^s and three daughters. He and nine of his sons --e "I^J-^^^-^^^^^^ 
during the Civil war, a record that can scarcely be paralleled m any family 
history He lost his. first wife and afterward married her sister and the 
latter I; still living, having attained the age of f f'y :'''''' IZlTw' who 
of March 1900.' In their family were the foUowmg: Charles W., who 
enlisted in 1863, when only sixteen years of age held the rank corporal 
and was killed at Stone river, in December, 1863. Joshua T., ^^ho wa a 
member of the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Ohio Intantry, was wounded 
in the service and died in 1867 from the effects of ^is l^Jurle.^ when only 
nineteen vears of age. Eliza Alice became the wife of W ilham O, \varring- 
tdn and is now living in South Charleston, Ohio; Isaac P. w^s the fourth chi d 
Adam M. died in 1880, at the age of twenty-five years. Jacob M. was mar- 
ried and resides in Illinois, at the age of forty-two years^ ^^^f ^^ ^.,, 'I'lf 
the age of four years. William Henry was wounded and died at Manass-as, 
his remains being interred in the Soldiers Home cemetery at Washington. 
Seven of the brothers enlisted in 1861 at President Lmcoln-s first call. John 
M Hedrick joined the army as a private and was promoted to the rank ot a 
captain. This is certainly an excepticnal and wonderful record of patriotism 

for one family. . , , : a ^^ 

I-aac P Hedrick learned telegraphy in his youth and was employed as 
an operator in early life. On the 27th of March, 1873, he began br.akmg 
on the Cincinnati division of the Panhandle road and after four years service 
h'^ was promoted to the position of baggage master. A second promotion 
made him yardmaster and after three years and eight months service m that 
capacity he was made freight conductor and later passenger conductor, which 
position he now holds. During the entire time he has been on the same 



736 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

division of the road. When breaking in 1877 he lost the thumb on his right 
hand and also his index finger of the same hand has' ever since been stiff from 
the injury. While serving as yardmaster he lost the end of the third finger 
on the right hand. During his service as passenger conductor he has been in 
no wrecks or collisions and has always' been found at his post of duty. 

On the 23d of November, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Isaac P. 
Hedrick and Miss Laura Smith, of Springfield, Ohio. They had resided m 
the same neighborhood in Clark county from early childhood until their mar- 
riage. Mrs. Hedrick's father died when she was. a year old and her mother 
passed away on Christmas' day, 1895, at the age of seventy-five years. There 
were seven daughters in the family, all of whom reached womanhood with 
the exception of one who died in infancy. During the past five years Mr. 
and Mrs. Hedrick have resided in Columbus. Their family numbers five chil- 
dren : Smith E., born in 1877, was married February 10, 1899. to Miss 
Goldie Brooks, of Springfield, Ohio, where they now reside, and he is a 
molder in the employ of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner. Foster, born in 1880, 
enlisted when seventeen years of age, in Columbus, as a member of Company 
H, of the Nineteenth United States Infantry, at the breaking out of the 
Spanish-American war, and went with his regiment to the front, participating 
in the battles of El Caney, San Juan and Santiago. After peace was de- 
clared he was made a corporal and is, now in the Philippines. Mabel, born 
in 1882, died when four years of age. Louis, born in 1884, is a bright and 
intelligent young man now in the second year of high school. General Sher- 
man, born in 1889, is also a student in school. The family are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. In his political views Mr. Hedrick is a stalwart 
Republican. He became a member of the Masonic order when twenty-one 
years of age and has long been identified with Palestine Commandery, No. 
2,2,, of Springfield, Ohio. He is a worthy Knight Templar and in his life 
exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the fraternity. 

JOSEPH CONNOR. 

Industry, frugality and perseverance have brought success to many a 
man in Franklin county, Ohio, and elsewhere, but there is no man in Nor- 
wich township who has made his way in life more worthily than has the prom- 
inent young farmer whose name is mentioned above. Joseph Connor is a 
grandson of Richard Connor, who was born and married in Ireland and who 
came to the United States in 185 1, after the death of his wife, and found 
a home with his daughter at Troy, New York, where he died in 1854. His 
son, Joseph Connor, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in county 
Tipperary, Ireland, in 1816. He received a limited education and entered 
upon the battle of life in his native land, determined to succeed. He came 
to the United States' in 1847. young and without capital except the capacity 
for honest hard work, and was employed for two years by the United States 
government in blasting stone at West Point, New York. During that time 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ? 37 

,,e uu,n... and nvo fiagevs <:^^i::^:r'^:::^^c^J^: ^ ^ 

er.-aged in the hazardous ^oA m™"0"^<^;_ "f , , „,d -Slieepskin" rail- 
and was employed as a =f '»" >='"„^^°" % l"t ° e„ In i860 he was put 
road, now a portion of the Baltimore & Ohio ^T'^^'^ ;j ^gg Mean- 

in charge of the H.Uiard ^'='=''°"' °' ^ * ^'^e east'of Hdliard'on which 
r-a'd^^n^ L°mf Lrtt6Tanrt:irhe%t: hts undtv.ded attent.on tn 

^'%.... the date last '^^ :s^^j^-:^iX^::s'^i 

himself to farmmg. In 1869 '^<=.,^°'°^, "'' f ^mi^.d „here he lived untd the 
farm of one hundred --^-'""^^m active Me anci removed to Plain City, 
spnng of 1893, when h« ^''^^ '^'^ f , "^'l ^ggS- A man of the highest 
Madison county, Ohio, ^^h«« ^e d f ^tuy 3 , Vi regretted by 

character and of wnning P^^^'^^'j/'^^;^;; ^^ ,t Columbus, Ohio, to Miss 
all who had known him He *as marr ?a a ^g 

Bridget Kerwan, who was born >";°""'yJ;„Pf;fd ^^ •„ ireUnd. Mrs. Con- 
a daughter of Philip Kerwan, who «a/ ''"^fi^^^'"^ Mrs. Connor were 
nor dted at P^-"\^':}y' P'Z^Zr^^ Ar Co.:^ -■-- - unswerving 

ir;hf^Sa:^lnfrd;'VTo^fs:\:^rhas a^iome with his brother 
Joseph; and Hannah, who is ^eacl TT.onkUn countv, Ohio, June 20, 

ship, Franklin county, Ohio J^^^P'' f "^, J' g^-dLet For a time he rented 
children, William Thomas Connor a"d Ann Br d et ^^^^ 

his father's farm, in which he "ow own a^ne^th.rd i r ^^^^ ^^ ^^.^ 

a success of general farmmg and ^^s become one ot ^^^ "i^^t has been 
XtSrectt^'-— i p^o^ri^m'ght'of pXr^nd he and'his family are 
members of the Cathohc church. 

CAPTAIN THOMAS B. HA^IILL. 
Deed, of bravery -d.valor have been the theme Ms^ 

the earliest ages. Ere the '"«" '°" °\^f' "f.^s of e oism formed a part 
to house chanting songs of love and war. tales ^^^^ .^ ^^^ ^^^^ 

:eVtlVofti.dt'^rviSn,^^^:^^^^^^^ 

S'S^'^hots^lf:!"^- ald''^^^^^^^^^^ mouth in de- 



738 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

fense of a principle and who defends the Hag of his nation at the risk of his 
own Hfe. 

Fortunate is the man who has back of him an ancestry honorable and dis- 
tinguished, and happy is he if his/ lines of life are cast in harmony therewith. 
Captain Hamill of this review is certainly a worthy scion of his race. When 
the yoke of oppression became intolerable to the colonists and the Declaration 
of Independence declared that residents of America would no longer acknowl- 
edge allegiance to the English crown, his great-grandfather joined the colonial 
army and with the rank of colonel fought to establish the republic. Hisi 
grandfather, Thomas B. Hamill, was a loyal defender of his native land dur- 
ing the war of 1 812. He was a native of the north but died in New Orleans, 
Louisiana, in 1847, being engaged in the sugar refining business in that state. 
His wife passed aw^ay in Newport, Kentucky, in 1885. Thomas S. Hamill, 
the father of our subject, was born June 11, 1847, ^^d after arriving at years 
of maturity he was married. His wife, Mrs. Anna E. Hamill, was born 
January 19, 1849. -*^t the time of the Civil war he responded to his country's 
call for aid and enlisted in 1863 in the Fourth Ohio Cavalry, and afterward 
served with Company H, One Hundred and Eighty-third Ohio Infantry. He 
was only sixteen years of age at the time of his enlistment, but the Union 
numbered him among its loyal and devoted defenders. He is now engaged 
in the manufacture of paints on an extensive scale in Columbus, being asso- 
ciated in this business' with his son, whose name introduces this review. His 
children are : Mary C, wife of Thomas H. Busii, a well known horticulturist 
of Michigan; Emma, who is at home; Martha, who is now a student in the 
high school; and Thomas B., of this review. 

Captain Hamill was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 13, 1873. He spent 
the greater part of his boyhood in Newport, Kentucky, where he remained 
until eighteen years of age. There he acquired his education and from 1882 
until 1892 he was' employed as a salesman in the dry goods housfe of the 
John Schillet Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio. He afterward joined his father 
in business and they are now at the head of one of the leading industrial con- 
cerns of the city, engaged in the manufacture of paint on an extensive scale. 
Their business has constantly grown both in volume and importance, and the 
house enjoys an enviable reputation in trade circles for reliability and straight- 
forward dealing, as well as for the excellent quality of the goods sent out. 

With the blood of Revolutionary ancestors flowing in his veins, and with 
the illustrious' example of his grandfather and father before him, it is not 
strange that Captain Hamill early became interested in military affairs. In 
1885 when only tw^elve years of age he became a member of a boys' company 
attached as auxiliary to Post No. i, G. A. R., of Newport. This company 
attended the state and national encampments of the Grand Army of the Re- 
public at Portland, Maine, in 1885, at San Francisco, California, in 1886. at 
St. Louis, Missouri, in 1887, and at Columbus, Ohio, in 1888. On the 20th 
of October. 1893, Mr. Hamill enlisted as a private in the Fourteenth Regiment 
of the Ohio National Guards, and was commissioned a sergeant of the regi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 739 

mental dvum corps. On November .9. >897. he -^ '™/,\f;;8f '^'^^l^C. 

had issued his' call for volunteers, he served with the army ni ^^^^a. n 

29th of Ja™^^Mf99; ^,^„^ ^j Company B on June 21, 

mand respect and confidence. 

HENRY DOMINY. 
Seldom can one find a person who has reached the advanced age of ^Ir. 

'" "Mr" Dominy was born in Darby townsl,ip. Madison eou„.y, Ohio, Novem^ 
ber 16 i8n His grandfatlier, Henry Dommy, removed from Long K land 
to Paltburg, New York, and spent his remaining days m the Emp.re state. 



740 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Jeremiah Doniiny, the fatlier of our suljject, was born on Long Island, and 
became a New York farmer. He married Abigail Norton, who was born in 
New York, and in 1812, the year of their marriage, they started for Ohio by 
wagon, arriving in Worthington, Franklin county, in the late fall. They 
resided with the family of Mr. Buell until Mr. Dominy could erect a home on 
the farm which he had purchased in Madison township. Mr. Norton, the 
maternal grandfather of our subject, also came to Ohio at the same time and 
purchased three hundred acres of land in what is now Darby township, Madi- 
son county, although the counties had not then been organized. Jeremiah 
Dominy settled on his fifty acres' of land in Darby township. He had no 
tools, not even an ax, and only five dollars in money. He built a cabin of 
round logs, 18x20 feet, in one end of which was a fire place, the smoke finding 
egress through a mud and stick chimney. The room was used for all pur- 
poses. Greased paper pasted over apertures in the wall served as a window. 
The land on which Columbus now s(tands could then have been purchased 
for two dollars and a half per acre. Mr. Dominy made shoes for his neigh- 
bors and followed coopering for a time, thus adding to his income. As his' 
financial resources increased, he extended the boundaries of his farm by ad- 
ditional purchase until he owned twelve hundred acres, being numbered among 
the most prosperous agriculturists of his community. He made all of the 
plows' used' in this section of the state, being able to do anything in a me- 
chanical line, owing to his splendid ability in that direction. For a short time 
he served in the war of 18 12. He was long township tax collector, for 
twenty years served as justice of the peace and was one of the influential 
men of his community. In polities' he was an old line Whig and he was reared 
in the Presbyterian church. His death occurred on the old home farm. 
The mother of our subject died about 1827 and he afterward married Tamson 
Ganby. He became the father of twenty children. Those of the first mar- 
riage were: Dulanna, who died at the age of fourteen; James, who died 
in 1812; Henry; Betsy, wife of Eli Douglas; Almon and Alvin, twins; Ezra; 
Nancy, wife of Willis' Twiford; John, of Nebra^ska; Abigail, who died in 
childhood; and Silas. The children of the second marriage were Phoebe, 
wife of Dana Bigelow; Martha, wife of Harvey James; Melissa, wife of 
Lemuel Marshall ; Jasper, deceased ; and four who died in childhood. 

Henry Dominy of this' review was reared on the frontier where there 
were many wild animals and wliere conditions existed that can scarcely be 
realized by the people of to-day. The land was in its primitive condition, 
forests uncut and fields undeveloped. In his boyhood he aided in clearing 
and improving the home farm. When fourteen years of age he would travel 
thirty milesi to mill in all kinds of weather. There were no schools for many 
years. Occasionally when the people of the neighborhood would raise 
money, a teacher would be employed and school would be held in some 
abandoned log shanty. The first school he attended was in a log corn crib, 
his teacher being Aaron Martin, a man of good education for those times. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 74 1 

The school buildings were seated with slab benches while the writing desks. 
were made by placing a board on pins driven into the wall. 

Mr. Dominy remained at home until his marriage, which occurred De- 
cember 13, 1834, Miss Harriet Barlow becoming his wife. She was born in 
Greene county, Ohio, in 1818, a daughter of Edwin and Polly (Barnes) Bar- 
low. Her father was born in Connecticut, and her mother in New York, in 
which state both lived at the time of their marriage. Afterward tliey emi- 
grated to Ohio, locating in Greene county. 

Mr. Dominy after his marriage took up his abode in Madison county, 
where he lived until 1864, when he sold his farm there and purchased two 
hundred and twenty acres in Norwich and Washington townships, Franklin 
county. Later he bought one hundred and twenty acres additional in Wash- 
ington township. He has since actively engaged in farming, and although 
he has passed the eighty-seventh milestone on life's journey, he yet superin- 
tends the management of his- property. The following children came to bless 
rhe home: Abigail, deceased; Edmond, who died in Washington town- 
ship in 1888; Polly, wife of Henry Wright; Jeremiah; Amanda, wife of 
Luther Mathias; Ezra; Horace, of California; Harriet E., who died in child- 
hood; and William H., who was born in Canaan township, Madison county,. 
Ohio, September 26, 1859. He was a boy when his parents removed to 
Washington towaiship, Franklin county, was educated in the district schools, 
and reared on the farm. On the 12th of April, 1883, he wedded JMary. K. 
Neff, daughter of Augustus and Sarah Ann Neff. He then located on his 
father's farm, where he has since made his home. His wife died March 2, 
1893, leaving three children, Sarah Ann, Lucy Austin and Harriet F. 

Mr. Dominy of this review was also called upon to mourn the loss of his 
wife, who had traveled life's journey by his side for sixty-two years, two 
months and fourteen days when called to her final rest in March, 1897. She 
was a devout Christian woman and for a half century Mr. Dominy has been 
an adive member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has read the Bible 
through over twelve times and quotes the scriptures readily. In early life he 
was a Whig and' in 1840 voted for William Henry Harrison. During that 
campaign he and forty others rode to Urbana on horse back to hear Harrison 
speak. He once voted for Henry Clay, and since the organization of the 
Republican party he has' been one of its stalwart supporters. He has an excel- 
lent memory and is a good conversationalist and can relate many interesting 
incidents of his life on the wild western frontier. 

WILLIAM A. WESTERVELT. 

The progressive and prosperous young physician of Columbus, Ohio, 
whose name heads this sketch is a representative of the Westervelt family in 
America which was founded by Lubbert von Westervelt, who came from 
Holland about 1662, and to wdiom our subject is able to trace his genealogy 
in an unbroken line. Lubbert was accompanied by a brother whose name 



742 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

cannot now be recalled. Further interesting material concerning this family 
will be found in biographical sketches of other Westervelts in t^is volume. 

Dr. Westervelt is a son of the Rev. Howard Bailey Westervelt, of 
Mifflinville, Ohio, and was born at Columbus, in 1870. He received a good 
English education at Portsmouth, Scioto county, Ohio, and was graduated 
at the Ohio University at Athens in 1891. In 1894 he was graduated in 
medicine and surgery at the Medical College of Indiana, where he was a 
student and instructor of chemistry from 1891 to 1893. He devoted much 
of his time during 1894 to dispensary work at Indianapolis, and immediately 
after his graduation that year began the practice of his profession at Williams- 
port, Ohio, where he had a successful career until 1896, when he located at 
Columbus'. He was an assistant surgeon in the Ohio National Guard, 
with the rank of captain from 1896 to 1899, and in 1898 was appointed major 
and surgeon of the Tenth Ohio Regiment, with which he was actively con- 
nected until March 22, 1899, when the regiment was mustered out of the 
United States volunteer service, having been on duty most of that time with 
the Second Army Corps at Camp Meade, Pennsylvania, and at Camp Mc- 
Kenzie, Georgia, a part of the time as acting brigade surgeon of the First 
Brigade. Since 1899 he has been in general practice at Columbus' and has 
met with satisfactory success. 

In politics Dr. Westervelt is a Republican. He and his father and three 
of his brothers are members of the Greek letter society of their college. In 
religious connection he is a Methodist. He married Miss Myra M. Wells, a 
daughter of the late Mark T. Wells, of Columbus, and has one son. 

JEREMIAH DOMINY. 

A representative of the farming interests of Franklin county, Jeremiah 
Dominy belongs to one of the oldest families of Ohio, his people having come 
to this state in 181 2. He was born in Canaan township, Madison county, 
Ohio, October 17, 1841, and is a son of Henry Dominy, whose sketch appears 
elsewhere in this volume. He spent the first twenty-three years of his life 
in the county of his nativity and in the spring of 1864 accompanied his parents' 
on their removal to Washington township, Franklin county. He pursued his 
education in the common schools during the winter months, and in the summer 
season worked on the farm until after the inauguration of the Civil war, when 
he enlisted September 21, 1861, at Camp Chase as a private of Company K, 
First Ohio Cavalry, under command of Captain Forshee and Colonel Smith. 
He participated in the battles of Stone River. Perryville and Cortland, Ala- 
bama, and at the last named, on the 25th of July, 1862, all of the company, 
with the exception of sixteen, were captured, Mr. Dominy, however, being 
fortunate enough to escape. They were fighting almost daily from Man- 
chester, Tennessee, to Shiloh and were on the skirmish line or scouting almost 
day and night. In June, 1862, Mr. Dominy participated in the siege of Cor- 
inth. Owing to disability he was discharged at Luverne, Tennessee, Febru- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 743 

ary 27, 1863, and then returned to his home, but it was some time before he had 
recovered sufficiently to resume business. . , . • • 

On the i6th o/November, 1864, Mr. Dominy was' united m marriage m 
Canaan township to Miss Eleanor Sager, daughter of John Sager. 1 heir 
childm. are as follow.: Newton J., born July i, 1872, on the homestead 
fa n pursued his education in the district schools, was for two years a student 
r ; H 11 aid high school, and then entered the Ohio Medical College, where 
he studied two years. He graduated in pharmacy m 1896 and has' been 
clerki^^io- in a drug store for three years. In politics he is a Republican, ho ds 
?o the bel ef of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was married December 
iV 1807 to Anna May Mitchell, and they had one child, Llewellyn, nou 
deceased Carl S. Dominy, the younger son, was born August 29, 1874, and 
after attending the district schools, spent two years m the high school at 
Hhard and Sne year in the high sichool at Dublin He too favors the 
Sethodist Episcopal church, and. is a Renublican in his PO^tical f ^^ ions. 
Tb.ixAighout his active business career Teremiah Dominy has followed farm- 
ing At the time of his marriage he located on his present farm of eighty- 
one acres in Washington township, Franklin county, and as the result ot his 
well-directed efforts, he is' now the possessor of a comfortable competence. 
He was formerly a member of John A. Spellman Post, G. A. R., of Hil hard 
but is not identified with it now. Of the Republican party he is a stalwart 
supporter, unchangeable m his advocacy of its principles and he is as true and 
loyal to his duties of citizenship to-day asi when he followed the old flag on 
southern battle-fields. , 

EMANUEL WHITAKER, ^L D. 

Eio-ht years have passed since Dr. Wliitaker became a representative 
of the medical fraternity of Columbus. The ranks of the profession are 
constantly recruited from the farms, and he is among the number who left 
rural surroundings to become identified with the practice of medicine. He 
was born upon a farm in Logan county, Ohio. Alarch 6, 1839, and represents 
one of the honored pioneer families of the Buckeye state The Whitakers 
are of English origin and when members of the family left that country tor 
the new world they took up their abode in New Jersey. Demond \\ hitaker, 
the grandfather of our subject, was the first of the name to come to Ohio, mak- 
ing a settlement in Clark countv, in the year 181 1. He brought with hirn his 
family, including Joseph Whitaker, the father of our subject, who was born 
in New Jersey, in 1791- At the age of twenty he became a resident of 
Clark county where he followed the occupation of farming until his removal 
to Loo-an county. There he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, 
and h?s wife who bore the maiden name of Lydia Rudisell, also passed away 
in- the same countv. Her father, Henry Rudisell, was descended from a 
German family and was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, after wdiich 
he was granted a pension until his death in recognition of the aid which he 



744 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

rendered the culonies. He was under the immecHate command of Washing- 
ton, and at the battle of Brandywine was captured and held prisoner by the 
British in New York city. 

Dr. Whitaker of this review spent his youth in Logan county, where he 
attended the public schools and also pursued his studies in a select school. 
Later he entered Hillsdale College, at Hillsdale, Michigan, where he contin- 
ued his education for two years, teaching during the intervals in Ohio. At- 
tracted to the science of medicine, he began reading under the direction of 
Dr. S. N. James, of East Liberty, Ohio, and eventually entered Miami Med- 
ical College, at Cincinnati, in which institution he was graduated with the 
class of 1868. Beginning practice in Logan county, he there continued for 
two years, and in 1893 he came to Columbus, where he has since resided. 
Long^ connection with the profession and a broad and varied experience well 
qualified him for the work which he undertook in thisi city, and he was not 
long in demonstrating his skill and trustworthiness in the line of his chosen 
work. 

At the time of the Civil war Dr. Wlijtaker manifested his loyalty to his' 
country by donning the blue asi one of the defenders of the Union. He 
served from 1862 until 1865 in the Fourteenth Ohio Battery and took part 
in a number of engagements, including the battle of Pittsburg Landing, the 
siege of Atlanta, ending in the surrender of the city, the battle of Jone^-boro 
and of Nashville and the celebrated campaign under General Sherman, includ- 
ing the famous march to the sea, which showed the Confederacy to be but 
an empty shell. In 1864 he was under General Thomas at the capture of 
Mobile, and on the i8th of August, 1865, he was honorably discharged, hav- 
ing for three years loyally followed the old flag, faithfully performing hisi 
duties whether upon the picket line or in the thickest of the fight. 

When the war was over Dr. Whitaker returned to his family in the north. 
He had been married in i860, to Miss Amanda J. Speese, of Byhalia, Union 
county, Ohio, a daughter of George and Maria Speese. They now have six 
children: Harry, who follows farming; Katy B., wife of C. W. James, of 
Columbus; Rudisell V., who is with a railroad company; Nellis M., a success- 
ful teacher in the Portsmouth schools; Paul P. ; and Leon D., who is a student 
in a commercial college. The Doctor and his family are widely and favor- 
ably known. He is one of the most reliable physicians in practice in Colum- 
bus. He supplements) his' broad experience by constant reading and study, 
so that he is in touch with the most advanced thought and progress of the day.' 



ALFRED TAYLOR. 

Among the old and honored residents of Jackson township none is held in 
higher esteem than Alfred Taylor, one of its prominent and successful farmers. 
He was' born in Maryland, December 29, 182 1. the only child of Samuel and 
Pattie (Hickman) Taylor. He was very young when his father died and 



CO 

b 

O 





CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 745 

consequently knows nothing of him. His mother subsequently married again 
and by the second union had children, none of whom our subject has ever 
seen. 

When a small child Mr. Taylor was bound out to his uncle, Elisha 
Howell, with whom he came to Franklin county, Ohio, three years later, 
remaining with him until reaching manhood. On attaining his majority he 
received fifty dollars, but continued to work for his uncle at eight dollars 
per month for two years. He then began farming on his own account upon 
rented land, but made his home with Mr. Howell two years longer. 

Air. Taylor was then married, in 1847, ^^ the age of twenty-six years, 
to Miss Myrandah Lukins, who was born in Horsham township, Montgomery 
county, Pennsylvania, November 30, 1826, and was about seven years old 
when brought by her parents to this county, the family taking up their resi- 
dence in Columbus. Her father, James Lukins, was supposed to be of Scotch 
descent, while her mother, Phoebe (Bradford) Lukins, was a native of Penn- 
svlvania and of German or low Dutch ancestry. In their family were two- 
daughters : Jeannette, now the widow of Jerry Park and a resident of Wash- 
ington, low'a; and Mrs. Taylor, who was reared in Pleasant township from 
the time she was seven years of age. Of the seven children born to our sub- 
ject and his wife, two, who were twins, died young. Those living are Jean- 
nette, wife of John C. Haughn, of Putnam county, Ohio; Mary, wife of 
Charles H. Rivers, of Franklin township, this county; Samuel, who married 
Lydia Seeds, and resides' on one of his father's farms in Jackson township; 
and Josephine, wife of James H. Bell, living on another of Mr. Taylor's farms 
in the same township. Their son, James M., died after reaching young man- 
hood ; James was the second son, and selected railroad work for his vocation, 
but a severe attack of typhoid fever ended his bright prospects ; this son was 
married to Nancy Johnson, leaving a little daughter beside the wife to mourn 
his early departure. 

Mr. and Airs. Taylor began married life in a log house near Lockbourne, 
where they lived one year, and then spent three years on the Abner Will- 
iams farm near the same place. In 1849 he purchased the farm in Jackson 
township, upon which he still lives, and located thereon in 1852. It was 
a wild tract of one hundred acres covered with a heavy growth of timber, 
which he at once began to clear, making his home in a little log cabin which 
stood upon his land. Prior to this he had cleared seventy acres of land near 
Shadeville, and in the work of improvement he has ever borne his' part, thus 
materially advancing the interests of his adopted county. In his farming 
operations he has prospered, and is now the owner of four hundred and forty- 
six acres of valuable and productive land in Jackson township. He com- 
menced life for himself with fifty dollars' in money, but being industrious, 
ambitious and honorable in all his dealings he has steadily prospered and is 
to-day one of the most substantial men of his community. 

Politically Air. Taylor was originally a Whig, but since the organiza- 
tion of the Republican party he has' been one of its stanch supporters. For 
47 



746 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

nine years he filled the office of school director in his district. For forty- 
eight years Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have resided upon their present farm. In 
1897 they celebrated their golden wedding, at which time over six hundred 
of their friends were gathered at their home to offer their congratulations 
to this worthy couple. They stand high in the community where they have 
so long made their home, and no citizens in Franklin county are more hon- 
ored or highly respected. 

PURDY M. REESE. 

One of the intelligent and prominent farmers of Prairie township, Purdy 
M. Reese was born on the banks of the Scioto river in Franklin county, 
December 26, 1826. Few of the native sons of the county have so long 
resided here. His ancestors were Welsh. His paternal grandfather was 
accidentally killed at the time of the raising of a building, after which his 
widow and her children came to Ohio, locating on Darby creek near the 
county line of Franklin and Madison counties. IVIrs. Reese spent her remain- 
ing days here. 

David Reese, the father of our subject, was born in Virginia and accom- 
panied his mother to the Buckeye state when about twelve or fifteen years 
of age. He spent his boyhood days upon the home farm on Darby creek and 
received but limited educational privileges, for the schools of that day were 
primitive in character. His training at farm labor, however, was not meager, 
for early experience soon made him familiar with the duties and labors that 
fall to the lot of the agriculturist. As a companion and helpmeet on life's 
journey he chose Miss Magdalina King, who was born in Franklinton, Ohio, 
a daughter of Samuel King, who came from Pennsylvania to this state. He 
was probably a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but in an early period in the 
development of Ohio he came to this county and located in Franklinton. 
He married Miss Martha Mcllvaine, who had two maternal undes of the 
name of Purdy, who fought in the Revolutionary war. Samuel King 
resided near the Scioto river and died at his home by the Grogg Spring. 
His wife passed away at the home of one of her children. After his mar- 
riage David Reese, the father of our subject, resided just across the line in 
Madison county, but later he took up his abode in Brown township, Frank- 
lin county, on Darby creek. He lived in various places and at length died 
in Madison county, at the age of eighty-four years. The mother of our 
subject passed away in 1837. The father was three times married, his second 
•wife being Polly Carton, while his third wife was Lydia Chillis. The chil- 
dren of the first marriage were : Purdy M. ; Joseph, deceased ; Martha Ann, 
who has also passed away; Eliza Jane, deceased wife of Charles Arthurs; 
tind Samuel, who served in the Civil war and is now living in Madison 
county, Ohio. There was one child by the second marriage, John, who is 
now living in Amity, Madison county. 

Purdy M. Reese was reared to manhood in this countv and began hi?. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 747 

iife in a log school building on the Anthony farm on the Scioto river. His 
carlv teacher was Alexander Jones, a New England man, wlio was weU' 
qaalified for his work. The schoolhonse was built of 'round logs ana was 
supplied with slab benches and puncheon floors, while the older children 
used as a writing desk a board which was laid upon pins driven into the 
wall- a log taken out of the room gave a place for the insertion of window 
glass and the building was thus lighted. The rod formed an important item 
in the discipline and the rules were primitive in character. 

After the death of his mother Mr. Reese of this review went to live 
with his uncle, Purdy Mcllvaine, at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and was sent 
by him to the subscription schools. For four or five years he remained with 
his uncle, who was acting as Indian agent at that point for the Wyandotte 
tribe He was a stanch Democrat and on account of his politics he was 
removed from his office by William Henry Harrison, who was then president 
of the United States, being succeeded by John W. Bare. W^hen the W yan- 
dottes sold their lands to the government Mr. Mcllvaine acted as their agent 
in settlino- with the government. Mr. Reese accompanied his uncle on many 
of his trtps among the red men. At times Mr. Mcllvaine would have as 
much as one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars m gold and silver in 
his house. After he had been deposed as agent he conducted a tavern at 
Marion Ohio for a year and was also at Delaware for a time. While 
residino- there Mr. Reese left his uncle's home and entered upon an indepen- 
dent bSsiness career. He came to Franklin county, where he entered the 
employ of another uncle, Robert King. He was employed m the quarries to 
some extent and while living on the river became afflicted with ague. He 
then went to live with his uncle, Samuel King, in Norwich township, remain- 
ing with him for a considerable period. As a companion and helpmeet on 
life's journey he chose Miss Nancy Kellar, their marriage being celebrated 
September 15 1855. The lady was born on the old Kellar homestead m 
Norwich towAship and during her girlhood she pursued her education in 
the subscription schools, her first teacher being Mary Cox. She was also 
under the instruction of Alexander Jones for a time, and she completed her 
education in the district schools, when seventeen years of age. She is a 
daughter of Jacob Kellar, who was born in Virginia, married Sarah Daugh- 
erty and coming to Ohio they settled in Franklinton. Her mother was a 
daughter of John Daugherty, who was a native of Ireland_ and was there 
reared. His wife died after coming to the United States, with his children, 
• he locating in Richland county, Ohio. For his second wife he chose Nancy 
Gatton, and subsequently removed to Franklinton, where John learned his 
trade of weaving. After his marriage Jacob Kellar located m Norwich 
township, on the farm now owned by John Robinson. Prior to this, however, 
thev lived for a time in a log house, situated on the present site of Marble 
Cliff At that place James Daugherty, the maternal uncle of Mrs. Reese 
ferried people across the river in pioneer days. On the old homestead 
farm Mr. Kellar died in i860. 



748 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. and Airs. Reese began their domestic life on the ElHott farm in 
Norwich township, where they resided for one year. He afterward rented 
and operated other farms and for a time resided on the Kellar homestead. 
He lived in Brown township for nine years and then purchased fifty acres 
of land, which he cultivated and improved until 1873, when he sold that 
property and located on his present farm near Alton. The tract comprised 
sixty-two and a half acres, which is under a high state of cultivation. He 
carries on general farming and his progressive methods and untiring energy 
have brought to him creditable success. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Reese has been blessed with five children : 
Joseph, who is engaged in merchandising in Alton, Ohio; Robert, who died at 
the age of three years; Ada, the wife of William Norris, of Logansport, Indi- 
ana; Jennie, the wife of Turne Cordell, of Columbus, and Charles, who 
was accidentally killed on the Cincinnati Southern Railroad. Both Mr. 
and Mrs. Reese hold membership in the Christian Union church and take 
an active part in its work. In politics he is a Democrat, having supported 
the party since casting his first presidential vote in 1848, with the exception 
of two occasions when he deposited his ballot for other candidates. He be- 
longs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Galloway, and is recog- 
nized as one of the progressive and enterprising citizens, co-operating in 
every movement or measure for the public good and at the same time so 
conducting his private affairs as to win a handsome competence in return for 
his labor. He and his wife have many warm friends who esteem them 
highly for their sterling worth and many excellencies of character as well as 
for their cordial hospitality. 

WILLIAM AIILTON GRAHAM. 

The well known civil engineer and contractor, of Columbus, Ohio, whose 
name appears above, is a son of John Graham, who w^as sheriff of Franklin 
county, Ohio, from 1837 to 1846. John Graham was born in Loudoun county, 
Virginia, and came to Franklin county in 1826 with his parents, who settled 
on a farm at Alton. Sheriff Graham's brothers, James, Thomas and Nathan, 
became farmers, but John studied civil engineering at the old academy at 
Columbus, which stood on the site of the present city hall, and became county 
surveyor of Franklin county. Later he served as deputy sheriff and during 
the nine years from 1837 to 1846, he ably filled the ofihce of sheriff. He was 
appointed postmaster of Columbus by President Lincoln, was a member of 
a commission appointed to investigate the Ashtabula disaster, one of the 
most terrible railway accidents in the history of America. He spent three 
years in New York city, where he was employed as a civil engineer in lay- 
ing out portions' of Central park. Politically he was a Whig, later a Repub- 
lican and he was highly esteemed as an engineer, as a public official and as a 
citizen. He died at Columbus in 1895, aged eighty-three years. His wife 
w-as Miss Jane Smith, a native of Pennsylvania. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 749 

Of the eight cliildren of John and Jane (Smjth) Graham William Mil- 
ton Graham o1 Colnmbits, is the only survivor. He was educated m the c tv 
schools. stud,ed engineering w.th his father and was " '-^^^/j^^!;^ t°\fe 
in the city engineer's department of the city of Columbus. Snice leaxuig tne 
c"ty en-neer-1 office, he has devoted himself to contractmg to supply water- 
works °e'«r and treet work in different cities and has met with no e- 
wo th; success. He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow and he ,s h.ghly regarded 
Ta straightforward and reliable busi.tess man and a progressive and pubhc- 
Spirited citizen. 

\\^ILLIA^I LISLE. 

William Lisle is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Frank- 
lin conntvTnd first opened his eyes to the light of day in the httle log cabin 
hie " oicl on the homestead farm in Hamilton township November 28 
1S08 hS o-randfather, John Lisle, was a native of Kentucky and removed 
to Cincinnati and afterward to Franklinton. On the journey he carried his 
two sm James and Robert, in saddlebags on his horse and his wife cair ed 
her 1 tt e infant daughter. No roads had been made from Cincinnati and th y 
foTloved he Lidian trails. On reaching what is now Franklin county John 
Ltle seci!^ed\ claim, entering from tl- ^.overnment three^h^^^^ 
land on Whetstone creek iif^Perry township. There he 1°^^^^^^"?,, 7, "'^;.;'; 
of the wilderness when he could have secured the land upon which the city 
o CoKm bus "as since been built, had he so desired. He also entered a rac 
of oneZmdred and sixtv acres for his son Robert and a similar ract for In 
?on James. On the wild frontier he developed a good farm and earned on 

agricultural pursuits until his demise. . T-.,.f„rl.v nnrl' after 

Tames Lisle the father of our subject, was born m Kentuckv. and atter 
beinc; brought to' Ohio in the manner described above, he was reared upon the 
old home farm, experiencing all the hardships and trials as well as pleasures 
known to the ron ier ,s;ettlers. When the war of 1812 was inaugurated he 
^nd the army and served as a defender of the American interests ^^ hen 
he lad attained to man's estate he located on a quarter-sectioi. of land n 
Hamilton township, which had been entered for him by his fathei. It ^as 
f wild tract upon ;hich not a furrow had been turned or an "^^Provemen 
made. He erected a little cabin builfof round ogs, the house being fifteen 
bv fifteen feet. It contained but one room, in the end of which was a large 
fireplace, which served the double purpose of heating and of furnishing f^re 
for cooking purposes. There was a puncheon floor, a clapboard root and a 
mud and stick chimney. James Lisle gave thirty acres of his land to ^li. 
Kilgore in pavment for the latter's labor in clearing ten acres of his farm. 
The Lisle fam'ilv was one of the first to locate in that locality, and wi h reso- 
lute purpose and undaunted will the father carried on the work of develop- 
ing and improving his place. On one occasion he was thrown rom a horse 
and sustained a bad wound on the head, but the scalp was; laid back and a 



750 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

silver plate inserted, which he wore throughout the remainder of his life. 
He was survived for several years by his wife, who bore the maiden name 
of IMary Guilford. They had five children : John, who went to Oregon and 
died in that state in 1897; William, of this review; Robert, who died in 
Iowa; Abbie, who became the wife of Michael Moore and died in the Hawkeye 
state; and Alexander, who is living in Minneapolis. 

Few of the residents! of Franklin county have been eye-witnesses' of the 
development of this portion of the state through as long a period as Mr. 
Lisle. He is now ninety-two years of age and he can relate many interest- 
ing incidents of life on the frontier, Ohio at that time being considered on 
the far borders of civilization. When a small boy his father would often 
have him take care of his horses along the ponds, and he would often see deer 
running across. the prairies. He attended the subscription schools from the 
age of twelve years, but his educational privileges were somewhat meager, 
as his father was in limited financial circumstances and needed his assistance 
upon the farm. He began plowing when his head was not as high as the 
plow handles. He continued to pursue his studies, however, through the 
winter seasons' until sixteen years of age, after which he had to work in order 
to aid in supporting the younger children of the family. He entered the 
employ of his uncle, Robert Lisle, then one of the wealthy men of the county, 
and for his services our subject received from ten to twenty cents per day. 
When he was twenty-three years of age he and 4qis brother John rented the 
Elliott land west of Alton and there cleared three hundred and sixty acres 
of land, which they planted, raising good crops'. Their lease was made out 
for five yearsi, but after four years they disposed of it to a Mr. Lathrop, who 
took possession of the place. 

In the meantime Mr. Lisle married, on the 24th of November. 1844, 
Miss Sarah McWilliams, who was born on Bay run, in Jackson township. 
May 10, 1826, a daughter of John and Mary (Sampson) McWilliams' After 
surrendering his lease Mr. Lisle worked at anything which he could get to 
do. He rented the Graham farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he 
operated for two years and on the expiration of that period found himself 
the owner of the greater part of the old homestead, having purchased the 
interests of the other heirs. One of his brothers-in-law, however, would 
not sell his' share of the land, so that it was appraised and the court gave 
Mr. Lisle the privilege of taking possession of it at the appraiser's price. 
He borrowed the money, made the purchase and continued on the old home- 
stead for two years, after which he sold the property to Robert and John 
Lisle. He then purchased the Henry Adams farm in the western part of 
Prairie township, and later he purchased of George Dugan one hundred and 
twenty-five acres of land. He afterward became the owner of one hundred 
acres, formerly the property of Mr. Sullivan, and of eighteen and a half 
acres of the Granner farm. At different times he has added other small 
tracts. John Graham was the surveyor and found many unclaimed tracts 
which Mr. Lisle purchased. He also bought twenty-eight acres of land of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 75' 

the Wallace survey and a fact from 'Squire Cole, ";1"':'\"°^V*;^["" ,'';i,^;°!! 
homestead. At the present time our subject own« three h""'';^^ and t^vent> 
five acres, having disposed of a portion of his property, ^^'^'l^^ll^'" 
bee.,, a shrewd, enterprising and industrious business ™" ^'^ J^'^^^^'i^^'^ 
management and keen sagacity and energy have brought to h.m creditable 



success 



Unto onr subject and his wife have been born seven children. John, of 
Columte; ames a physician engaged in the practice in Licking county. 
Ohio; Lewis, a medical practitioner of Selina, Mercer »""*>■■ 0'°:.^^^^ 
deceased wife of Jerome Ingalls; Zadoc, who has ako passed away Del.., 
(fnf Hsriv Hiibbard- George, who was born on the home farm April 6, 
i860 Ld is thf youngek of the' family. He pursued his literary education 
n the district Ichools'and in the high school of Columbus and aft^rwa d 

mEMsmmm 

of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

\VILLL\M THOiLAS iL\LLORY. 

Throuo-hout the years of an active and honorable business career Will- 
iam T MaCy was actively connected with building ■nterests and m many 
of he principal cities of the ccntry .tand important public and pn^ebndd- 
inJs which are monuments to his skill, ability, enterprise and business sagacit>. 
Now he is living retired, for the extensive building operations which he con- 
ducTecl returned to him a handsome income, and with a gratifying competence 
for the evening of life he put aside the more arduous business cares which 
fill tip the noontide of man's earthly career. He first came to Columbus m 
1890 and has resided continuously in the city for many years. 

Mr. Mallory is a native of Ireland, his birth having occurred m Kings 



752 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

county in 1834. . His eldest brother, Austin IMallory, is a well known lawyer 
of Dublin, Ireland, and has traced the ancestral history of the family back 
through nine hundred years. During his youth Mr. Mallory, of this review, 
came to the United States, and in the schools of this country continued his 
education, which was begun on the Emerald Isle. He afterward prepared 
for life's practical duties by serving an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade 
and thus mastering the business whereby he has since provided for the sup- 
port of himself and family. He completed his term of service in 185 1 and 
was continuously identified with the building interests' until 1890. He has 
taken and executed the contracts for the construction of fine public and 
pri\-ate buildings in Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphi'Si, Ten- 
nessee. For six years prior to the Civil war he was superintendent of con- 
struction on the University of Mississippi at Oxford, and other buildings 
of equal importance attest his thorough understanding of the builder's art. 
He employed a large force of workmen, whose efforts he capably directed, 
and in the line of his chosen calling he occupied an enviable position. 

]\Ir. Mallory was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Francis, of Louis- 
ville, Kentucky, a representative of an old and prominent family of that 
state. The oldest son of William T. and Ellen Mallory is the Hon. Charlesi 
Mallory, who studied law under Judge Thurman, of Columbus, and com- 
pleted his preparation for the bar in the University of Washington. Since 
1892 he has engaged in practice in New York city and is prominent in 
political circles there as a representative of the Democracy. In 1896-7 he 
was a member of the general assembly of the state. Lieutenant Theo Mal- 
lory, the second son, was educated in Cincinnati and Columbus, completing 
the high school course in the latter city. He enlisted in the Fourth Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry for 'service in the Spanish-American war in 1898 and 
served in Porto Rico, wdiere he was stricken with fever, his weight being 
thus reduced from one hundred and sixty to one hundred pounds. On the 
reorganization of the regiment as the Fourth Ohio National Guard he enlisted 
and was elected second lieutenant, in which rank he is' now connected with 
the military service of the state. William James Mallory, the third son of 
the family, pursued his education in the public schools and commercial col- 
lege of Columbus, and is now well known in businesis circles here. 

Mr. Mallory is public-s'pirited in an eminent degree; national progress 
and local advancement are causes both dear to the heart of this adopted and 
thoroughly loyal son of the Republic. His devotion to the country is above 
question and no native son of America is more true to her institutions or 
more faithful to his duties of citizenship. His political belief associates him 
with the Democracy and on that ticket he has twice been elected city clerk, 
while for two terms he has served on the city board of equalization, and in 
1900 and ten years previously he was decennial appraiser, being particularly 
■efficient in this work owing to his knowledge of realty values. He and his 
family attend the Holy Family church on West Broad street. IMr. Mallory 
'iias now attained the age of seventy years and enjoys perfect health, for 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 753 

Nature deals kindly with those who abuse not her laws. Surrounded with 
ihe comforts of life, with a family who are a credit to hisi name, and in the 
midst of many friends, he is now living quietly and happily, — an honored 
and respected citizen of Columbus. 

JOHN WILLIAM CARL. 

Tolin William Carl, one of the prominent young farmers of Franklin 
county, now living in Prairie township, was born January 27, 1856, on the 
old home farm in the same township. He pursued his education in the district 
schools until about sixteen years of age, attending mostly through the winter 
seasons, for during the summer months he aided in the labor of the home 
farm. His first teacher was a Mr. Johnson, who gave instruction in both 
English and German. He continued upon the old home farm until after 
he attained the age of twenty-iive years. He was married on the 3d of May, 
1881, to Miss Magdalena Deitsch, who was born in Prairie township October 
31, 1861, a daughter of John Conrad and Minnie (DeUinger) Deitsch, both 
of 'whom are residents of Brown township, Franklin county. The marriage 
of Mr. and Mrs. Carl has been blessed with the following children : Sidney, 
who died in infancy ; Valeria, who died at the age of eleven years' ; George, 
Olive B. E., Walter A. and Ruth Emma, who are all in school. The mother 
of this family died February 6, 1898. 

After his marriage Mr. Carl rented his present farm of forty a^cres of 
his father, and upon the latter's death he inherited the property. He later 
purchased the interests of his brother Isaac in the place and now has eighty- 
four acres of rich and arable land under a high state of cultivation. He 
carries on general farming and stock-raising, and his well directed efforts 
are bringing to him creditable success. In politics he is a stalwart Democrat, 
but has never sought or desired the honors or emoluments of public office, 
preferring to devote his energies and time to his business affairs. 

JOHN J. JOYCE. 

Among the business men and public officials of Columbus none are 
better or more favorably known than John J. Joyce, who is closely associated 
with commercial interests of the city and with the work of collecting public 
moneys. Reliable, trustworthy, energetic and determined, in both lines of 
activity he has accomplished much, his labors being effective and valuable. 

Mr. Joyce was born in Columbus in 1857, a son of David Joyce, a native 
of Ireland, who came to Columbus in 1843 and here established a fish and 
oyster market, which has since been conducted by some of the members of 
his family. The business is now incorporated under the name of the Joyce 
Fish Company and the enterprise is located at the North market. The father 
was united in marriage to Miss' Catherine Temese. of Columbus, who was 
born in Germany, and during her childhood crossed the Atlantic with her 



754 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

parent'Si, who were alsO' natives of the fatherland. They located in southern 
Ohio and in this state Mrs. Joyce grew to womanhood. She still resides 
in the capital city and is now sixty-eight years of age, but David Joyce 
passed away in 1863, when about forty-seven years of age. 

In taking up the personal history of John J. Joyce we present to our 
readers an account of the life of one who is widely and favorably known in 
his native city. He pursued his education in St. Patrick's school and in 
Bryant's Commercial College and entered upon his business career in connec- 
tion with his father, this association being maintained until 1878, when he 
became deputy clerk under Harvey Coshatt, continuing to act in that capacity 
until 1883, when he was appointed county clerk to fill out the unexpired term 
caused by the death of Mr. Coshatt. The day previous Mr. Joyce had been 
elected to the position for the ensuing term, and continued to serve as county 
clerk for two terms or six years, returning from office in February, 1890, with 
the confidence and commendation of all concerned. Since that time he has 
been continuously interested in the active control of the business of the Joyce 
Fish Company, which has been incorporated, our subject being the secretary 
and treasurer. He is also engaged in the coal business, dealing in Brush 
Creek valley and Hocking valley coal, and this enterprise brings to him a 
good financial return. He is a financier of superior ability, and since 1878 
he has been active in the work of making county collections. He is now^ 
engaged in collecting court costs and occupies a portion of the clerk's office. 
For the last five years he has also been deputy sheriff, a position which assists' 
him in making the collections mentioned. In 1898 these costs on stenographic 
work alone amounted to between thirty and forty thousand dollars. The 
court has now decided that these fees must be paid to the county on demand, 
which will undoubtedly result in great saving to the county. Mr. Joyce now 
represents the ex-county officers in the collection of fees due them, amounting 
to thousands of dollars'. He is very successful in the work, in which he has 
had almost twenty-five years experience, and has succeeded in making many 
collections where undoubtedly others would have failed. 

Mr. Joyce has been twice married. In 1885 he weddted Miss Belle N. 
Blis'S', daughter of M. W. Bliss, an old resident of Columbus, who for many 
years was engaged in the coal business and w^as also a real-estate agent and 
the representative of the Northwestern Insurance Company of Milwaukee. 
He was also active in all church and temperance work and in many public 
enterprises having for their object the welfare and improvement of the com- 
munity. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church and labored effect- 
ively in promoting its work. His mother belonged to the McGowan family 
and her father was one of the men who laid out the to'wn plat of Columbus. 
Mrs. Joyce died in 1897, and in 1900 Mr. Joyce married Addie B. Wester- 
velt, a daughter of James Westervelt and a granddaughter of Mathew West- 
ervelt, wdio laid out the town which bears his name. Unto Mr. Joyce has 
been born one son, John J., who is now a student in the public schools of 
the city. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 755 

In his political affiliations Mr. Joyce has always been a Democrat, adher- 
ing closely to the basic principles of the party and for twenty years he has 
been active and prominent in local Democratic ranks. He has aided in 
shaping the policy and work of the party in this locality, and in 1897-8 he 
wasi secretary of the executive committee of the county. He is widely known 
in Columbus, admired for his business and executive ability, esteemed for 
his sterling worth and respected for his' fidelity to all the duties of public 
and private life. 

CHARLES ELDRIDGE. 

Charles Eldridge was born of Quaker stock, at Philadelphia. Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1822. His parents were William and Sarah (Matlack) Eldridge, 
membersi of old Pennsylvania families, and he was educated at Quaker 
schools in his native city and remained there until 1839, when he was seven- 
teen years old. At that time his father removed with his family to Colum- 
bus and assumed control of the Sullivant flouring mill, afterward known as 
the Rickley mill, which was destroyed by fire some years ago. The elder 
Eldridge became prominent in business affairs in Columbus and died at the 
Kge of sixty-four years in 1845. Charles Eldridge was associated with him 
in the milling enterprise and in other undertakings' and was identified with 
prominent business interests to which he gave devoted attention until his retire- 
ment in 1886. He has' for many years been an Odd Fellow and during all 
his active life his public spirit led him to advocate and assist many move- 
ments tending to the upbuilding of the city. 

Charles Eldridge married Miss Catharine Taylor Nelson, daughter of 
David and Mary (Taylor) Nelson, of Marion township, formerly Mont- 
gomery township, Franklin county, Ohio. David Nelson was born in Miftlin 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1796, a 'Son of David Nelson, Sr., and came with 
his father's family to Ohio in 1802, when he was eight years old. Here he 
lived until his death, which occurred in 1847, when he was fifty-one years' 
of age. David Nelson, Sr., was one of the earliest settlers in Franklin county, 
where he took up six hundred acres of land, a part of which is owned at this 
time by his heirs, and one hundred acres' of which is now a portion 
of Franklin park, Columbus. He was a lieutenant in a Pennsylvania regi- 
ment which did gallant service in the Revolutionary war. This family of 
Nelsons is of Scotch ancestry and he was a man of ability and high character. 
Besides his son, David, Jr., he had another son named Robert, who had five 
daughters, one of whom, Nancy, married Daniel Taylor, of Columbus, Ohio, 
a wealthy farmer, who was the father of E. L. Taylor. Martha Nelson, 
second daughter of Robert, married IMajor Sanderson, of the United States 
army, a veteran of the Mexican war. Caroline, Robert Nelson's ,third 
daughter, married John Brough, state auditor and afterward governor of 
Ohio, and bore him a daughter, who is' Mrs. C. W. Girard, of Cincinnati, 
Ohio, Robert Nelson's fourth daughter, jMargaret, married Dr. James 
McConnell, of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, whose son. Dr. Nelson McConnell, is 



756 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

well known there at this time. Rchert Nelson's youngest daughter, Mary- 
Ann, married James' Armstrong, brother of W . \\. Armstrong, of the Cleve- 
land Leader. David Nelson, Jr., married Mary Taylor, daughter of Isaac 
Taylor, a wealthy tanner of Columbus', who died at the age of seventy-eight 
in 1850. For his second wife he married Miss Maria Carleton, of Detroit, 
Michigan. By his first marriage he had twelve children and by his second 
he had seven. He was prominent as a citizen and active in religious work 
and was one of the foundersi and a member of the first board of trustees of 
the first Presbyterian church of Columbus. 

Charles and Catharine Taylor (Nelson) Eldridge had three children, the 
eldest of whom is Frank Eldridge, a lieutenant commander in the United States 
navy, who was appointed to the United States Naval school at Annapolis, 
Maryland, from Columbus, in 1872, by Governor Denison, after having grad- 
uated in 1869 from the Columbus high school and devoted some time to prepar- 
atory study. Early in the Spanish war he started for Manila on the gunboat 
Helena, but was ordered back at Gibraltar and afterward saw service in Cuba. 
He has recently returned from China. His wife was Miss Lucy Ramsden, of 
Fulton, New York. John Eldridge was graduated from the high school at 
Columbus in 1869, and after having been for 'Some years in the retail grocery 
business in 1882 founded the wholesale grocery house of Eldridge & Hig- 
gins, from which he retired in 1890. He is now a director of the board 
of trade of Columbus. He married Miss Estelle Day, of Columbus, daugh- 
ter of Gen. D. W. H. Day, from Bowling Green, Ohio, who was prominent 
in the Civil war. Wilbur Eldridge, a prominent real-estate man of Colum- 
bus, was graduated at the high school of the city in 1877, and was for 
some years in the grocery business. He engaged in his present enterprise 
in 1886 and has become prominent in connection with the building trade. 
He married Miss' Eleanor Brown, of Jackson, Ohio, daughter of Isaac Brown, 
who is prominent in coal and iron circles by reason of his connection with 
the Star Furnace and Coal mines, and they have one child, Dorothy, now seven 
years old. Mrs. Catharine Taylor (Nelson) Eldridg-e, mother of these chil- 
dren, died in 1896, aged seventy years, and the father pas'sed away in 1891. 

GEORGE W. BROWNE. 

In the service of the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad Company 
is Mr. Browne, who is filling the position of a passenger conductor. He 
maintains hisi residence in Columbus, his present address being No. 975 High- 
land street. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Newville, Cumber- 
land county, on the 4th of July, 1856, and is descended from good old Revo- 
lutionary stock, his paternal great-grandfather having been the famous' John 
Browne of Revolutionary times. The grandfather of our subject also bore 
the name of John Browne and was born in Pennsylvania July 26, 1772, his 
death occurring on the 20th of May, 1844. His wife, Mrs. Susiannah Browne, 
was born in Pennsylvania January 15, 1790, and died October 7, 1877. Her 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7S7 

family name was Krischer and by her marriage she became the mother of 
the following named: John, born July 26, 1782; Susannah, born January 
15, 1790; David, born March 9, 1808; John, born January 9, 1810; Eliza- 
beth, born September 2, 181 1; Jacob, born November 5, 1812; Hetty, -born 
February 20, 1814; Jessie, born January 31, 1816; Ben, born April 2, 1818; 
Absalom, born November 11, 1820; Susannah, born May 17, 1822; Rebecca, 
born March 22, 1826; Harriet, born April 24, 1827; and G. W., born May 
I, 1829. Of the foregoing, David B. died July 18, 1882; John died June 20, 
1889; Elizabeth became Mrs. Ornsdorff and died January 24, 1868; and 
Jacob died July 10, 1886. John Browne, the father of our subject, was 
born in the Keystone state June 9, 1810. He married Miss Catherine Grimes 
January 3Q, 1835. She was born in Pennsylvania in 181 5, and died at her 
home in Newville, that state. June 4, 1878, while her husband passed away 
on the 20th of June, 1887. Their children are all yet living, namely: Eliza, 
born August 21, 1836, was married, December 21, 1854, to William Varnard; 
Hadassah, born November 9, 1837, was married, in December, i860, to Zeb. 
B. Mull; Susannah, born December 9, 1839, was married to J. R. Deckard 
September 17, 1857; Sarah C., born November 13, 1841, is the wife of D. 
W. Spencer, their marriage being celebrated December 13, 1866; Benjamin 
F., born Fel3ruary 19, 1843, ^""^^ was married, in September, 1866, to Mis'3 
Sadie Hurtsberger, with whom he is now living on a farm near Cripple Creek, 
Colorado; John P., born February i, 1849, was married, September 4, 1893, 
to Miss Alice N. Elliott, and is working as a tinner in the Pennsylvania shops 
at Renovo, Pennsylvania; Rebecca, born December 31, 1845, was married, 
March 28, 1867, to J. B. Kendig; and Anna M., born May 21, 1852. is the. 
wife of D. L. Sallenberger, their marriage having been consummated Novem- 
ber 29, 1876. 

George W. Browne, whose name introduces this record, acquired his 
early education in the public schools of his native town, and after arriving 
at years of maturity he chose as a companion and helpmate on life's journey 
Miss Maggie Raleigh, their wedding occurring in Hudson, Ohio, January 
I, 1885. Her father, John Raleigh, was born in Ireland in 181 5, and in 
Cleveland, Ohio, on the 27th of January, 1858, he wedded Miss Mary McDer- 
mott, also a native of the Emerald Isle. Their children were James, born 
November 25, 1858; Ed, born March 8, i860; Mary Ann, born March 27, 
1861 ; John, born May 10, 1862: Margaret T., born October 3, 1863; Will- 
iam R., born March 17, 1865; Timothy, born June 28, 1867; Alichael, born 
June 21, 1869; Catherine R., born June 27, 1871 ; Robert R., born Septem- 
ber 4, 1872; and Patrick, born June 30, 1875. 

After their marriage ]\Ir. and \lvs. Browne resided in Hudson, Ohio, 
until 1898, when they removed to Columbus. Their children are Louis M., 
born October 3, 1885; Isabella G., born November 2, 1886; John C, born 
June 29, 1888; George D., born September 27, 1889; Anna ^M., born Novem- 
ber 3, 1891; and Mary Octavia, born April 11, 1893. The only death in 
the family occurred April 26, 1890, when they lost their son John C. 



758 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

In September, 1875, Mr. Browne became connected with the railway 
service as a brakeman on the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad, continuing there 
until January i, 1877, \\1ien he went to Kansas, remaining until December 
of the same year. He then returned to Pennsylvania and resumed his old 
position on the road. In 1881 he went south and was in the employ of the 
Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company until January, 1882. On the nth 
of July of that year he began his work on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus 
Railroad as a brakeman, and has' since been in the service of the company. 
In September of the same year he was made a freig^ht conductor, and on 
the 25th of May, 1885, was promoted to the position of passenger conductor, 
since which time he has been in charge of a passenger train. He belongs 
to the ■Masonic order, holding membership in the blue lodge of Orrville, 
Ohio, and in Clinton Chapter, No. 20. R. A. M. The family are members 
of the Catholic church and in politics Mr. Browne has always' been a stanch 
Republican. 

JOHN BOUCHER. 

The life work of John Boucher is ended, but its influence is still felt, 
his efforts having not been unavailing. For some time he was numbered 
among the enterprising farmers of Pleasant township, and there are many 
who remember him and will gladly receive this record of his career. He 
was a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1835, his parents being Timothy and 
Mary (Barrow^s) Boucher, also natives of the Keystone state. At the age 
of six years he accompanied his father and mother to the Buckeye state, the 
family taking up their abode in Pleasant township. He pursued his educa- 
tion in a log school house such as' was common at that day and assisted his 
father in the arduous task of clearing and developing wild land, for this sec- 
tion of the country was covered with a dense growth of native forest trees, 
which had to be cut and disposed of ere a furrow could be turned. 

In 1858 Mr. Boucher was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Duff, 
who was' born in Jackson township, Franklin county. May 20, 1832. Her 
father, William Duff, vv,as also a native of this county and wedded Nancy 
Orders, whose birth occurred here and who w^as a daughter of Jonas Orders. 
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Duff located in Jackson township, where 
he owmed three hundred acres of land. He was also the owner of a tract of 
one hundred and fifty acres in Georgesville. Both he and his wife spent their 
last days on the old homestead, where they had so long resided and where 
they had reared their family of twelve children. The family record for 
patriotism and loyalty is almost unsurpassed and is one of which the repre- 
sentatives of the name have every reason to be proud, for John, Adam, George, 
William, Davidi, Allen and Jonas — seven brothers — w^ere all soldiers in the 
Union army, wearing the blue as defenders of the stars and stripes. The 
last named died wdiile at the front. Mrs. Boucher was reared to womanhood 
on the pioneer farm which her father owned and often assisted in the work 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 759 

of the fields or performed her share of labor in the woods. She pursued 
her education in a log school house which was a half-mile from her home, 
the path winding through a dense forest. Her studies were continued at 
intervals! until eighteen years of age. By her marriage she became the mother 
of six children, namely : Amos, who is now living in Kansas ; Roxie, wife of 
P'rank Cummins ; William, deceased ; George and Charles, who are living in 
Pleasant township; and Wesley, at home. 

The parents began their domestic life upon the farm of four hundred 
acres owned by Mr. Boucher, their home being a little log cabin of one story. 
Prior to his death Mr. Boucher cleared the entire farm and became one of 
the most substantial and prominent agriculturists in his township. The task 
of cutting away the trees, preparing the land for the plow and placing the 
fields under cultivation was a very difficult one, but with resolute spirit he 
carried it forward and in course of time bounteous harvests rewarded his 
toil. In politics he was independent, supporting the men and measures in 
which he believed, regardless of party affiliations. In early life he joined 
the Methodist Episcopal church and was very true to its teachings. A man 
of domestic tastes, he found his greatest happiness in his home amidst his 
family, and it seemed that he could not do too much to enhance the welfare 
of his wife and children. He was fond oi reading and always kept well 
versed on the questions of the day. With him friendship was inviolable, 
and he was ever a good neighbor, a devoted husband and father, a loyal 
citizen and an earnest Christian gentleman. He passed away March 4, 1892, 
mourned by many friends. Mrs. Boucher 'Still resides upon the old home- 
stead in Pleasant township and is an estimable lady whose worth is widely 
acknowledged, 

ADAM BOYER. 

The name of this gentleman has for many years been inseparably inter- 
woven with the building interests of Columbus, for as a contractor he has 
erected many of the finest structures of the city and is a prominent factor 
in business circles', where he is well known for his reliability. He was born 
in Berks county, Pennsylvania, on the i6th of February, 1834, and is' a son 
of George and Rebecca (Rieser) Boyer, also natives of that county. They 
continued their residence in that locality until 1885, when they removed to 
Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. 

Adam Boyer spent his early boyhood days in Berks county, there remain- 
ing until his seventeenth year, and during that period he received a limited 
common-school education. In 1858 he came to Ohio, first locating in Dela- 
ware. He had' previously worked at the carpenter's trade toi some extent 
before leaving Pennsylvania and afterward resumed his' labors along that 
line, eventually becoming a contractor and builder. His expert workmanship 
connected him prominently with the building interests of the city and many 
residences, business housesi and churches still stand as monuments' to his 



76o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

skill and enterprise there. For many years has he now been a resident of Colum- 
bus and is' regarded as one of the leading contractors and builders of the 
capital city. He has taken contractsi for the erection of many houses of 
worship and dwellings in South Columbus. He is a skilled mechanic and 
is therefore capable of directing the labors of the men who are employed under 
him. He lives faithfully up to the terms of his contracts and has the unc|ual- 
ified confidence of those whom he serves. 

In i860 Mr. Boyer was' united in marriage to Miss Mary Troutman, 
of Delaware, a daughter of William Troutman, one of the pioneer residents 
of that place. Three children have been born of their union, a son and two 
daughters: Alonzo, now a carpenter and builder; Esther, wife of O. Lewis; 
and Cora Martha, at home. Mr. Boyer maintains his residence in Clinton- 
ville, Ohio. He is an upright, moral Christian gentleman, integrity being 
synonymous with his name, and wherever he has lived he has enjoyed the 
unqualified confidence of his fellow men. 

SAMUEL W. LAKIN. 

This honored veteran of the Civil war and a prominent farmer of Perry; 
township, is a worthy representative of an old distinguished family of Mary- 
land that was founded in that state by Abraham Lakin. He w-as born in 
England in 171 3 and his people were prominent in that country. They held 
patents from the croww of England to a large estate in Fred'erick county, 
Maryland, and there Abraham Lakin located in 1743. Through Lord Bacon's 
agent he purchased land in Middletown valley from the British government, 
and this property is still in possession of the family, being owned by Henry D. 
Lakin. Upon the place is the old family cemetery, where lie buried master 
and slaves which have crossed the dark river of death. For the most part 
they have been adherents of the Protestant Episcopal church. Abraham 
Lakin died in 1796, in his eighty-third year, and his wife died in her eighty- 
second year, leaving two sons, Abraham, Jr., and Daniel, the grandfather of 
our subject and a native of Frederick county, Maryland. The former's son, 
William Lakin, was a member of the Seventh Maryland Regiment during the 
Revolutionary war, and' by act of the state legislature was given fifty acres 
of land iu' Maryland for his services'. There was also one member of the 
family in the war of 181 2. 

Daniel Lakin, Jr., the father of our subject, was born and reared in 
Frederick county, Maryland, and when a young man came to Franklin county, 
Ohio, in 1830, bringing with him sufficient money to purchase one hundred 
acres of land in Clinton township and one hundred and forty acres in Perry 
township. Upon the former place he made his home, and meeting with suc- 
cess in his farming operations he became one of the prosperous citizens of that 
locality, as well as one of its representative men, holding the office of township 
trustee for many years. He was a prominent member of the Episcopal church 
and took quite an active part in religious work. On the 27th of June, 1833, 





SAMUEL W. LAKIE 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 761 

he was united in marriage to INIiss Dorcas J. Flenniken, of this county, and 
to them were born five children, four of whom reached manhood, namely: 
Samuel W., of this review; George W., of Perry township; Daniel C, 
deceased; and Milton D., of Toledo, Ohio. The father, who was born in 
1804, died in 1874, while the mother, who was born in 1805, died in 1880. 
She, too, was a member of the Episcopal church and an exemplary Christian. 
' Our 'Subject's maternal grandparents were Samuel G. and Elizabeth 
(Morehead) Flenniken, who were born in Kentucky of Irish ancestry, and 
were married in 1798. At an early day in its history they came to this 
county, and the grandfather, who was a farmer by occupation, became one 
of the prominent men of this section, serving as one of the associate judges 
of Franklin county for some years'. He was born April 28, 1774, and died 
December 25, 1846, while his wife was born in 1777 and died September 5, 
1852. In religious belief they were Presbyterians and he served as an elder 
in Dr. Hogue's church, in Columbus. They had the following named chil- 
dren : Jane, John, Cynthia, Thirza, Dorcas and Eliza (twins), Sarah, jMar- 
garet and Samuel W. The last named was the first male student at the Ohio 
State Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and his picture now adorns the walls of the 
reception room of that institution. 

]\Ir. Lakin, of thisi review, w^as born in Clinton township May 22, 1834,. 
and his preliminary education, received in the common schools, was supple- 
mented by several terms' attendance at the Capital University. He suc- 
cessfully engaged in teaching in the district schools for a number of terms,, 
and remained with his parents until twenty-four years of age. Before his 
marriage he bought one hundred and fifty-four acres of land in Perry town- 
ship, in partnership with his father, and upon that place he has since made 
his home, his time and energies being devoted to agricultural pursuits. ]\Ir. 
Lakin was married, October 20, 1858, the lady of his choice being Miss Annie 
J. Clagett, a daughter of Samuel G. and Elizabeth ( Drill )_ Clagett, of Mont- 
gomery county, Ohio, and to them were born eight children, all now o£ 
age, namely: Milton C, infirmary director of Franklin county: Caroline, the 
wife of C.'H. Slyh; John F. ; Charles G. ; Kate U., wife of Wilbur McCoy; 
Harry W. ; Arthur S. ; and Edith J., the wife of William Powell, of Columbus. 

In 1864, during the Civil war, Mr. Lakin entered the one-hundred-day 
service, becoming a member of- Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-third 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, to which his brothers. Daniel and George W., also 
belonged. His term was for the most part spent at Bermuda Hundred, do- 
ing garrison duty at Fort Powhattan. He participated in the battle of Ber- 
muda Hundred and was^ mustered out with the rank of sergeant. On receiv- 
ing his discharge he returned home and resumed farming. His place is known 
as the Fairview Farm, and for about fifteen years he has conducted the Fair- 
view Dairy in connection with his agricultural pursuits. 

Religiously Air. Lakin is a JMethodist. his membership being with the 
church of that denomination at Marble Cliff, his wife also belonging there. 
He is connected with Excelsior Lodge, No. 145, I. O. O. F. Politically he 



762 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

affiliates with the Repul)hcan party, and as one of the leading and popular 
citizens of his community he has been honored with several offices, having 
served as a member of the township board of education for about twenty-five 
years, as township trustee for eight years and justice of the peace for two 
terms of three years each. 

WILLIAM THARP. 

The forceful individuality of William Tharp has left its impress upon 
the substantial development and improvement of Franklin county for many 
years. He is now an active farmer of Pleasant township and is one of its 
most respected citizens. His' ancestors came originally to America from the 
British isles and the name was formerly spelled Oglethorp, but with the 
passing years changes have been made in the orthography until the name 
has assumed its present form. William Tharp, the grandfather of our sub- 
ject, was a cooper by trade and resided in Hunterdon county. New Jersey. 
Ephraim Tharp, the father, was born in that county and learned the cooper's 
trade, but did not follow it after his marriage. He married Miss Susan 
Garard, who was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and was a relative 
of Stephen Girard, the well known millwright, of Philadelphia. Her par- 
ents' were Joseph' and Mary Garard. After his marriage Mr. Tharp devoted 
his: time and energies to farming, carrying on that business as a means of 
supplying himself and family with the comforts of life. He died in his 
native county in New Jersey, and his wife also departed this life there. They 
were the parents of seven children : Joseph, who resides' near Pittstown, 
Hunterdon county, New Jersey ; Mary, who was married and lived in Indiana, 
where her death occurred; William, of this review; Elizabeth, who married 
and livesi in New Jersey; Isaac, deceased; Katura, who is living in New 
Jersey; and Jonas, also of that state. 

William Tharp, whose name forms the caption of this article, was' born 
in Pleasant township, Hunterdon county. New Jersey, August 3, 1834, and 
until seventeen years of age remained upon the home farm, devoting a por- 
tion of that period to the mastery of the common English branches of learn- 
ing, as taught in the subscription schools of the neighborhood. He then 
left home and learned the wagonmaker's' trade, which he followed for twenty 
years after coming to Ohio. It was in 1857 that he left his native state, 
journeying westward to Columbus, where he arrived with only thirteen cents 
in his pocket. For two or three years thereafter he was employed in a grist- 
mill at Harrisburg, and then followed any occupation that would yield him 
an honest living. In 1858 he was married and for a year thereafter made 
his home near Pleasant Corners, where he was' variously employed until the 
2d of August, 1 86 1, when he responded to the president's call for aid, enlist- 
ing for three years as a private in the Fifteenth United States Regular Army, 
which was attached to the Army of the Cumberland. With that command 
he participated in the battles of Shiloh and Corinth, in the skirmishes at Dog 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 763 

Walk, in the battle of Stone River and in several other skirmishes until dis- 
charged at Camp Dennison, Ohio, on the 28th of December, 1863, on account 
of disability. 

Mr. Tharp then returned to his home, purchased ten acres of land, erected 
his present residence and shop and began wagon-making, which he followed 
through a period of twenty years. As his financial resources were increased 
he added to his farm until he now owns' seventy-three acres, his time at 
present being devoted exclusively to agricultural pursuits. 

In Pleasant township, Franklin county, in the year 1858, :\Ir. Tharp 
was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Lomerson, wdio was born in Hunter- 
don county, New Jersey, in 1840, a daughter of Conrad and Ruth (Cramer) 
Lomerson. She was about eighteen years of age when her parents took up 
their abode in Pleasant town&hip. Her death occurred January 4, 1898, 
and w^as deeply mourned, for she had many friends in the community. She 
was a consistent Christian woman, holding membership in the Green Hill 
Methodist Episcopal church, of which she was an active worker. Kind and 
charitable, she did much to promote the cause of the church and to aid those 
with whom she came in contact. She was- the mother of ten children : Iva- 
nora, who died at the age of nine years'; Tecumseh Sherman, of Columbus, 
who married Sarah Timmins, who died leaving two children, — Philo and 
Geneva ; Frank Elmer, of Columbus, who married Minnie Bradlev. and after 
her death, married Alma Rector; Irena and T^Ielvina, twins; Oliver, of Colum- 
bus, who married Maggie Vance; George Harley, at home; Milton, of Colum- 
bus ; Eva, who is still with her father ; and Mary, who is living in Columbus. 

Mr. Tharp, like his wife, is a consrstent Christian, belonging to the 
Methodist church, in which he is now serving as trustee. In politics he is 
a stanch Democrat and keeps well informed on the issues of the day. Reading 
makes him conversant with all topics of general moment and he is an intel- 
ligent gentleman and a pleasant and entertaining conversationalist. In spirit 
he is charitable and benevolent, in manner he is kindly and genial and all who 
known him hold him in high regard. His life is in many respects well worthy 
of emulation and his' example should prove a source of inspiration and encour- 
agement to others. 

ROSSER D. BOHANNAN. 

An enumeration of those men of the present generation who have won 
honor and recognition in the fields of mental activity and who have at the 
same time honored the professions and institutions with which they are con- 
nected would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference 
to the one whose name initiates this paragraph. He holds a distinctive pre- 
cedence as an eminent educator, as a man of high scientific and literary attain- 
ments, and through fourteen years' connection with the Ohio State University 
his labors have been effective in promoting the standard of the school and 
making it an institution of first rank among the state universities of the land. 



764 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Profesisor Rosser Daniel Bohannan is a native of Virginia, his birth 
having occurred in Mathews county April 20, 1855, his parents being Dr. 
John G. and Laura (Daniels) Bohannan, who were also borq in the Old 
Dominion. The paternal grandfather, Dr. John Bohannan, St., was a native 
of Scotland, and after his arrival in the United States engaged in the practice 
of medicine in Virginia for many years. His son, Dr. John G. Bohannan, 
followed in his professional footsteps and attained considerable prominence 
in the line of his chosen calling. He married Laura Daniels, a daughter of 
\Mlliam Daniels, who represented a family of English lineage. With his 
w'ife and children Dr. Bohannan left the place of their nativity and took up 
his abode in South Norwalk, Ohio, where he and his wife spent their remain- 
ing days, the Doctor passing away in 1898. Li their family were five sons, 
all of whom have entered professional life, Richard L., Charles G. and Ben- 
jamin W. being practicing physicians of Connecticut, while William J. H. is a 
prominent attorney of Stamford, that state. 

The strong mentality which is a distinguishing characteristic of the 
Bohannan family was early manifest in the Pro'fessor, wdio in his youth dis- 
played special aptitude in his studiesi, which were pursued in a private school 
in his early boyhood days. When he had prepared for college he entered 
the University of Virginia and was graduated in that institution with the 
class of 1876. The following year he occupied the position of teacher of 
mathematics' and Latin in the Suffolk Collegiate Institute, o-f Virginia, where 
he remained throughout the scholastic year. The following year found him 
installed as professor of mathematics and English in the New York Latin 
School in New York city, and from 1878 until 1880 he was professor of 
mathematics and natural science in Emory and Henry College. Desirous 
to further perfect himself in the line of hisi specialty. Professor Bohannan 
then went abroad and was a student in mathematics and physics in Cam- 
bridge, England, from 1880 until 1882. The following school year was 
spent in mastering the same scientific branches as taught in Gottingen, and 
alter his return to his native land he became acting professor of mathematics 
in the University of Virginia through the year 1883-4. He next received 
the appointment oi professor of mathematics and physics in the State Uni- 
versity, continuing to fill that chair until 1887, when he received the appoint- 
ment to the chair of mathematics and astronomy in the Ohio State Uni- 
versity. He had charge of the instruction in those two branches of science 
until 1895, since which time he has' been professor of mathematics alone in 
the same institution, the growth o-f the classes in mathematics making it nec- 
essary that he give his entire time to instruction in that branch. His entire 
life has been devoted to educational work and in this he has gained- a position 
of distinction that has' made him widely known to the profession throughout 
the country. 

Professor Bohannan has been twice married. He first wedded IMiss 
Ellen Price, of Virginia, a daughter of James and ]\Iary (McDonald) Price, 
who died leaving two daughters, Mary S. and Ellen. His present wife was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 765 

formerly Miss Florence Short, of Colorado, a daughter of Professor John 
Short, of the Ohio State University, and unto them has' been born one son, 
Robert Critchfield. Their home is an attractive and substantial brick resi- 
dence in Indianola Place. It stands' in the midst of a fine lawn, adorned by 
beautiful forest trees and made pleasing through the arts of the landscape 
gardener. It is the center of a cultured society circle, intellect, courtesy and 
admirable entertainment being the predominant features of its' social functions. 

FREDERICK FRA^XIS. 

Frederick Francis' is a retired farmer of Pleasant township. It requires 
constant labor and attention to keep a farm in good condition and make it 
yield a profitable return for the labor bestowed upon it, but through years 
of activity and close application to his work Mr. Francis continually added 
to his capital until his competence was sufiicient to enable him to put aside 
business cares and rest in the enjoyment of the fruits of his' former toil. In 
his career he has manifested many of the most sterling characteristics of his 
English ancestry, for the Francis family is' of English origin. The grand- 
father of our -subject was born in Kent county. England, and followed gen- 
eral work there. George Francis, Jr., the father of our subject, was there 
also born, in the year 1806, and became a brickmaker. When a mere child 
he entered a brick-yard and was employed in connection with that industry 
while residing in England. He wedded Ann Walters, also a native of Kent 
county and a daughter of Samuel Walters, a brickmaker, for whom her hus- 
band worked. In 1836 George Francis', Jr., with his wife and son Frederick 
came to the United States, sailing from London on the vessel, Cordover. A 
voyage of nine weeks and three days was ended when the harbor of New York 
was reached, and from the eastern metropolis the Francis family proceeded 
to Buffalo, and thence by canal to Columbus. For a year and a half the 
father engaged in general work in the capital city and then removed to Pleas- 
ant township, Franklin county, where he purchased forty-two acres of land 
in the Pennsylvania settlement. Thereon he resided until 1849, ^'^is home 
being in the midst of the forest. He made a clearing and built a round-log 
house, eighteen by twenty-twO' feet, in one end of which was a huge fire- 
place, the smoke making its egress through a stick chimney. In the wintc^r 
time the snow would fall between the logs, spreading a white cover over bed 
and floor. The father left his wife and son upon the farm while he went 
to Columbus, where he 'secured employment in order to obtain money nec- 
essary to make the payment upon his land. He would walk to the city on 
Monday morning and return in the same manner on Saturday night. A poor 
man, he had but five dollars when he landed in Columbus, but he possessed 
resolute wall and' determined purpose and year by year added to his posses- 
^sions. In 1849 ^^^ removed to the farm now owned by Frederick Francis, 
becoming owner O'f one hundred and fifty-eight acres, which he purchased 
at eight dollars per acre. .Only eighteen acres had been cleared, while the 



7^^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

improvements upon the place consisted of a double log- cabin. Small game 
was obtained and the conditions of life were those usually found in a frontier 
settlement. After locating upon this farm the father engaged in burning 
brick to some extent and replaced his double log house by a small brick resi- 
dence, the first perhaps between Harrisburg and Columbus. He prospered 
in his business undertakings and subsequently purchased an additional 'sixty 
acres of land in Pleasant township. In the spring of 1865 he retired to 
Franklinton and purchased property, which he later traded to James Olen 
for property at the corner of Seventeenth and Broad streets in Columbus'. 
This he subsequently traded to the Litchfield heirs for property at the corner 
of Third and Spring streets, and at the last named place he spent his remain- 
ing days, his death occurring in April, 1880. His wife died in December of 
the same year. They were both members of the Church of England, and in 
politics Mr. Francis' was a stanch Democrat. He gave close attention to 
his own business and interfered not with his neighbors' affairsi. He was 
a man of good judgment, quick to recognize and take advantage of a favor- 
able opportunity and his well directed labors in business and his honorable 
dealing brought to him a handsome competence. In the family were four 
children, namely: Frederick; Sarah Ann, who died at the age of twelve 
years; Jane, who died at the age of six; and Mary, who became the wife of 
William A. Poiilson and died in Columbus. 

Frederick Francis, the only surviving member of the family and the 
subject of this review, was born in the town of Tunbridge Wells, Kent 
county, England, March 6, 1833, and was therefore three years old when 
brought by his parents to the new world. He was reared to manhood in 
Pleasant township and attended school for about three months' during the 
year. In those early days the teadhers were not very proficient and methods 
of education were primitive, but later he pursued his studies under James 
Boucker and Wesley M. White, who were capable instructors. Scarcely any 
of the scholars had two books' and there was a great variety of text-books 
found in the little school, but when Mr. White took charge he introduced a 
new system, made improvements in the school-room, introduced new text- 
books at his own expense and largely promoted the cause of education. The 
school house at Pleasant Corners was built of round logs, sixteen by twenty 
feet, with a large fireplace at one end of the building. The children sat 
upon slab benches and along the wall was a slab board resting upon wooden 
pins. This served as a writing desk for the older scholars. Hamilton Will- 
iams was another teacher of ability and the first one under whom Mr. Francis 
continued' his studies after removing to his present farm. At the age of 
nineteen he put aside his text-books to enter upon the lessons in the school 
of experience. 

On the 8th of September, 1853, ]Mr. Francis was united in marriage to 
Miss Elizabeth Ann Heath, who was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, Decem- 
ber 2,^ 1830, and there grew to womanhood, acquiring her education in sub- 
scription and common schools. She is a daughter of Amos and Elizabeth 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7^7 

(Berry) Heath, who came from Virginia to Ohio. Her father died about 
1830, and her mother, who wasi a native of England, passed away in i860. 
After his' marriage Mr. Francis erected a log cabin on a part of his father's 
farm and made it his home for three years. He then moved to the sixty- 
acre tract of land' owned by his father and continued its cultivation for eleven 
and a half years. During that time, on the 13th of February, 1865, he enlisted 
as a private at Codumbus for one year's service or during the war. He 
became a member of Company G, One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio 
Infantry, under Captain Widener and Colonel Cumminger. The regiment 
proceeded to Nashville, thence to Chattanooga and to Bridgeport, Alabama, 
and did duty in guarding the railroad between that point and Chattanooga, 
being there stationed until the close of hostilities. Mr. Francis received 
an honorable discharge at Nashville in December, 1865, and returned to his 
home in this county. In 1868 he removed to the old homestead, the father 
having taken up his abode in Columbus. There he carried on general farm- 
ing and stock-raising until he retired from active business life a few years 

Columbus in 1849. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Francis have been born ten children : George, who 
married Isa Walton and is' living in Clinton township; Curtis, who married 
Emma More and carries on a stock farm; Jane, at home; Mary, wife of 
Ezra Rush, of Pickaway county; Charles, who wedded Eila Nichols and is 
living on the old homestead; John, who married Jennie Ross and resides in 
Columbu'Si; Ida, wife of Seymour Gordon, of Jackson township; William, 
who married Elizabeth Dyer and is engaged in the practice of medicine in 
Madison county, Ohio; Joseph, who married Lottie Barns and resides on 
one of his father's farms ; and one child who died in infancy. 

]\Ir. Francis was very successful in his agricultural pursuits. In addi- 
tion to the old family homestead he owns one farm of sixty acres and another 
of seventy acres'. Throughout his life he has been very fond of hunting and 
has made many trips, to Michigan in order to indulge his love of that pur- 
suit. He supports the Democratic party and for two terms filled the office 
of township trustee. He also belongs to Ed Crouse Po'St, G. A. R., of 
Harrisburg, and is a man of genuine worth, whose fidelity to the duties' of 
citizenship has been manifest in many substantial ways. His life has been 
quietly passed, but his unflagging industry, perseverance and capable manage- 
ment in business have brought to him a very desirable financial return, mak- 
ing him one of the substantial citizens of his adopted county. 

WILLIA^I B. CHEXOWETH. 

William B. Chenoweth has a wide acquaintance in Franklin county. For 
nineteen yearsi he was a prominent representative of the mercantile interests 
in Harrisburg. Previous to and during that time he was' actively associated 
with agricultural pursuits and thus his life has been quietly passed and ever 



768 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

characterized by fidelity and trustworthiness, and it is this, as well as his 
business interests, which have made Mr. Chenoweth one of the valued rep- 
resentative citizens of his native county. He was born on a farm in Pleasant 
township, April 2, 183 1, a son of Joseph and JNIargaret (Heath) Chenoweth, 
and a grandson of Elijah and Rachel (Foster) Chenoweth. During the 
first six or seven years of his life he remained upon the home farm and then 
accompanied his parents on their removal to Harrisburg. He began his 
education in a subscription school and later attended the district schools, his 
first teacher being Miss Tipton. To the farm life he was reared. He aided 
in clearing the land and in developing and cultivating the fields. In Madison 
county, Ohio, he was united in marriage to Miss' Rebecca Johnston, who was 
born in that county in 1833, a daughter of \Mlliam and Falista (Hall) 
Johnston. 

After hisi marriage Mr. Chenoweth located on the old homestead farm 
which he yet owns, and which his father vacated at the time of the marriage 
of William Chenoweth. He has since conducted the place and is the owner 
of one hundred and fifty acres in this tract. He also owns another farm 
of one hundred and fifty acres, and a third farm of one hundred and fifty- 
three acres in Pickaway county, and a fourth farm of one hundred and fifty 
acres situated partly in Pickaway and partly in Franklin counties. It is' 
largely due to his excellent business methods and his unfaltering determina- 
tion that he has gained the splendid success wdiich has crowned his business 
eff'orts. In 1881 he and his' son formed a partnership for the conduct of a 
general merchandise 'Store in Harrisburg, and continued in that line of business 
until 1900, when they sold out. 

In 1867 Mr. Chenoweth was called upon to mourn the loss cf his wife. 
He afterward married Miss Jennie Helmick, of Zanesville, Ohio, a daughter 
of William Helmick, and a sister of Dr. Samuel Helmick, of Commercial 
Point, Ohio. The children of his' first marriage were as follows: Mary, 
now the wife of Dr. George W. Gardner, of Plain City, Ohio; Frank, who 
is represented elsewhere in this volume; Lena, now Mrs. L. Douglas, of 
Harrisburg; Ella, the wife of David Davis, deceased; Edward, deceased; 
Laura, the wife of Page Cherry, of Chicago; and William, deceased. By 
the second marriage have been born four children : Harry, who wedded 
Callie Guy, and now follows farming; Rose, the wife of Dr. William McKin- 
ley, of Harrisburg; Jessie, wife of Dr. Charles Smith, of Pickaway county; 
and Joseph, who died in infancy. INIrs. Chenoweth died April 7, 1901. 

]\Ir. Chenoweth is an active member of and a faithful w^OTker in the 
Methodist Episcopal church, and is now serving as one of its trustees. In 
politics he has long been a stalwart Republican. He cast his first presi- 
dential vote for the Whig candidate in 1852, and has distinct recollections of 
the Harrison campaign in 1840. On the organization of the Republican 
party he joined its ranks and has been unswerving in the support of its men 
and its measures. Having lived throughout his entire life in Franklin county, 
he is well known to many of its settlers, and the fact that many of his warm- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7^9 

est friends are numbered among those who have been acquainted with him 
through long years is an indication that his record has ever been an upright 
and honorable one. 

BENJAMIN F. LANE. 

Benjamin F. Lane, deceased, was for seme years identified with the 
agricultural interests of Franklin county. He was born in Perry township, 
this county, on the ist of May, 1836, and spent the years of his youth upon 
the old home farm. His father died when Benjamin was a young man and 
the homestead was then sold. In the meantime the subject of this review 
had pursued his education in the district schools and m the University, which 
stood on the site of the present Park Hotel, at Columbus. After his father s 
death Mr Lane came to the capital city, and m connection with Reuben 
Jamesi, his brother-in-law, he bought a grocery store, which they conducted 
for a few years with good success'. 

On the 14th of October, 1858, Mr. Lane was united m marriage to Miss 
Mary E Smith who was born in Plain township, Franklin county, on the 
2ist of March, 1838, a daughter of James Smith, a farmer of that locality, 
who died when the daughter was quite small. His wife bore the maiden 
name of Harriet Goodrich. She was born in Connecticut March 27, 1806, 
and was a daughter of Ezekiel Goodrich, who remoyed to Ohio from the 
Charter Oak state in company with his family and settled in Plain township 
Franklin county, when it was an unbroken wilderness. Many Indians still 
lived within the borders of Ohio, wild beasts roamed through the forests 
and wild game was abundant. The conditions were those of frontier life 
and Mr. Goodrich bore his part in the work of progress' and development. 
He died in Plain township, and thus passed away one of the honored pio- 
neers of the communitv. Unto Mr. and Mrs. James Smith were born five 
children- Fannv. who became the wife of A. H. Bancroft, died in Columbus 
December 13, 1865; Martha, who became the wife of Robert Hemphill, died 
in Peoria, Illinois, in 1881 ; Mrs. Lane was the next of the family; Samuel 
married Hannah Findlay and is living in Peoria ; Cicero Clark married Melissa 
Robinson and also makes his home in Peoria. 

After his marriage Mv. Lane removed to the northern part of Putnam 
county, Ohio, where he engaged in farming for six years and then came to 
Frankhn county, 'spending two years upon a farm near Alton. For a quarter 
of a century he resided upon what was known as the Anderson farm, on the 
Scioto river, making it his place of abode until his death. He placed ,his 
land under a high state of cultivation and the improved fields brought to him 
a good financial return. He was a man of domestic tastes, fond of home 
and family. The marriage of Mr. and ^Irs. Lane was blessed with six chil- 
dren : Flora L., now the wife of Joseph Briggs, of Columbus; Newton, 
who died in 1880: Emma, who became the wife of ^^'illiam Saltzgaber and 
died in 1892; Charles, who wedded Ethel Sceurman and is living in Colum- 



770 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus; Clara, wife of Alvah Sceurman, also of the capital city; and Jessie, 
at home. 

The father of this family died upon the Anderson farm in 1888. He 
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a devout Christian 
gentleman, whose belief permeated his entire life. In his political views he 
was a stanch Republican, but the honors and emoluments of office had no 
attraction for him. He found his greatest happiness at his' own fireside and 
was very devoted to his wife and children. After her husband's death Mrs. 
Lane removed to her present farm, purchasing sixty acres of land in Norwich 
township. She has long resided in the county and has a wide acquaintance 
among its' best people. 

GEORGE P. WHIP. 

This old and honored resident of Clinton township, was in early life 
prominently identified with the building interests of Franklin county, and 
later gave his attention to farming, but is now practically living a retired life, 
free from the cares and responsibilities of business affairs. He was born in 
Frederick, Maryland, April 6, 1817, a son of George and Mary (Lashorn) 
Whip. The father was a native of Virginia, and of German descent. In 
1833, in company with his wife and two children, George P. and Henry W., 
he came to this county, having previously made his home in Frederick, Mary- 
land, where he learned the carpenter's trade. He bought mill property on 
the Olentangy river, which was at first operated by hired help, but after 
residing in Columbus for two years he located near the mill, where he made 
his home throughout the remainder of his life. The property is now known 
as the Weisheimer Mill. For a short time Mr. Whip served in a Maryland 
regiment during the war of 1812, and for his services received a patent for 
one hundred and sixty acres of land. He held the offices of township trustee 
and treasurer for several terms each, and was one of the most highly esteemed 
citizens of his' community. During his later years he was a member of the 
German Reformed church, with which his wife had long been connected, and 
both possessed strong religious convictions. 

The subject of this sketch was sixteen years of age when he came with 
the family to this county, at which time the city of Columbus contained 
between three and four thousand inhabitants. He received his preliminary 
education in his native state, and in early life learned the carpenter's trade 
with hisi father, completing his apprenticeship in Columbus. For a number 
of years he followed that occupation, erecting many of the residences which 
now adorn the farms of Clinton township. He boug^it the land on which 
he now resides in the early '40s, and has since made it his home. 

On the 15th of September, 1838, Mr. Whip was united in marriage with 
Miss Lucinda, daughter of Colonel Smiley, and to them were born ten chil- 
dren, namely: William H. H., a resident of Franklin county; Mary, now 
Mrs. Strohm, of Delaware county, Ohio; Charles, who lives near Eaton 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 77^ 

Rapids, Michigan; Martha J., wife of G. E. Starrett, of Cohimbus; George, 
a resident of Clinton township, this county; Nancy, who died at the age 
of four years; Virginia, deceased wife of Joseph Lydick; Frances L., wife 
of M. V. B. Little, of Clinton township, whose sketch appears on another 
page of this volume; Henry, of North Columbus; and Barnabasi, deceased. 
Four of the sons were soldiers of the Civil war : William, Charles E., David 
and George, all members of Ohio regiments. The mother of these children 
was called to her final rest October 29, 1896, when nearly seventy-five years 
of age. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Whip held membership in the J^Iethodist Episcopal 
church, and have led exemplary Christian lives. Politically Mr. Whip was 
originally a Whig, and now affiliates with the Republican party, and he has 
filled minor township offices, including that of clerk. He has passed the 
eighty-third milestone on life's journey, and his' career has ever been such as 
to commend him to the confidence and high regard of all with whom he lias 
come in contact either in business or social life. 

M. V. B. LITTLE. 

Among Clinton township's most honored citizens must be numbered 
the subject of this review, who was born there June 26, 1837, and is the 
third child in order of birth in the family of John P. and Anna ]\L (Beck) 
Little. The father was born in Pennsylvania on the 15th of February, 1800, 
a son of Parkinson Little, who was of Scotch and English descent. The 
mother was born in Washington county, the same state, in 1812, and was a 
daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Beck, of German extraction. In 1836 
the parents of our subject, accompanied by their two children, Clarinda M. 
and Andrew J., came to Franklin county, Ohio. During his boyhood he 
had learned the blacksmith's trade, but did not engage in that occupation after 
coming to this county, his time being entirely devoted to farming. He pur- 
chased twenty-nine acres of partially improved land, on which a log cabin had 
been erected, and as he prospered in his farming operations he added to his prop- 
erty until he had one hundred acres of valuable land in the eastern part of 
Clinton township. He was a self-made man, having begun life with no capital, 
but he became one of the best and most 'successful farmers' of his community, 
being industrious, enterprising and progressive. He served as township 
trustee about nine years, and ever took an active interest in political affairs, 
being in early life an old-line Whig. Upon the dissolution of that party he 
allied himself with the Democracy, with which he affiliated during the 
remainder of hisi life. He died on the homestead in 1892, and his wife passed 
away in 1890, at the age of seventy-eight years. After coming to this county 
five children were born to them: M. V. B., our subject; Catherine, now ]\Irs. 
Nathan Marble, of Sunbury; Anna \\'atson; and John P., who died unmar- 
ried August 5, 1900. 

Andrew J. Little, the eldest son of John P., was born in Pennsylvania, 



772 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

but was' quite young when brought l^y his parents to this county, being reared 
on his father's farm in Chnton township. He was educated in the district 
schools and at Otterbein Univ.ersity, after which he taught school for sev- 
eral terms. In 1861 he went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he was first inter- 
ested in a publishing company and later in the real-estate business. For a time 
he conducted a grocery store at Indianola, Iowa, in partnership with A. Swan, 
and was subsequently engaged in the drug business in partnership with Dr. 
Davis, with whom he read medicine. The latter connection was dissolved 
after two years, and as a wholesale and retail dealer in drugs Mr. Little was 
alone in business for fifteen years. He then became field manager for the 
publishing house of Mills & Company, and since then he has traveled exten- 
sively in the interests of several, well known historical companies, in which 
line of work he has' established a very creditable reputation. He enlisted in 
1863 in Company A, Forty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and did gar- 
rison duty most of the time while serving as acting captain of his company. 
On the 1 8th of December, i§70, he married Miss Margaret Conklin, a grad- 
uate of Asbury, now DePauw University, and a distant relative of Roscoe 
Conkling, of New York. She died in March, 1894, leaving five children, 
namely: Charles B., a manufacturer of Chicago, Illinois; JNIabel C. ; Daniel 
C. ; Nina and Katherine M. 

Upon hisi father's farm M. V. B. Little remained until he attained his 
majority. In August, 1862, he joined the boys' in blue as a private in Com- 
pany C, One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and soon 
after his enlistment he went with his regiment to the front, joining the Army 
of the Cumberland in Kentucky. They went to Nashville and Franklin, 
Tennessee, and from there to Chattanooga, where the regiment by its heroic 
efforts saved the army from defeat at that place on Sunday, this being their 
first engagement. Here Mr. Little was wounded by a buckshot in the left 
hand, and was confined in the Nashville hospital until the following Septem- 
ber, when he was able to rejoin his regiment at IMissionary Ridge. Later 
he took part in the battles of Resaca, Daltcn, Buzzard Roost and all of the 
engagements up to Kenesaw Mountain, where he was again wounded by a 
piece of a twelve-pound shell. From the field hospital he was first sent to 
Chattanooga, later to Nashville, and afterward transferred to the hospital 
at Louisville, Kentucky, and from there to Seminary Hospital in Columbus, 
Ohio. Late in the year 1864 he had so far recovered as to be able to rejoin 
his regiment, and proceeded to Governor's Island January i, 1865. From 
New York he took passage on the transport, Arrago, to Hilton Head. South 
Carolina, and from there went by boat to Savannah, Georgia, where his regi- 
ment was stationed. Having been promoted he assumed his duties as ser- 
geant, and went with Sherman's army on the march through the Carolinas, 
taking part hi that last battle of the war, that of Bentonville, North Caro- 
lina, in which engagement he used three guns in fighting. While lying 
behind a log a splinter loosened by a rifle ball struck him 'in the face, but 
did no further damage than imparting a stinging pain. \\[\h his regiment he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 171 

marched to Washington and participated in the grand review held there. By 
way of Harper's Ferry he then went to Louisville, Kentucky, from there to 
Cincinnati, and later to Columbus, where he was mustered out July 25, 
1865, being honorably discharged as commissary sergeant. 

Upon his return to civil life ]\lr. Little accepted a position in Columbus, 
where he resided for nine years, being in the employ of George Bauer, a 
baker. He was then elected constable of Columbus, which office he held 
five successive years, and the following year was a member of the police 
force of that city. He was next appointed deputy sheriff of Franklin county, 
serving under Louis Heinmiller three years, and at the end of that period 
returned to the old homestead in Clinton township, where he has since lived. 
He served three terms as constable of Clinton township and later was elected 
and re-elected trustee. H^e has also filied the office of township assessor six 
consecutive years, and his official duties have always been most capably and 
satisfactorily performed. 

On the 14th of October, 1868, ]\Ir. Little married ]\Iiss Amanda Remmy, 
by whom he had three children : Charles, William> and Flarry, all deceased. 
The wife and mother died in 1878, and Mr. Little was again married, October 
13, 1898, his second union being with ]\Iiss' Frances M. Whip, a daughter 
of George P. AMiip, who is represented on another page of this volume. 

In his political affiliations 'h.Vx. Little is a Democrat. Formerly he 
was' connected with McCoy Post, G. A. R., of Columbus, but is now an hon- 
ored member of Elias J. Beers Post, No. 575, of which he is past commander. 
He is also a member of the Union Veteran Loyal Legion of Columbus. 
Genial and pleasant in manner, he makes' many friends, and is widely and 
favorably known throughout Franklin county. Both he and his wife are 
members of the Methodist church, and she is also a prominent member of the 
Woman's' Relief Corps of Elias J. Beers Post, of which she is president. She 
is a lady of pleasing personality, and partakes of the geniality of her husband. 

WILLL\^I J. SHRIVER. 

One of the practical, progressive and prominent farmers of Norwich 
township is William J. Shriver, who is successfully engaged in agricultural 
pursuits there and is also a recognized leader in public thought and opinion, 
raking an active and commendable interest in everything pertaining to the 
welfare of the community. He was born on the old Shriver homestead 
in Wayne township, Greene county, Pennsylvania, August 4, 1844. His 
paternal ancestors emigrated from Germany to Wales, and thence to Mary- 
land, where Flenry Shriver, the grandfather of our subject, was born. He 
had seven brothers. The great-grandfather emigrated to this country at an 
early date and located in IMaryland. Two of his sons became residents of 
Pennsylvania, one of Virginia, two of Chillicothe, Ohio, and two remained 
in Maryland. Henry Shriver, the grandfather, located in Greene county, 
Pennsylvania, where he married Rachel White. He was a farmer and drover, 



774 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and at one time was a very wealthy man. Public spirited and progressive, 
he did much to promote the welfare of the community in which he resided, 
and for fifty years served as justice of the peace, discharging his duties with 
the utmost fairness. In politics he was a stanch Democrat. Both he and 
his wife were Protestants in religious belief. He died on his farm in Greene 
county, Pennsylvania, at the age of eighty-seven years, and his wife died at 
the age of ninety-seven. They had sixteen children and all reached mature 
years, namely: John, who died in Greene county, Pennsylvania; Sally, who 
became the wife of Jeremiah Sprague, and died in Greene county; Tina, who 
married Henry Schultz, and died in Hancock county, Illinois; Rachel, who 
became the wife of Joseph Knisely, and died in Greene county, Pennsylvania; 
Mazy, who never married ; Henry ; David, twin brother of Henry, who died 
in Greene county, Pennsylvania ; Elsie, who became the wife of Jacob Shields, 
and died in West Virginia; Jennie, who became Mrs. Hoffman, and died In 
West Virginia; Lucy, wife of Elias Nichols, of West Virginia; Andrew 
Jackson, of Washington county, Pennsylvania; Slater, who died in Hancock 
county, Illinois; Presley and Frank, both of West Virginia; Mrs. Eteanor 
White, of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania; and Mordecai, who died at the age of 
twenty-three. 

Henry Shriver, the father of our subject, was born in Greene county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1817, and there was reared to manhood. He received but 
limited educational privileges, for the schools were poor at that time and 
his services were needed on the home farm. He married Elsie Cosgray, 
who was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1822, and a daughter of 
James and Annie (Bennington) Cosgray. Her mother was of English de- 
scent. Her father was born on the ocean while his parents were emigrating 
from Ireland to the United States, the family locating in Havre de Grace, 
Maryland. 

After his marriage Henry Shriver located on a farm on Hoover's Run, 
in Greene county, the place consisting of two hundred acres owned by his 
father, and which was to become his property when the grandfather's youngest 
child attained his majority, but the financial panic of 1847 caused the grand- 
father to lose much of his property, and the father of our subject then pur- 
chased sixty acres of timber land in his native county. He built a house, 
cleared his farm and there resided until 1865, when he sold his land to oil 
speculators. He then located on three hundred and sixty-seven acres owned 
by William and Ralph Graham, and of this he bought ninety-two and a half 
acres, making his home thereon until his death, in October, 1894. In politics 
he was a stanch Democrat, and both he and his wife were active members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Shriver is still living. They 
had seven children: William J.; Andrew Jackson, of Washington township; 
Sarah Ann, deceased; Mary Jane, wife of R. C. Armstrong, of Norwich 
township; Slater B., of Washington township; Elizabeth, who became the 
wife of Michael Hummel, and died in Madison county, Ohio; and Abraham; 
who is living on the old homestead. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 77S 

William J. Shriver was reared on the home farm, and attended the public 
schools until eighteen years of age, after which he taught for a short time 
in Pennsylvania, and then came to Ohio withJiis cousin, Benjamin Cosgray. 
He had only two dollars in his pocket when he reached this state, and his 
first month's wages were stolen, so that he literally began life here empty- 
handed. In the winter of 1864-5 he taught school in Washington township, 
and for seventeen years followed that profession through the winter season. 
At the age of twenty-one he began working at the carpenter's trade with 
George Wollpert and James Gray^ and after being thus employed for three 
years began contracting and building on his own account, following that pur- 
suit for thirteen years, during which time he erected or assisted in building 
most of the good structures in this locality. In the meantime he purchased 
fifty acres of land in Washington township and located thereon in 1885, since 
which time he has devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits. He follows 
very progressive methods in his farming, keeping his land productive by the 
rotation of crops. All modern improvements and accessories are found upon 
his place, and he has a valuable and desirable property. 

On the nth of October, 1869, Mr. Shriver married Kate Tagert, wdio 
was born in Mobile, Alabama, March 16, 185 1, a daughter of Dr. Elijah C. 
Tagert, of Mobile. Her mother bore the maiden name of Sarah Canna- 
vella, and was a native of New York city. Mr. and Mrs. Shriver now have 
three cliildren : Nellie, wife of Earnest Tarbox, of Norwich township; Annie 
and Charles S. 

When sixteen years of age Mr. Shriver became a member of the Dis- 
ciple church, and after removing to Ohio joined the Christian Union church, 
but since 1869 has been a member of the JNIethodist Episcopal church of 
Hilliard. In politics he has been a stalwart Democrat since casting his first 
presidential vote for Horatio Seymour, of New York, in 1868. He has 
continuously served on the board of education for fifteen years; was long 
township trustee; for nine years was justice of the peace; and was a member 
of the first village council of Hilliard. In 1899 he was a candidate on the 
Democratic ticket for the legislature, and ran six hundred ahead of his ticket, 
receiving twenty-two hundred majority outside of Columbus. He has always 
retired from office as he entered it, with the confidence and good will of the 
public. He resided in Washington township until 1890, when he removed to 
that portion of his farm lying in Norwich township. He is a valued mem- 
ber of Norwich Lodge, No. 385, I. O. O. F., of which he has served as treas- 
urer for twenty-three years. He has also been a member of organizations 
calculated to advance agricultural interests, having belonged to the Farmers' 
Alliance and the Farmers' Union. In connection with James Wilcox and 
W'. A. Dobyns, he built the first free turnpike in the county, and has ever 
been tiie advocate of good roads, doing all in his power to promote every 
interest calculated to benefit the community. He keeps well informed on 
all the issues of the day, both political and otherwise, and is thoroughly con- 
versant with the needs and wishes of his locality, so that he is well calculated 



n^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

to take the lead in matters tending toward the pubHc good. He deserves 
great credit for what he has accompHshed, and that he is numbered among 
the substantial farmers of the county is due to his untiring efforts. 

GEORGE D. FREEMAN. 

One of the citizens of Columbus, Ohio, who has taken active part in many 
of the imprO'Vaments which have made it one of the most beautiful cities in 
the state is. George D. Freeman. He was' born at Ovid, Franklin county, 
Ohio, August II, 1842. His father, Usual W. Freeman, together with his 
mother, Margaret (Christy) Freeman, came from New Jersey to Ohio m 
1833. Usual Freeman served with distinction in the New York militia dur- 
ing the war of 18 12 and was also an assistant engineer for the city of New 
York during the platting of the part of the city north of Canal street; his 
father, William Freeman, was a soldier of the Revolution. 

George D. Freeman took advantage of the limited educational oppor- 
tunities atTorded by the common schools of his early days, at a later period 
supplementing the instruction thus obtained by attendance upon night schools. 
When but six years of age he lost his father, and at the age of eleven yearsi 
he became the only support of his mother, and bravely did he assume tha 
responsibility. 

When still a lad he entered the studio of D. D. Winchester, then the 
leading artist of Columbus, but left the employ of this gentleman to become 
a page in the Ohio house of representatives, at the last session held at Odeon 
hall and the first held in the present capitol building. He received his appoint- 
ment from Nelson H. Van Vorhees, the speaker of the first Republican legis- 
lature of Ohio. From here he entered the dry-goods house of Headly & 
Elerly, with whom he remained until 1866, when he was admitted as a junior 
partner in this firm. Later years found him the senior partner of Freeman, 
Stanley & Norton, who- were the successors of Headly & Elerly. 

In 1880 Mr. Freeman withdrew from the dry-goods trade and entered 
the furniture business as a member of the firm of Halm, Bellows & Butler, 
who were succeeded by Freeman, Halm-& McAllister. Later INIr. Freeman 
withdrew from this business to establish the George D. Freeman Mantel 
Company, engaged in the manufacture of m.antels and interior furnishings. 

In 1878, on the organization of the state militia into the Ohio National 
Guard, Mr. Freeman, at the urgent request of the regiment, assumed command 
and became the colonel of the famous Fourteenth Ohio National Guards, in: 
which capacity he served the state for thirteen years. The period of his com- 
mand was marked with many trying ordeals, where bravery, good judgment 
and a cool head were very necessary attributes in a commanding officer. The 
well remembered Cincinnati riots were among these occasions, and it was at 
this time that Colonel Freeman's abilities as a commander were show-n. He 
brought peace and order out of the turbulent mob that surged through the 
streets of the city, endangering life and property. In 1890, through press of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 777 

business, Colonel Freeman was obliged to resign his post. At the breaking 
out of the Spanish war Colonel Freeman was called to the position of acting 
assistant quartermaster general and was active at Camp Bushnell in eciuipping 
the troops for the front, in fact put up the camp. From there he was ordered 
to the duty of superintendent of the state arsenal, where he is srill on duty. 
He had two sons in the late Spanish war, one son now in the Philippines, a 
lieutenant in the Nineteenth Infantry. 

Our subject has taken a prominent part in all public enterprises, serving 
for some years on the county board of agriculture, and took an acti\e interest 
in securing to the city the beautiful spot known as Franklin park. This was 
not a political service nor has he held any political office, although frecpiently 
pressed to do so. 

Colonel Freeman was united in marriage, October 31, 1865, to ]\Iiss Julia 
A. Diemer, whose parents were pioneers in the settlement of central Ohio. 
Four children have been born of this union: Harry D., Stanton S.. George 
D. and Julia E. 

Colonel Freeman has been before the pul)lic, in his state, for many years 
and his reputation for integrity, energy and stability is unquestioned. 

JASPER SMITH. 

The specific history of the west w-as made by the pioneers; it was em- 
blazoned on the forest trees by the strength of sturdy arms and gleaming 
ax, and written on the surface of the earth by the track of the primitive plow. 
Those were strong men and true that came to found the empire of the west 
— those hardy settlers who, building their rude domiciles, grappled with the 
giants of the forest, and from the sylvan wilds evolved the fertile and product- 
ive fields which have these many years been furrow^ed by the plowshares. 
The red man in his motly garb stalked through the dim, woody avenues, 
and the wild beasts disputed his domain. The trackless prairies were made 
to yield their tribute under the effective endeavors of the pioneer, and slowly 
but surely were laid the steadfast foundations upon which has been budded 
the magnificent superstructure of an opulent and enlightened commonwealth. 
To establish a home amid such surroundings and to cope wnth the many pri- 
vations and hardships which were the inevitable concomitants demanded an 
invincible courage and fortitude, strong hearts and willing hands. All these 
were characteristic of the pioneers, whose names and deeds should be held 
in perpetual reverence by those who enjoy the fruits of their toil. 

From the earliest period in the development of this portion of Ohio the 
Smith family has been represented here. The founder of the family in 
PYanklin county was David Smith, who was a native of Herkimer county. 
Mew York. His mother belonged to the Van Rensselaer family, one of the 
historic New York Knickerbocker families. In the Empire state David 
vSmith was reared to manhood, and there married Miss Elizabeth Gooding. 
In 181 1 they started for Ohio, traveling bv team and wagon across the coun- 
49 



778 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

try, and at length located in Perry township, Franklin county, on the Scioto 
river, near Dublin, where Mr. Smith purchased seven hundred acres of land 
in the midst of the dense forest. He bought a cabin from a squatter, and 
into this rude home he moved his family, there remaining until he could 
erect a hewed-log house. At that time there were but few settlers in the 
locality, and the Indians yet roamed through the green woods, while wdld 
beasts and game were plentiful. Throughout his remaining days Mr. Smith 
resided upon the farm which he there cleared, developed and improved. He 
was a very industrious man, and accordmgly won success, so that he was ena- 
bled to leave to his children good homes. A man of superior educational 
advantages, he exerted a strong influence in public affairs, and in an early day 
surveyed a> large part of the land in his vicinity, being a very competent rep- 
resentative of the profession. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth 
and ability, frequently called him to public office, and he served in the capacity 
of justice of the peace in Perry township for a number of years, his decisions 
being always strictly fair and impartial, being based on the evidence in the 
case without regard to any personal feeling for the litigants. In his later 
years he became connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics 
he was a supporter of the Whig party, and when the question of slavery be- 
came a dominant issue before the people he took a firm stand in opposition 
to its practice. A gentleman of sterling traits of character, he left his impress 
for good upon the community in which he lived. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Smith 
were born the following children: John, who remained in New York; Eliza- 
beth; Gilbert, Sarah, Nelson, William, Elijah and Delilah, all now deceased. 
Nelson Smith, who was a son of David Smith and the father of our sub- 
ject, was born in New York in 1799, and was twelve years of age when with 
the family he came to the wilds of Ohio. His educational privileges w^ere 
such as could be secured in the schools of that day, yet he had rather better 
opportunities than most boys, owing to the fact that his father was a highly 
educated man and was one of the early teachers in the northern part of the 
county, even conducting a school in his own cabin at one time. Under his 
careful guidance, therefore, Nelson Smith pursued his education. He was 
reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life in an almost unbroken wilder- 
ness, and experienced the hardships and trials which fell to the lot of the 
pioneers as well as the pleasures in which people of those days indulged. He 
was united in marriage to Miss Minerva ]Millington, a daughter of Peter ^ 
and Mehitable Josephine Millington. Her father was of English descent, 
her mother of Holland Dutch lineage, and Mrs. Smith was also descended 
from an ancestor who w^as a passenger on the Mayflower on the first trip 
m 1620. Mr. Millington was a nephew of General Gates, of Revolutionary 
fame, his mother having been a sister of that noted military commander. 
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Millington w^as celebrated in Chautau- 
qua county, New York, and in 1804, with the children born to them in the 
Empire state, they came to Franklin county, making the journey through 
the wilderness with two wagons, each drawn by four horses. They were 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 779 

sturdy, honorable, self-reliant people, and when they reached Franklin county 
they pushed by the settlement at Franklinton and made their way twelve 
miles' up the river, locating a mile and a half south of Dublin, in what is now 
Perry township. For a time they lived in a tent until a cabin could be erected. 
Before his arrival here Mr. Millington had purchased one hundred and twenty- 
seven acres of land and had thus made a slight preparation for a home. At 
that time there was no mill nearer than Chillicothe, to which the frontiersmen 
went, carrying their grists to and fro on pack horses. There w'as no house 
between the jMillington home and Franklinton. At the time of the second 
war with England the father offered his services and took part in the campaign 
on the frontier of Canada. He left his wife and children in their forest home, 
but the Indians were troublous on several occasions, and this caused Mrs. 
JMillington to liee to Franklinton for protection. Mr. IMillington was present 
at the execution of the Indian chieftain Leather Lips, in Perry towmship, in 
1810. After his return from the war he again took up his abode upon tfie 
farm, where he resided for some years, and spent his last days on Big Walnut, 
lie was a man of patriotic impulses and strong convictions, and there was no 
sacrifice that he would not make in order to protect and defend the honor of 
his country. He bore a strong likeness to his distinguished uncle, General 
Gates, as did other members of the family. A most industrious and hard- 
working man, he carried on the task of developing and improving his farm 
until the exposure incident to frontier life undermined his constitution. His 
wife was to him a true and faithful companion and a brave pioneer woman. 
She possessed a remarkably strong mentality, and was noted among the peo- 
ple of the community for her fine mental balance as well as many other com- 
mendable characteristics. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Millington were born the fol- 
lowing children : Horatio Gates, Matilda, Henrietta, IMinerva, Marcus, Lan- 
sing, Mary Ann and Otis, all now deceased. 

After the marriage of Nelson Smith and Minerva Millington they located 
on the old Smith homestead, where they resided throughout the remainder 
of their days. He was a successful farmer and accumulated a good property. 
In politics he took a very active part, and was the first man in Perry township 
to vote the Abolition ticket. Being a strong anti-slavery man, he did all in 
his power to forward the movement, and at the organization of the Repub- 
lican party, which was formed to prevent the further extension of slavery, 
he joined its ranks, supporting Fremont in 1856 and Lincoln in i860. Mr. 
and Mrs. Smith were for many years members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, but in later life became believers in Spiritualism. They had six chil- 
dren, four of whom reached mature years, namely : Clinton, w^ho became a 
physician and practiced in Bloomsburg, Ohio; Augustus, who resides on the 
old homestead ; Lyman, who is living in Perry township ; and Jasper. Leonida 
died in childhood, while one other passed away in infancy. 

Jasper Smith, whose name forms the caption of this review, was born 
on the old family homestead January 31, 1837, and his life forms a connect- 
ing link between the primitive past and the progressive present, for he is famil- 



78o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

iar with much of the history of this portion of the state through ahiiost three- 
fourths of a century. He acquired his education in the pubHc schools and 
remained at home with his parents until he had attained his majority, assist- 
ing in the work of the farm from the time of early spring planting until crops 
were garnered in the autumn. In October, 1861, he enlisted as a member 
of Company G, Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was mu'^tered in as 
a private. Soon afterward the regiment was transferred to Kentucky, and 
he received his first baptism of fire at Shiloh, and for gallantry on the field 
of battle was promoted from third duty sergeant to the rank of captain. 
Speaking of his conduct at that time his colonel, Thomas Worthington, and 
Major William Smith said of him that he was the Marshal Ney of his regi- 
ment. On this occasion he was the file closer, with orders to allow no man to 
retreat unless wounded. His captain, losing his nerve, turned to retreat, 
when Mr. Smith halted him, covering him with his gun. All the while the 
captain called to his men to retreat, saying that Air. Smith "had the drop 
on him." He then fell down, claiming that he was shot. Thinking he was 
wounded, Mr. Smith went to him and made an examination, and on finding 
that he was not shot raised him to his feet and applied his boot to him a num- 
ber of times. In recognition of Mr. Smith's valor he was made captain. 
On account of failing health, caused from typhoid fever, he was discharged 
m July, 1862, and returned to his home, but in September, 1864, he re-en- 
listed as a member of Company E, of the One Hundred and Seventy-sixth 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being mustered in as a private. He participated 
in the battle of Nashville, Tennessee, and actively served until the close of the 
war, when he was honorably discharged, in June, 1865. He was tendered 
the adjutancy of his regiment, but refused the honor. His loyalty and courage 
were manifest on many occasions, and his military record is a brilliant one, 
of which he has every reason to be proud. 

In July, 1865, after his return home, Mr. Smith was united in marriage 
to Miss Flora L., a daughter of A. O. and Mila (Case) Case. They first 
located in the northern part of Perry township, where they resided until 
twenty-three years ago, when Mr. Smith purchased seventy-eight acres of 
the farm upon which he has since made his home. His land is well improved 
and highly cultivated, and yields to him an excellent return for his labors. 
He is energetic and progressive in his methods of farming, his work being 
of practical value. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Smith has been blessed with 
nine children, all of whom are yet living, namely : Greenleaf W. ; Mila M., now 
Mrs. Absalom Walcutt; Waldo E. ; Ida M.; Herbert U.; Clarence S. ; Flor- 
ence E. ; Cordelia C. ; and Lulu M. Socially Mr. Smith is identified with 
Cicero Post, No. 514, G. A. R., which he joined on its organization, becom- 
ing its first quartermaster. In his political views he is a Republican, having 
supported the party since casting his first presidential vote ■ for Abraham 
Lincoln in i860. A worthy representative of an honored pioneer family, a 
veteran of the Civil war and a progressive and public-spirited citizen, he 
well deserves mention among the representative residents of the county in 
which his entire life has been passed. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 781 

JOHN GRIFFIN ROBERTS. 

Among the leading and influential citizens of Norwich township is the 
subject of this review, who is a worthy representative of one of the prominent 
pioneer families of this county. His paternal grandparents, Robert and Mar- 
garet (Williams) Roberts, were natives of Carnarvonshire, Wales, and emi- 
grated to America about 1823, landing in Philadelphia. The grandfather 
was a shoemaker by trade, but being unable to find work in any of the factories 
of that city, he opened a shoe shop at the quarries on the Schuylkill river and 
engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes for the quarrymen. In 1834, 
with his wife and family in a one-horse covered wagon, he came to Franklin 
county, Ohio, and purchased one hundred acres of land in the Amlin neigh- 
borhood of Washington township, for which he paid cash. After erecting 
a little cabin he made a small clearing that spring and planted corn and pota- 
toes by punching holes in the ground with a spade and then planting the 
seed. As the father of our subject could not eat corn bread, his mother had 
to go all the way to Columbus to buy a little wheat flour, blazing the trees 
to mark her way through the woods. After a time the little log cabin gave 
place to a more pretentious dwelling of hewed logs, eighteen by twenty feet. 
Coming with the grandfather from Wales was his brother, Daniel O. Rob- 
erts and wife, who located in Ohio at about the same time, and about 1839 
purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land in Norwich township from 
Strickland Wynekoop, for which he paid nine hundred dollars m cash. He 
died there in December, 1868, when past the age of seventy years, and our 
subject's father inherited the farm, for which our subject now has the patent 
issued by President Madison. The grandfather cleared and improved his 
farm in Washington township, and spent his last days with his son, David 
Roberts, in that township, though he died in Norwich township, in April, 
1862, at the age of about seventy-five years, while visiting the father of our 
subject. He was a consistent member of the United Presbyterian church, 
which he joined after coming to Ohio, and in early life was a Whig, but 
joined the Republican partv on its organization and voted for both Fremont 
and Lincoln. His wife died about 1858. In their family were only two 
sons: William, the father of our subject; and David, who married Eliza, 
daughter of James Walcutt, a pioneer of this county. During the Civil war 
David enlisted as lieutenant in Company K, One Hundred and Thirty-third 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but as the company was not full its members w-ere 
divided among the other companies of the regiment, and he became first lieu- 
tenant of Company D. He served his term of one hundred days, but soon 
after returned home ill, and died in September, 1864. 

William Roberts, our subject's father, was born in Philadelphia, Febru- 
ary 6, 1823, shortly after the arrival of his parents in this country, and his 
father used to laughingly tell him that he came very near being a foreigner. 
He was eleven years old when the family came to this county, in 1834, but 
at that time was unable to speak a word of English, as his parents always 



782 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

used the Welsh language. Here he attended school conducted in a primitive 
log school house, later known as the Spindler school, to which he had to walk 
two miles through the woods from his home. Jumping from log to log, he 
would often slip and sink waist deep in mud and water, and reach the school 
house drenched to the skin. Schools were then conducted on the subscription 
plan and the teachers received but ten dollars per month. After completing his 
education Mr. Roberts taught for that munificent sum in Norwich township. 
He was reared as a farmer boy, and from his fifteenth year made his home 
with his uncle, Daniel O. Roberts, whom he aided in the arduous task of 
clearing and improving the farm. At his uncle's death he inherited one hun- 
dred and forty-two acres. He already owned fifty acres just across the road 
from the other tract. After his marriage he located on the fifty acres, which 
he cleared w^ith the assistance of his wife and sons, and built thereon a good 
house of hewed logs. He added to his farm from time to time until at his 
death he had a place of one hundred and thirteen acres. He died in Febru- 
ary, 1 87 1. In religious belief he was a Universalist, and in politics was first 
a Whig and later a Republican. He held some township office almost con- 
tinuously, and was one of the most prominent and influential men of his 
community. His wife died in August, 1898. 

Before her marriage this worthy lady w^as Miss Mahala Hunter, who 
was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, January 14, 1826, and was brought by her 
parents to Washington township, this county, when a little girl. The country 
at that time was all wild and unimproved, and the woods were infested by 
deer, wolves and wildcats. Her father, James Hunter, was born near Mari- 
etta, Ohio, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and as a boy served 
as fifer in the war of 181 2. He married Sarah Plowman, who was of Ger- 
man descent, and a daughter of James Plowman. For a few years after 
their marriage he made his home on a farm near Portsmouth, and then moved 
to Franklin county, locating in Washington township, two and a half miles 
w^est of Dublin. He came here after putting in his grain on the farm near 
Portsmouth, and returned there in the fall to harvest his crops, leaving his 
family in the wilderness. One day while he w-as gone his big dogs got to 
barking, and going out to see what was the cause of the disturbance Mrs 
Hunter saw they had a young deer at bay, and she shouted for one of tfie 
children to bring the father's shoe knife, with which she dispatched the ani- 
mal. Being assisted by Asa Wilcox, she told him he could take a part of the 
carcass home, and he took the best part, leaving her only the fore part. She 
died on that farm in 1880, having survived her husband some time, his death 
occurring in May, 1862. when he was over seventy years of age. His father 
was a native of Ireland. 

John Griffin Roberts, whose name introduces this sketch, was born on 
the home farm in Norwich township, February 21, 1847, ^^d his boyhood was 
passed in the usual way, midst play, work and study. He first attended a 
subscription school conducted in a log cabin built by an old Englishman, his 
first teacher being Ann Eliza Laird. He attended school there regularly 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7^3 

until nineteen years of age, and then spent two and a half years at Otterbein 
University, in Westerville, among his college friends being Judge Shauck, 
of Columbus, and Professor Gharst, who afterward became president of that 
institution. After completing his education Mr. Roberts taught school in 
Brown township two years. But for the death of his father about this time, 
be would have taken up the study of law, but he returned home. 

At the age of seventeen Mr. Roberts enlisted in the one hundred days' 
service as a member of Company I, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio 
Volunter Infantry, under Captain Henry Plymten. From Columbus the regi- 
ment went to Parkersburg, and a few days later to New Creek Station, West 
Virginia, on the south branch of the Potomac river, where they did garrison 
duty for six weeks. Later they did scouting duty in that section, guarded 
trains, etc., and for a few days were stationed at Washington, D. C, whence 
they went by boat to Bermuda Hundred. They were next on dutynear 
Petersburg, and took part in one full day's battle at Sweetbriar Church. After 
this they were stationed at Fort Powhatan until their term of enlistment ex- 
pired, and were discharged at Camp Chase August 20, 1864. 

Mr. Roberts was married in Norwich township, March 26, 1874, to 
Miss Harriet Payton, who was born in Franklin township, this county, March 
26, 1848, a daughter of Charles and Nancy (Murphy) Payton, natives of 
Virginia. By this union were born two children: Leila M., now the wife of 
Jonas Derr; and Charles F., at home. 

After his marriage Mr. Roberts located at the old home of Daniel O. 
Roberts, which he and his brother Daniel had inherited from the father. 
The farm consists of seventy-two and a half acres of land, which he has 
placed under a high state of cultivation, and has improved with good and 
substantial buildings, having in 1894 replaced the old log house by his pres- 
ent comfortable residence. He is a progressive general farmer, and has njet 
with success in his operations. He is a prominent member of John A. Spell- 
man Post, G. A. R., of Hilliard, in which he has filled all the offices, and is 
now past commander. The Republican party has always found in him a 
stanch supporter of its principles, and he has most creditably filled the office 
of justice of the peace three years, and served as township trustee and a mem- 
ber of the school board for years, having always taken an active interest in 
educational affairs. 

JOHN STEPHEN CROMWELL. 

Until November 19, 1897, there resided near the city of Columbu,-. Ohio, 
an old resident and highly respected citizen, whose ancestry could be traced 
directly to the great Oliver Cromwell. This man was John Stephen Crom- 
weW, the subject of the present review. He was born in Frederick county, 
Maryland, Julv 29. 1824, and was the second child of Joseph Wesley and 
Mary Ann (Hull) Cromwell, and passed out of life on the 19th of November, 
1897, having surpassed the traditional three-score and ten years. When 



784 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

about thirteen years of age Mr. Cromwell was brought by his parents to 
Franklin county, Ohio, settlement being made near Whip's Mill. His educa- 
tion was obtained in the primitive schools of that time, and when about seven- 
teen years old he engaged in school-teaching. 

The marriage of Mr. Cromwell took place December 29, 1847, to Eliza 
Jane Anderson, a most estimable lady, the daughter of a prominent farmer 
then living on the Dublin pike road. She had been born in Franklin county, 
December 20, 1828, her father being Joshua Anderson, a native of New 
Jersey. He removed from that state when about sixteen years of age and 
settled in Pickaway county, Ohio, later removing to Franklin county, where he 
spent the remainder of his life. The mother of Mrs. Cromwell was Mary A. 
(Holmes) Anderson, a native of Delaware county, Ohio. 

After marriage, Mr. Cromwell located at Worthington, Ohio, for one 
year, removing to another farm one mile east of Columbus for another year, 
and later making several removals, when he finally became permanently set- 
tled upon the farm now occupied by his widow. At the time of his: death the 
farm contained two hundred and fifty acres, and is very valuable property, on 
account of its fine location. 

Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cromwell : Annie Mary, Louise 
Gertrude and John Wesley, all deceased ; Joshua, who married Carrie Wolard 
and has one son, Oliver R. ; William Parsons ; Charles Richard, who married 
Lora D. Mix and has two sons — Carroll D. and Glenn Curtis; Ella Josephine; 
Charlotte Atlanta, who married Bert King; Joseph Wesley; and Eliza Jane, 
who married L. L. Mix and has one daughter, Mildred. 

Mr. Cromwell was a life-long Republican and held but two elective offices. 
He was elected township trustee several times, notwithstanding the township 
was Democratic and he also 'served for a long time as justice of the peace. 
During the Civil war he held the position of recruiting officer for a short 
time. Four men who had worked for Mr. Cromwell entered the army, and 
Mr. Cromwell testified in every w^ay possible his adherence to the Union. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Cromwell had been life-long members of the Method- 
ist church, his residence being always the minister's home, and he was ever 
ready to respond to any call made upon him by the church. He was known 
far and wide for his charity, and at his death the mourners were not limited 
to his immediate friends around his home, but were scattered through the 
wdiole state. 

JACOB TINNAPPLE. 

This well known and highly respected citizen of Norwich township, is a 
native of Franklin county, his birth having occurred in Prairie townsbip, June 
27, 1857. His parents were Andrew and EHzabeth (Popper) Tinnapple, natives 
of Gillers'heim, Province of Hanover, Germany, the former born June 25, 
1809, the latter November 4, 18 14. The father attended the public schools 
of Germany until fourteen years of age, after which he worked in a stone 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7^% 

quarry during the summer season, and as a wood chopper durmg the wniter 
months for some time. At the age of twenty-cne he entered the German army, 
and after serving three years came home and was married. He then returned 
to the army and remained in the service for more than seven years as a 
cavalryman, taking part in several battles. Returning to his native place, he 
resumed his former occupations, and while at work in a quarry his leg was 
broken by a pile of stone falling upon it. Three children were born to himself 
and wife in Germany, but two died in infancy. In 185 1, with his wife and 
child he emigrated to the United States, taking passage on a sailing vessel at 
Bremen, Germany, and after a long and tedious voyage of forty-five days landed 
in New York city. Mr. Tinnapple came immediately to Columbus, and after 
four weeks spent in this city, purchased twenty-five acres of wild land in 
Prairie township, upon which he built a log cabin of one room. He at once 
commenced to clear his place, and to its improvement and cultivation devoted 
his energies for thirteen years. At the end of that time he bought a partially 
improved farm of fifty acres in Norwich township, which he operated until 
our subject took charge of the same. In his religious' affiliations he was a 
member of the German Lutheran church, and in politics was a stanch Demo- 
crat. Being fond of reading, he kept well posted on the questions and issues 
of the day ; was devoted to his home and family ; and was highly esteemed by 
all who knew him. His death occurred November 18, 1886. Jacob is the 
youngest of his children and the only one born in America. Louis and another 
child died in infancy, as before stated. Mollie Christine, born in Gillersheim, 
Province of Hanover, August 5, 1845. is the wife of Herman Kulm Our 
subject's maternal grandfather. Frederick Popper, was also a native of Gillers- 
heim and a carpenter by trade. In 1851 he came with the Tinnapple family 
to America, but after spending seven years' in Franklin township, this county, 
working at his trade, he returned to Germany, where his death occurred. 

Jacob Tinnapple was only six years old when the family settled in Nor- 
wich township, where he grew to manhood, and pursued his studies in the dis- 
trict schools until seventeen years' of age. He early became familiar with all 
the duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and at the age of twenty- 
two rented the home farm. After the father's death he purchased the interests 
of the other heirs, and now owns and successfully operates the place. 

Mr. Tinnapple was married, January i, 1883, in Prairie township, by Rev. 
Mr Horst, pastor of the German Lutheran church, to Miss Mary Sellers, a 
daughter of Isaac and Catherine (Selbert) Sellers. She was born in Frank- 
lin township, this county, September 26, 1859, and' there grew to womanhood. 
She attended the district schools, and also pursued her studies' in Delaware 
■county one year, after which she engaged in teaching in Prairie, Brown and 
Franklin townships, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Tinnapple have five children, 
whose names' and dates of birth are as follows : Madeline Elizabeth, July 13. 
1884; Nonie, March 27, 1889; Amelia, August 27, 1888; William, October 
13, 1890; and Albert, February 28, 1892. 

Mr. Tinnapple is a member of the German Lutheran church, and is an 



786 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

ardent supporter of the Democratic party. He has efficiently served as town- 
ship trustee six years, and has always faithfully discharged any duty devolving 
upon him whether public or private. 

H. C. COOKE. 

Prominent among the business men of Franklin county is numbered H. 
C. Cooke, whose connection with various enterprises and industries have been 
of decided advantage to this section of the state, promoting its material wel- 
fare in no uncertain manner. In business affairs he is energetic, prompt and 
notably reliable, and generally carries forward to successful completion what- 
ever he undertakes. 

Mr. Cooke is not only a representative of one of the honored pioneer fam- 
ilies of this county, but also comes of good old colonial stock. His ancestors 
came originally from Herefordshire, England, and the first to come to America 
was Henry Cooke, who was known to be living in Plymouth, Massachusetts, be- 
fore the year 1640. His sons were Isaac, who remained in Plymouth ; John, who 
settled in Middletown, Connecticut; and Henry and Samuel, who located in 
Wallingford, Connecticut. Samuel moved to New Haven in 1663 and to 
Wallingford in 1667. They were among the first planters, tanners and shoe- 
makers of the Nutmeg state. 

The founder of the family in Ohio was Roswell Cooke, who was born in 
Farmington, Connecticut, December 6, 1764, and was the third son of Amos 
and Rhoda (Hosford) Cooke. At the age of sixteen he enlisted in the 
Colonial army, and served throughout the remainder of the Revolutionary 
war. On the 21st of October, 1788, he married Rachel Newell, of Farming- 
ton, and in 1800, with his wife and five children, two sons being married at 
that time, he left his Connecticut home and started for the territory of Ohio 
by wagons, which carried their worldly possessions. During the journey, 
which lasted six weeks, they met with several adventures. While passing 
through Pennsylvania, the Dutch teamsters with their big wagons often re- 
fused the right of way to the travelers, calling their vehicles "dammed Yankee 
carts," and fights resulted with victory to the Yankees, as is usually the case 
in any contest. On their arrival in Columbus that city contained but one 
log cabin. The two oldest sons, Chauncey and Rodney took up land six miles 
north of where the state house now stands', their farms adjoining. The 
country at that time was densely wooded, through which roamed the Indians 
and wild beasts. On one occasion the mother of our subject saw a large 
black bear devouring a pig near her cabin. The brothers both erected houses 
out of round, unhewn logs, with puncheon floors and primitive fire places, 
Vvith mud-and-stick chimneys. They lived in true pioneer style while clearing 
their land and transforming it into productive fields. At first their field prod- 
ucts were light, but the trusty rifle supplied the deficiency, Rodney Cooke 
being a good marksman. In course of time the land became highly culti- 
vated, and upon the farms which they developed the brothers spent the re- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7^7 

maincler of their lives. They were energetic and enterprising men, and one 
of the first grist and saw mihs in the county was constructed by them on the 
Olentangy about 1827, now known as the Weisheimer mill. They also 
operated a distillery, which, though erected later than the mill, was one of 
the first in the county. Roswell Cooke died in Delaware, Ohio, December 27, 
1827. 

Rodney Cooke, who was the father of our subject, was born in W'alling- 
ford, Connecticut, in 1793, and was married to Laura Cowles, He became 
prominent in public affairs, and during militia days served as colonel of a 
regiment. He also participated in the war of 181 2. He died in 1833, and his 
W'idow, who long survived him, passed away at the age of seventy-three 
years. Having learned the tailor's trade in Connecticut, she managed to sup- 
port her children after her husband's death, keeping her family together until 
they were able to care for themselves. The youngest child was born three 
months after the father's death. All reached years of maturity but only two 
are now living : Demon P., a resident of Columbus ; and H. C, of this review. 
Those deceased were Esther D., wife of L. J. Weaver; Roswell, who mar- 
ried Lorinda Skeels; Helen, wife of John Good; Rosalia P., wife of John 
Webster; Rachel N., wife of William E. Buck; Laura, wife of Lester Roberts; 
and Rodney Romoaldo, who married Cloe Williams. In religious conviction 
the entire family was of the Universalist belief. 

A native of this county, H. C. Cooke, was born near Olentangy Park, 
March 14, 1825, and his early days were spent in a way common with pioneer 
boys. He attended the subscription schools conducted in the primitive log 
school house, and later spent several terms at the old Otterbein Seminary in 
Westerville, Ohio, thus becoming well fitted for life's responsible duties. He 
was early inured to the arduous task of clearing the wild land and doing other 
hard work upon a new farm. He followed teaching for some time, his first 
school being in what is now North Columbus, where he received ten dollars 
per month; his second being at the Harbor, then called Rogue's Harbor. 
In his home district he taught for several terms. 

Mr. Cooke was married, May 20, 1852, to Miss Abigail A. Taylor, who 
died suddenly May 7, 1893, ^^ the age of sixty-three years. To them were 
born seven children, namely : Clara, wife of Wellington Webster, of Findlay, 
Ohio ; Flora, wife of J. L. Armstrong, of Clinton township, this county ; Al- 
bert Clement, of Columbus, who married Lulu Brown; Edwin A., who mar- 
ried Ella Haines; Alary E., deceased wife of David Maize; Alice A., wife of 
Charles Hess, of Clinton township; and Harry Lester, deceased. 

After his marriage Mr. Cooke located on the old homestead farm in 
Clinton township, and as his means permitted he purchased the interests of the 
other heirs in the place. Eventually all of the Cooke land entered from the 
government came into his possession, and he now owns three hundred acres 
of good land, mostly under cultivation and highly improved. In addition to 
his farming interests Mr. Cooke has been identified with other enterprises, 
the chief among which has been the stock business, probably handling a larger 



788 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

amount of stock than any other shipper in Frankhn county. 
years ago he abandoned that business, and since then has been connected 
with A. G. Grant, under the firm name of Cooke, Grant & Cooke, as con- 
tractors in the construction of heavy masonry for raih'oad bridges, etc., in 
which undertaking he has met with success. The business is now managed 
by his son, A. C. Cooke. He was one of the promoters' of the Worthington 
& Columbus street-car hne, and served as treasurer of the company. Always 
active and energetic, he has undoubtedly successfully handled more lines of 
business than any other man in Franklin county, and is deserving of prominent 
mention among the leading and representative citizens of this section of the 
state. Politically he has always been a stanch supporter of the Republican 
party, and in religious belief is a Universalist. 

LEWIS HUFFMAN. 

Among the well known family names of Jackson township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, is that of our subject, his parents having settled there as early 
as 1834. Lewis Huffman was born in Jackson township, on October 9, 1839, 
and is a son of Henry Huffman, a native of Pennsylvania, although of Ger- 
man descent. He engaged in farming upon the land now occupied by his' son, 
although at that time the only residence was a log cabin. Flere Henry died, 
at the age of fifty-nine. His marriage to Catherine Spaughn, also a native of 
Pennsylvania, took place in Jackson township, where Mrsi Huffman died at the 
early age of thirty, leaving three children : John, of Columbus ; Lewis, and 
Susan Haynes. Mr. Huffman was again married, his second wife being Mrs. 
Catherine Meach, and they became the parents' of the following children: 
Joseph, deceased; Henry, whose sketch appears upon another page of this 
work; Catherine, deceased; George, a resident of Columbus; and Sarah, now 
the widow of William Rivers. Mr. Henry Huffman was one of the old set- 
tlers and took a prominent part in the upbuilding and development of his 
chosen locality. Li politics he was a Whig until the formation of the Repub- 
lican party. 

Lewis' Huffman is the second son of the family and was reared in Jackson 
township and attended school at a log schoolhouse during the short sessions 
then thought sufficient. At the age of nineteen he was ready to start out in life 
for himself, and engaged in farming or in any labor that he found to be done; 
but when the call came for soldiers, at the outbreak of the Civil war, he en- 
listed in Company B, Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for a period of three 
months. This' time was spent at Camp Dennison ; but Mr. Huffman was never 
one to turn his back in the face of duty and immediately re-entered the army, 
joining Company B, Fifty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, this occurring in 
1861. When his term of service expired he enlisted as a veteran and thus 
holds an enviable record of having given four years of his life to the service 
of his' country. During" this long time he was seriously ill for only two weeks, 
which he spent in the hospital at Vicksburg, although he took part in some 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7^9- 

of the most memorable battles of the war. He was at Shiloh, the siege of 
Vicksburg, the Atlanta campaign, marched with Sherman to the sea, and then 
through the Carolinas to Murfreesboro, and was present at the grand review 
in Washington. He was finally honorably discharged at Little Rock, Arkan- 
sas, being mustered out as corporal, having held this position for one and a half 
years. 

After his return from the army, Mr. Huffman engaged in farming in 
Jackson township, in 1870 buying a tract of sixty acres which he finally sold 
and then came to his present location where he has a fine farm of one hundred 
and thirty-two acres under an excellent state of cultivation. 

Mr. Hufifman was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Miller, in 1866, 
who w^as a native of the same township, and a noble family of sons were bcvn 
to them : Harry, a resident of Columbus ; Edward ; Trivet ; Clyde and Frank, 
residents of Illinois ; and Floyd, who is at home. 

Mr. Huffman takes a great interest in the political questions of the day, 
is a Republican, having cast hisi first vote for Abraham Lincoln, and intends to 
uphold farther the principles of his party. Socially he has become a prominent 
member of the McCoy Post, No-, i, G. A. R., at Columbus. For thirty-eight 
years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
which he has most acceptably served asi both steward and trustee. Mr. Huff- 
man enjoys the esteem and confidence of his neighbors and is an excellent 
representative of the fine old name he bears. 

JOEL BORROR. 

One of the largest and most prominent of the pioneer families oi Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, bears the name of Borror, and among them Joel Borror, the 
subject of the present writing; takesi a conspicuous position, because of his 
sterling worth and also on account of the finely cultivated farm he owns, its 
present state of perfection having been brought about largely by his own 
industry. 

Joel Borror was born in Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio, August 
21, 1824. His father, Jacob, bore the family name from his father, who like 
himself w-as a Virginian, a native of Rockingham county. Jacob came to 
Jackson county, with his widowed mother when but a lad of eleven years, and 
remained until his death occurred, when he was forty-four years old. He w^as' 
a man respected in the neighborhood, a Democrat in political conviction, and 
his comparatively early death wasi mourned by all. The na!ne of the mother 
of our subject was Catherine (Conrad) Borror, a Virginian by birth and a 
daughter of Wolsey Conrad, an early settler and a soldier of the war of 1812. 
Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Borror, but only three of them are 
now living, — ^Joel, Jacob and Silas. The devoted mother lived to the age of 
;seventy-eight, having been one of the admirable women of those early days 
whose example might in many ways be emulated now. 

Joel Borror, the oldest member of the family now living, was reared in his- 



790 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

native county, living the life of a farm boy of the times, attending school in the 
little log cabin with its greased-paper windows and stick-and-mud chimney, 
enduring probably more real hardship in one winter than many of his descend- 
ants will know through life. In 1846 he married Mary Jane Thompson, a 
native of Pickaway county, Ohio, who at her death left nine children : John, 
the oldest child, resides in Pennsylvania; Catherine is the wife of Jonathan 
Swagler, of Jackson township; Margaret E., widow of William Bateman, is* 
also now deceased; Jane, Laura and Jacob, deceased; William married Alta 
Strall and now lives in Columbus ; Mary, wife of William Holt, resides near 
Galloway, Franklin county; and Martha, also deceased. 

The second marriage of our subject took place in 1895, the lady being 
Nancy Jane Vance in her maiden days'. She was born in Brown county, Ohio, 
May 29, 1836, a daughter of Lewis A. Vance, an old settler of Brown county, 
and a granddaughter of John R. Vance, a native of Dublin, Ireland. Her 
mother's name was Matilda Dye, whose people came from Tennessee. Mrs. 
Borror is' the oldest of three children, the others being Hanson L. 
Vance, who lives in Brown county, Ohio, and Mary M. Sheldon, who resides 
in San Diego, California. Mrs. Borror was' first married to John Powers 
and had one daughter, Mary M., who is the wife of L. H. Royers, of Indianap- 
olis, Indiana. Mrs. Borror's second marriage was to Robert McElhaney. 

Following his first marriage, Mr. Borror settled on the place where he 
now lives, which at that time was surrounded by dense woods. The home was 
a little log cabin with one window, and the latchstring was always hanging 
out, for at that time hospitality was proverbial. Wild animals were constantly 
near and Mr. Borror had a task indeed to kill or frighten the denizens of the 
forest from his doorstep, tO' clear up this land, and make out of the wilderness 
one of the finest farms of Franklin county. The home farm consists of one 
hundred and four acres and he also owns ninety-nine and one-quarter acres 
in this township. Having resided for a space of fifty- four years on one place, 
Mr. Borror's neighbors have become well acquainted with his character, and 
the universal respect he enjoys testifies- to the regard they have for him. 

HERMAN KUHN. 

There are few men in Franklin county whose success has been more 
worthily achieved than this prominent and well-to-do farmer of Norwich town- 
ship, whO' came to the new world empty-handed and has worked his way up- 
ward to a position of affluence by industry, economy and good management. 
He comes of a good old German family living in the Rhine Province for sev- 
eral generations'. There his paternal grandfather, Jacob Kuhn, spent his 
entire life as a cooper, and served in the German army in the war of 1813-14. 
His children were Henry, Herman, Jacob and Catherine. Herman Kuhn, 
Sr., the father of our subject, was' born in the village of Simmeon, Rhine 
Province, in 18 10, and attended school until fourteen years of age. after which 
he learned the cooper's trade. He died in his native land in 1894, and his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 79i 

wife, who bore the maiden name of Eva Bruner, died in 1867. Of the chil- 
dren born to them Jacob is still a resident of Germany; Peter died in that 
country ; Herman is next in order of birth ; Philip is deceased ; and Margaret 
lives in Germany. 

Mr. Kuhn, of this review, was born in Rhinebalon, Rhine Province, on the 
22d of February, 1843, ^''^'^ pursued his studies in the home school until four- 
teen years of age. For several years thereafter he worked in an iron foundry, 
and also learned the cooper's trade with his father. At the age of twenty he 
entered the German army and served three years in Berlin as one of King 
William's body guard. When the Austro-Prussian war broke out he was 
attached to the Second Guard regiment, and took part in several battles, his 
principal engagement being the battle of Koenigratz. After the close of the 
war he returned home and worked one year at the cooper's trade. 

Deciding to try his' fortune in America, Mr. Kuhn sailed from Hamburg, 
October 4, 1867, on the steamer Prussia, and after fourteen days spent upon 
the water landed in New York city, whence he came direct to Columbus, hav- 
ing relatives' in Norwich township, this cotmty, who had sent him the ticket to 
come to the new world. Y,ov a time he made his home with Jacob Kuntz, a 
farmer, for whom he worked. In 1869 Mr. Kuhn married Miss Amelia Tinn- 
appel, and for a year they made their home with his uncle, Mr. Kuntz. In 
1870 they located upon twenty acres of his present farm, their first home 
being a log cabin, 16x20 feet, which he fixed up. For five years Mr. Kuhn 
worked as a section hand on the Hilliard section of the Panhandle Railroad at 
one dollar and forty cents per day, and saving the money made in this way, 
he was able to purchase hisi place, though he went in debt eight hundred dol- 
lars for the same. For the twenty-acre tract he paid fifty-five dollars per 
acre; later added six and a half acres' at forty-one dollars and a half per 
acre, and sixteen and a half acres at sixty-eight dollars per acre. His wife was 
industrious and economical and aided him in every possible way. All that he 
made with the railroad company he had saved, and on leaving the service had 
a little farm of twenty acres under cultivation. Since then he has devoted his 
time and attention to agricultural pursuits'. At the death of his uncle in 1894, 
he inherited his property, but prior to this had purchased one hundred and four 
acres at fifty-five dollars per acre, his sons assisting him in the operation of the 
farm. He has since bought three hundred and forty acres at the same price, 
and now has a fine farm under a high state of cultivation and improved with 
good buildings. A flower-bed now occupies the site of the old log house, and 
neatness and order prevade the entire place. 

The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kuhn are Elnora, wife of Adam Koer- 
ner, of Brown township, this' county; Minona, deceased wife of Rev. Charles 
Kunst; Andrew and Henry, both at home; Bertha, wife of John A. Geyer, of 
Prairie township; and Stephen and Sarah, both at home. 

Since casting his first presidential vote for Samuel J. Tilden, ]\Ir. Kuhn 
has been a stanch supporter of the Democratic party, and is an active and prom- 
inent member of the Lutheran church in which he has served as director and 



792 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

treasurer for twenty years. His life record is' one well worthy of emulation 
and contains many valuable lessons of incentive, showing the possibilities that 
are open to young men who wish to improve every opportunity for advance- 
ment. 

HENRY PAUSCH. 

There is no man in Columbus more widely known than Henry Pausch, 
cUid none who is more deservedly popular. Since his birth, January 6, 
iSz|0, he has lived in Columibus, and since 1891 has lived in his pleasant 
home at 967 South High street. He attended the public school?^; of Colum- 
bus, and at the age of fourteen was' apprenticed to learn the printer's art to 
John Geary & Son, editors and proprietors of the Capital City Fact, which at 
that time was a prominent Columibus daily newspaper. Foiu- years later 
his apprenticeship was concluded, and he then entered the employ of the Hon. 
Richard Nevins, who was at that time state printer, and with that firm and 
its successors, Myers Brothers, he remained for thirty years, as one of its 
most' trusted and efficient employes. 

On November 3, 1864, Mr. Pausch was married to Miss Jeanette E. 
McPherson and to them were born eight children: Flora L., Henry, Jr., 
Frank M., Catherine B., Walter L., Anna E.. Mary G. and Alice G., all of 
whom are living except Frank M., who died April 13, 1901. 

Mr. Pausch's political career began in 1874, when he was elected to the 
city council from the eleventh ward. From 1877 to 1879 he was president 
of that body, and both as a member and as a presiding officer he ac(|uitted 
himself with the highest honor, and the breath of suspicion never restecl upon 
a single one of his acts in many of the official capacities in which he served. 
After voluntarily leaving the city council, one year later, he was elected 
to the office of police commissioner on the Democratic ticket, and served in 
that capacity for four years, his' term expiring in 1884. He was largely 
instrumental in reforming, reorganizing and shaping into an efficient body of 
men the police force of the city of Columbus. A strong partisan, he was 
none the less a conscientious public official, and always insisted on efficiency 
in office as the first requisite, controlled by sound political principles. In 1889 
the Democratic party of Franklin county elected him county treasurer, and 
in 1 89 1 was re-elected, serving for four years. Since that time he has held 
different public and political positions, being at present a member of the city 
sew'er commission, having been appointed by Mayor Swartz as one of the 
Democratic members of th'ei board. 

In politics Mr. Pausch has always been an ardent and unswerving Dem- 
ocrat, active in the management of his party's affairs, and an untiring worker 
for the success of his party's ticket — local, state and national. His counsel 
and assistance have always been sought by his party's leaders in political cam- 
paigns ever since he reached man's estate, and they were always ungrudgingly 
and unselfishly given. 




HEHRY PAUSCH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 793 

Mr Pausch is a thirty-second-degree Mason, a noljle of ths Alystic 
Shrine, an Elk, a member of the 1. O. O. F., a Kmght of Pythias and an 
active member of the Olentangy Club, as well as many other social organiza- 
tions. In every relation in life he has won and still retains the highest esteem 
and respect of all with whom he has associated. 

AUGUSTUS E. GROOME. 

For many years this gentleman was actively identified with the agri- 
cultural 'interests of Norwich township, but is now living a retired life in 
Hilliard. He traces his' ancestry back to an old colonial family of English 
extraction, which was founded in this country by three brothers, one of whom 
afterward 'returned to England, while one settled in Pennsylvania, the other 
in New Jersey. The last was Ezekiel, son of Closes Groome, the great-grand- 
father of our subject. The grandfather, Ezekiel Groome, Jr., was born in 
New Jersey and married Rhoda McDonald, who was also a native of that 
state and a daughter of Major McDonald of Revolutionary fame. Some 
time between 1816 and 1820 they came to Franklin county, Ohio, and set- 
tled in the southern part of Madison township, their farms bordering on the 
Pickaway county line. There the grandfather died in August, 1837, but 
his wife survived him several years. 

John Groome, our subject's grandfather, was born m New Jersey and 
was quite small when brought by his parents to this county, where he grew 
to manhood on the farm. In early life he learned the carpenter's trade. He 
went overland to California in 1849, and for a time was interested m pros- 
pecting and mining, but there being a great demand for carpenters he resumed 
w^ork at his trade, receiving sixteen dollars per day. While there he con- 
tracted fever and died in 1849. He was f^rst married in Norwich township 
this countv, to Miss Elizabeth Britton, a daughter of Hosea W. and Rachel 
(Taylor) Britton, natives of Virginia, and the latter a cousin of President 
Zachary Taylor. Mrs. Groome died in Madison township, this county, in 
1833, and the father subsequently married Charity Young and later removed 
to Iowa, from which state he went to California. 

Augustus E. is the youngest of the five children born of the hrst union, 
the othel-s being as follows: Zachariah C, who was dreadfully opposed to 
the Mormons, was killed by that sect in Iowa when they were on their way to 
Utah. Rachel married John Hunt and died in Iowa. Hosea \\ . served as 
a private in the Mexican war and died in Iowa. Rhoda married William 
McBride and went with her husband to Pike's Peak, Colorado, where she 
died leaving two small children, whom Mr. McBride took back to Iowa in a 
wagon and left with his brother-in-law. Of the six children born to tne 
second marriage of Tohn Groome, Charitv, the eldest, died young. Obediah 
died in Salt Lake Citv, Utah. Louisa died at the age of fourteen years. 
Isaac is a veteran of the Civil war and a resident of Knoxville, Iowa. Albert 
was a member of an Iowa regiment in the same war and was never heard of 



794 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

after the Ixittle of Shiloh, in which he participated. Orilla married Charles 
Sherman, a descendant of Genera] Sherman, and died in Nel)raska. John 
died at the age of three years. 

Augustus E. Groome, our sul)ject, was burn in Madison township, this 
county, on the 24th of April, 1833, and was only three months old when his 
mother died. At the age of seven years he went to live with his maternal 
uncle, Hosea Britton, in Madison township, and remained with him until 
reaching manhood. He received a good district school education and at the 
age of sixteen commenced teaching, a profession which he continued to fol- 
low for some time after his marriage. It was in Shelby county, Ohio, April 
21, 1854, that he led to the marriage altar Miss Susannah Cole,' a daughter 
of Joshua Cole. They began their domestic life on a farm in Norwich town- 
ship, this county, which he had inherited from his uncle. It consisted of 
one hundred acres, to which he subsequently added eighty acres, and to the 
improvement and cultivation of which he devoted his time and attention 
until the spring of 1894, when his son, E. W., took charge of the same, while 
our subject removed to Hilliard and has since lived a retired life, enjoying a 
well-earned rest. 

Mr. and Mrs. Groome are the parents of seven children, namely : Rhoda, 
deceased wife of Thomas McNaughton; Rosaline, deceased wife of William 
Dobyns; Rilla, wife of S. T. McCann, of Norwich township; Sherman, de- 
ceased ; Fletcher, who married Maggie Cramer and lives in Norwich town- 
ship; Edward W., who married Amanda Smith and now^ operates the eld 
home farm ; and Mattie, wife of Robert Wolfe, of Norwich township. 

In 1875 Mr. Groome was made a Mason, and now belongs to Avery 
Lodge No. 493, F. & A. M. He is also an active and prominent member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church of Hilliard, and is now serving as one of 
che trustees of the parsonage. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat. 
He served as township assessor one term, and at the age of twenty-two 
became a member of the board of education, with which he has been con- 
nected almost continually ever since. During the long years of his residence 
in Franklin county, he has championed every movement designed to promote 
the general welfare, has supported every enterprise for the public good, and 
has materially aided in the advancement of all social, educational and moral 
interests. After a useful and honorable career he can well afford to lay aside 
all business cares and live at ease and retirement. 

JOHN LINEBAUGH. 

The deserved reward of a well spent life is an honorable retirement from 
business, in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil. Today, after a useful and 
beneficial career, John Linebaugh is quietly living on his farm in Jackson town- 
ship, surrounded by the comfort that earnest labor has brought him. He was 
for many years prominently identified with the industrial and agricultural 
interests of Franklin countv. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 795 

Mr. Linebaugh was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, August 26, 
181 5, and belongs to one of the early colonial families of that state, which 
was founded in this country by his paternal great-great-grandfather, a native 
of Germany, who settled on the farm hi York county, where the birth of the 
great-grandfather occurred. There the grandfather, Abram Linebaugh, was 
also born, and the farm, consisting of two hundred and fifty acres, is still in 
possession of the family. Upon that place the grandfather spent his entire 
life, and was one of the most prominent farmers of the community. The 
birth of the father, Abram Linebaugh, Jr., occurred on the old homestead, 
where he was reared to manhood. In early life he served as an apprentice to 
the carpenter's trade, which he followed for about twenty years, and then 
engaged in farming in Union county, Pennsylvania, until called from this life 
when about forty-five years of age. He was an earnest member of the Lu- 
theran church, and was well known and highly respected. His wife, who bore 
the maiden name of Elizabeth Wikle, was also born in York county, and 
died at the age of eighty-six years. She, too, belonged to quite a prominent 
family. A nephew of hers was one of the first congressmen of the United 
States, and was still living in 1898, at the age of ninety-two years. Her 
father was also a native of York county, while her grandfather was born 
in Germany and became a prominent man and editor of a paper in York, 
Pennsylvania. In the Linebaugh family is a Bible two hundred years old. 
wdiich was published by the king of Germany and cost eighteen pounds sterling. 
Six of these Bibles were purchased by our subject's maternal grandfather 
and given to his children. Twenty years ago the one in the Linebaugh family 
had not a leaf broken. 

John Linebaugh is the fourth in order of birth in a family of seven chil- 
dren, six sons and one daughter. The eldest, Daniel and Mary, twins, both 
lived to the age of eighty-six years; Abram, Jesse and William all died at the 
age of seventy; and Henry at the age of seventy-one. All remained in 
Pennsylvania with the exception of Henry and our subject, who came to 
Ohio. 

At the age of eighty years, John Linebaugh accompanied his parents on 
their removal to York county, Pennsylvania, and remained with them until 
he attained his majority. At the age of eighteen he commenced learning the 
carpenter's trade, at which he worked for three years ^ in his native state, 
receiving one pair of coarse shoes' for his first two years' work as an appren- 
tice. He w^as then given seven dollars per month and his board, and sub- 
sequently was employed at loading manure at fifty cents per day. 

Determined to try his fortune in Ohio, Mr. Linebaugh drove with a two- 
horse team from York county, Pennsylvania, to Columbus, and began life here 
with a capital of thirty dollars which he had managed to save from his wages. 
He at once found employment at his trade, and helped lay the corner-stone 
of the state house, in wh'ich he put the constitution of the United States and 
also that of Ohio. As a contractor he erected the first cast iron front building 
in Columbus, and was successfully engaged in business in this city for about 



796 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

twenty years, after which he engaged in contracting and building through- 
out different parts of the county for fifteen years, making ui all thirty-five 
years, probably a longer period than any other contractor has carried on busi- 
ness here. On discontinuing work along that line, Mr. Linebaugh located on 
the farm in Jackson township where he now lives. It consists of three 
hundred and thirty acres, and at the time of purchase was wild and unim- 
proved, not a stick of timber having been cut. He has since cleared the land, 
placed it under cultivation, erected a good brick residence, and made many 
other improvements which add greatly to the value and attractive appearance 
of the place. He has never actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, but 
has always rented the farm, and as he is unmarried he makes his home with 
his tenant, J. W. Ferguson, who has had charge of his farming operations for 
twenty years. Mr. Linebaugh owns over a thousand acres of land, entirely 
free from mortgage, six hundred ninety-live acres of which are in Franklin 
county, the remainder in Pickaway county. Darby ^station being located on a 
part of his land. Besides this valuable property he has considerable money 
on interest. 

;Mr. Linebaugh has been a life-long Democrat and cast his first presi- 
dential vote for Martin VanBuren. He takes an active interest in every- 
thing pertaining to the good of the people, and gives a ready support to all 
measures for the public good, but has never been prevailed upon to accept 
office. He is a strong temperance man, having never tasted intoxicating 
liquor of any kind for fifty-six years, and never uses tobacco in any form. 
To his temperate habits he attributes his health and although eighty-live years 
of age he is as active to-day as most men of sixty. Since 1842 he has been a 
prominent and active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has 
ever taken a leading part in church work. He has held the office of steward 
in his church. His life is well worthy of emulation and all who know him 
hold him in the highest esteem. 

CAPTAIN WILLIAM PIXXEY. 

Captain William Pinney is a prominent and well known farmer of Sharon 
township, now serving 011 the board of county commissioners. He takes an 
active part in public affairs and' his influence is ever found on the side of 
progress and improvement. Throughout a long and active career he has' com- 
manded the respect of his fellow men by reason of his fidelity to duty, his hon- 
esty in business and his faithfulness to all obligations cf private life. 

Captain Pinney is a son of Abner and a grandson of Putnam Pinney, 
who was the founder of the family in Franklin county and one of its honored 
pioneers at a time w4ien this section of the country was being evolved from the 
wilderness of frontier life to a district w'here all of the improvements and 
accessories of civilization are found. The grandfather was one of the Ohio 
company which came to the Buckeye state from Kentucky, the journey being 
made in 1802. He was accompanied by his family, who settled in Worthing- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 797 

ton. Two of his brothers, Levi and Chester, made the journey at the same 
time. From that early day until his death Putnam Pinney resided in or near 
the town. He and his brother Levi were soldiers in the war of 1812 and he 
was recognized as one of the leading and influential men of the community, 
taking an active part in promoting all movements' and measures calculated 
to prove of benefit. For a number of years he filled the office of justice of the 
peace, and his ofificial career was extremely commendable. He carried on farm- 
ing, and his energy and diligence enabled him to win success, so that he was 
numbered among the well-to-do citizens of his adopted county. He married 
Miss Polly Morrison, and unto them were born the following children : 
Henry Chester, Thompson, Lyman, Betsey and Louisa, all now deceased. The 
grandparents were both members of the St. John's Episcopal church of W'orth- 
ington, which they assisted in organizing and to the support of which they 
always contributed liberally, aiding in its work in every way as far as lay 
in their power. Mr. Pinney was also a member of New England Lodge, Xo. 
4, F. & A. ]\L This worthy couple have long 'since been called to the home 
beyond, but the influence of the work which they performed along lines of 
development, progress, education and morality is felt. 

Abner H. Pinney, the father of our subject, was born in Franklin county, 
December 6, 1805, and was here reared when this district was a section of 
cabin homes and unimproved farms. He w^as married in Delaware county, 
October 13, 1825, to Ann Cynthia Strong, and took up his abode in Worth- 
ington, later removing to Columbus, where he engaged in manufacturing and 
merchandising, continuing business there until 1852, when he established a 
manufacturing business in Jackson, Michigan, but continued his residence in 
Columbus up to the time of his death. He was a representative citizen, pos- 
sessed of the enterprising spirit which has led to the rapid and substantial de- 
velopment of the west. His business interests were carefully prosecuted and 
he was a pioneer in the manufactory of farm implements. It is said of him 
by Columbus bankers that he was one of the best financiers in the state, and 
in all trade transactions his word was as good as his bond. Intricate business 
problems he rapidly comprehended, and wdiatever he undertook he carried 
forward to successful completion, brooking no obstacles that could be over- 
come by determined and honorable effort. He was generous to a fault and was 
of a kindly nature, considerate to the poor and withholding not the hand of 
assistance from any one really in need of aid. A man of strong convictions, 
he never faltered in support of what he believed to be right, yet was not bitterly 
j'ggressive, according to all the right which he reserved for himself of forming 
an unbiased opinion. He took a very deep and ardent interest in religious 
work, and f.')r many years was senior warden of St. John''Si Episcopal church, 
of Worthington. In politics he was a Whig, stanchly advocating the prin- 
ciples of the party. In his church work he was ably assisted and seconded by 
the efforts of his wife, a lady whose many excellent qualities of heart and mind 
won her the love and friendship of all. They were the parents of nine chil- 
dren, namely : Julia L., Henry C, Elizabeth P., Ann C, INIary E., Henrietta, 



79S CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Justin, William and Nathan. The father died October 21, 1857. and j\Irs. 
Pinney passed away June 25, 1884, at the age of eighty-four years, her birth 
having occurred in Delaware county, Ohio, May 21, 1803. 

Their son, Captain William Pinney, whose name forms the caption of this 
review, was born in the city of Columbus, Ohio, on Christmas day of 1840. 
His childhood days were passed in his parents' home amid its refining in- 
fluences, and in the public schools he mastered the branches of English learning 
which prepare the young for the practical duties of business and social life. 
Before attaining his majority the country had become engaged in Civil war. 
He had watched with interest the progress of events in the south, and his 
loyal spirit was aroused by the rebellion which threatened the Union. He 
therefore enlisted as a member of Company E, Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and was mustered into service as second lieutenant September 27, 
1862. Soon afterward the regiment was transferred to the seat of w^ar in 
Kentucky and he was attached to the Fifteenth Army Corps, which formed a 
part of the Army of the Tennessee. In November, following. Captain Pin- 
ney was promoted, winning the title by which he is now known. He flrsi; 
became familiar with the hardships of war in the hotly contested battle of 
Shiloh, where he was wounded, but not so 'seriously as to necessitate his 
departure from the field. He was the first man in his regiment hit by Rebel 
lead. Among the other important engagements in which he participated and 
bore an honorable part w^ere the battles of Corinth, the long siege of Vicks- 
burg, in which fighting w^as' almost a daily occurrence for many months. Black 
River and Jackson, which ended the fighting for his command in that section, 
for after the engagement at that place the regiment proceeded by way of 
Memphis to Chattanooga, joining the Army of the Cumberland, then con- 
fronted by the Rebel hostsi in the mountains of Tennessee. Captain. Pinney 
participate!^, in the battle of Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge, after which 
the corps marched to the relief of Knoxville, where Burnside's army lay 
"bottled up," as expressed by General Grant. That was one of the hardest 
campaigns of the war, involving hard fighting, exposure and long and arduous 
marches. His command subsequently joined the Army of the Tennessee while 
it w^as fighting its' way from Chattanooga to Atlanta. The expo'sure and 
rigor of war during the Knoxville campaign so wrought upon Captain Fin- 
ney's health that he contracted rheumatism in a serious form, which incapac- 
itated him for further service. It was with deep regret that he was forced to 
retire from the army before the Union troops had accomplished their mission 
of crushing out the rebellion in the South. However, fate was inexorable 
and he was honorably discharged by order of the department October 19, 
1864. 

The Captain then returned to his home, and after recuperating his health 
he located in Worthington, where he engaged in the grocery and grain trade 
and at the same time continued the operation of his farm. He continued his 
mercantile operations for seven or eight years and then disposed of those 
interests in order to give his entire attention to his agricultural pursuits. His 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 799 

well ordered and highly improved farm of one hundred and seventy-eight 
acres adjoins the village of Worthington. It is a model of neatness and indi- 
cates the taste and progressive spirit of the owner, who has bestowed upon it 
much care and labor. The Captain has been twice married, his first union be- 
ing with Miss Jennie Beers, by whom he had eight children, namely : Ida, 
Hattie, Henry, Justin, James, Wesley, Wolcctt and Olive; but the last named 
is now deceased. For his second wife he chose Miss S. E. Wilcox. He is 
well known and prominent in benevolent and fraternal organizations. He be- 
longs to Worthington Lodge, No. 270, I. O. O. F., and is also a member of the 
encampment. His name is on the membership rolls of the Grand Army of the 
Republic and of the Loyal Legion. He now belongs to H. C. Burr Post, 
which was named in honor of H. C. Burr, who was Captain Finney's orderly 
sergeant and was killed at Shiloh. Of this post the Captain was the first com- 
mander and he has ever taken a deep interest in promoting its welfare. In 
politics he is a stanch Republican, unswerving in his advocacy of the party 
which upheld the Union and which has ever been on the side of reform and 
progress. He cast his first vote while in the service, supporting Governor 
Brough, of Ohio. He has since been for many years a participant in the councils 
of the party, attending many of its conventions as a delegate, and in 1896 he 
was elected county commissioner, discharging the duties of the position so ac- 
ceptably that he was re-elected twO' years later and has alternated with the 
other commissioners as chairman of the board. \\'hile in this responsible po- 
sition he has by the exercise of sound judgment won the confidence and 
approval of the people of Franklin county, for he has labored untiringly for its 
interests. He has also held a number of township offices, having creditably 
served as trustee, clerk and assessor. In all matters pertaining to the general 
welfare he is deeply interested and contributes in a large measure to the pro- 
motion of those movements which he believes will advance public progress. 
He is always loyal to the cause which he espouses, faithful to the principles in 
which he believes and true to the obligations of public and private life in every 
particular. These qualities have won him warm regard wherever he is 
known, and in his native county he has indeed a host of true friends. 

DAVID DEE^IS SMILEY. 

The value of the Scotch-Irish character has been many times demon- 
strated in all parts of Am.srica. Among the Scotch-Irish families who set- 
tled early in the northern part of Pennsylvania was that of Smiley and there 
was born Thomas Smiley, who became a Baptist minister and passed his entire 
active life and died in Bradford county. Rev. Thomas Smiley was the great- 
grandfather of David Deems Smiley, of Norwich township, Franklin county, 
Ohio. His son, David was born in Bradford county. Pennsylvania, and his 
son, David, Jr., married Sarah Deems and they were the parents of David 
Deems Smiley. 

David Deems Smiley was born on the farm in Xorwich township, 



8oo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Franklin county. Ohio, on which he now lives, August 17, 1864, 
and was educated in the district school and at Hilliard high school 
and early initiated into everything pertaining to practical farming. 
After the death of his father, in the winter of 1893-94, David Deems 
and Charley Smiley took charge of the homestead farm and have man- 
aged it successfully, to the present time. June 24, 1891, Mr, Smiley 
married J\liss Lily A. Binns, of Franklin township, who died No- 
vember 21, 1894, leaving a sen, David Binns Smiley, who is now^ eight 
years old. Charles Smiley was married to Laura Binns, of Topeka, Kansas, 
who died in November_, 1897, leaving two children, — Ruth and Ray. 

Thomas Deems, the grandfather of David Deems Smiley in the maternal 
line, w^as a son of John Deems, a native of Pennsylvania, who married 
Sarah Roland and had children as follows : John, who settled in Illinois ; 
Elizabeth, who married David Landers, and located in Lidiana, wdiere her 
husband died and she married again, dying young near Zanesville, Ohio, 
leaving three small children; Thomas, grandfather of David Deems Smiley. 
Thomas Deems was born in Pennsylvania and when he was twelve years 
old he was taken by his parents to Gratiot, Licking county, Ohio, wdiere he 
learned the blacksmith's trade. He married Mary Sims, a native of Licking 
county and daughter of Simeon Sims, and about 1840 removed with his wife 
and family to P'ranklin county, Ohio, and bought a farm in Franklin, which 
was his home until his death, which occurred January 4, 1880. His wife 
died November 10, 1869. The following items of interest concerning their 
children have been taken from family records: Melissa, born June 26, 1829, 
married James Kennard and died in Franklin county, Ohio; Gilbert C, born 
December i, 1830, married Ann Segraves and died in Franklin county. 
Jerusha, born October 10, 1832, married C. W, Wagner and died at Colum- 
bus, Ohio. Stephen F., born March 23, 1834, married Eliza Payten. Sarah, 
Avho was born June 30, 1836, married David Smiley, father of David Deems 
Smiley. Lavinia, born June 13, 1838, died in infancy. 

HENRY RICHTER. 

Henry Richter^ who is identified with the building interests of Colum- 
bus and is well known as a reliable and trustworthy business man, was' born 
in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, March 6, 1853, his parents being Charles and 
Dorothy (Geissler) Richter, both of whom are natives of Germany, born in 
the same locality. In 1854 they came with their children to the United 
States, landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they remained for seven 
years. Then, in i860, they came to Ohio, settling at Grove City, Franklin 
county, which was their place of abode until 1868. In that year Mr. Richter 
moved to a farm five miles east of Columbus and devoted his energies to 
agricultural pursuits until October 17, 1900, when he retired from active labor, 
but still resides on the farm. During his active business career he became 
a prosperous farmer, acquiring a comfortable competence as the result of his 




HENRY RICHTER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 8oi 

well directed efforts. His political support is. given the Republican party, but 
he never held office. His wife died September 17, 1875. They had eight 
sons and four daughters, ten of whom reached years of maturity, while six 
of the sons are still living. Their father was a member of Company F, One 
Hundred and Eighty-fifth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served 
a year, — until the close of the great rd>ellion. 

Henry Richter, who is the subject proper of this sketch, attended the 
common schools of Grove City, Ohio, and at the age of fourteen put aside his 
text-booksi to learn the more difficult lessons of life's experience. He was 
apprenticed to Mr. Keck, a carpenter, with whom he continued to work at 
his trade until 1874, when he began taking contracts and building. He has 
made and executed many important contracts, and many of the fine struc- 
tures of the city are an indication of his skill and handiwork. He erected 
a greater part of the M. C. Lilly Regalia Works, the residences^ of John 
Siebert and William Bobb, and many other fine structures in Columbus. He 
was the superintendent of construction on the Great Southern Hotel, and 
has done good work of a similar nature in many other siections of the citv. 
He employs a large force of w^orkmen, faithfully executes all the terms of 
his contracts and is enjoying a very liberal patronage. 

He is a director of the Columbus Savings & Trust Company, also a 
director of, and stockholder in, the Ohio National Bank. He has been a 
moving spirit in the successful conduct of many enterprises which have been 
of material benefit to the city, while contributing to his own prosperity. He 
is a member of the 1890 Decennial Board of Equalization for the city of 
Columbus. 

In 1875 he was' united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Trapp. a daughter 
of Reinhard and Catherine (Burgraft') Trapp. They now have two chil- 
dren, — Walter and Harry. 

Mr. Richter is a very prominent Mason, belonging to the blue lodge, 
chapter and has attained the thirty-second degree. He is also a valued rep- 
resientative of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in w^hich he has been 
the treasurer of the board of trustees of their temple for the past four years. 
He is a past grand of Harmonia Lodge, No. 358, of this order, als'o a past 
patriarch of Encampment No. 96, and a past chancellor of Germania Lodge, 
No. 4, K. of P. 

ASBURY SCOFIELD. 

Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, numbers in its population sev- 
eral old and well esteemed citizens, but there is not one of them who stands 
higher in public opinion than the man whose name forms the title of this 
sketch. 

Elijah Scofield, grandfather of Asbury Scofield, was a native of Marv- 
land. He married Miss Rosa Kuntz, of German extraction, early in the 
nineteenth century, and some vears afterward came with his wife and family 



8o2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of three girls and seven boys, to "Muskingum county, Ohio, where he engaged 
in farming, was well known as a Dunkard preacher and died about 1834. 
His wife died about three or four years later. They had children as follows.: 
Benjamin, who died in Franklin county, Ohio; Amos, who died in Ross 
county, Ohio; Elijah, who also died in Ross county; Jesse, who died in 
Franklin county, Ohio; Daniel, who died in Fairfield county, Ohio; Henry, 
who went to the far west ; Dorcas, who married and went west ; Rhoda, who 
became Mrs. Ingersoll ; and Polly, who married a brother of Rhoda's' husband, 
both 'Sisters dying in the west; and Elias, the first born, who was the father of 
Asbury Scofield. These brothers and sisters were all born in Maryland, and 
Elias was' a mere boy when his parents moved to Muskingum county, Ohio, 
where he grew to manhood and learned the wagon-maker's trade. He mar- 
'lied Rebecca Kaufifman^daughter of William Kauffman, ofMuskingum.county. 
and for some years lived on a farm there and worked at his trade. He came 
to Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, about 1836, and bought four 
hundred acres of land, a mile south of Hilliard, which was in the midst of a 
wilderness, infested by wild animals and abounding in wild game. Elias 
Scofield entered vigorously upon the work of clearing land and developing a 
farm and gave his^ attention to the physical ailments of the settlers round 
about, for he became a physician of the Thompsonian school and rode many 
miles in all directions ministering to suffering humanity. He was brought up 
in the Dunkard faith and eventually became a member of the Christian church. 
In politics he was a Whig. Late in life he retired to Columbus, where he 
died about 1862. His wife died about five years later. Their oldest child 
was Milton, who served through the entire period of the Civil war in the 
Ninety-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died at Columbus. As- 
bury Scofield was the next in order of birth. John died in Franklin county. 
William, who died in Franklin Co., also, was the father of Nathan A. Scofield, 
a biographical sketch of whom appears in this work. Keziah married Orne 
Edwin Warren and lives at Memphis, Missouri. Martha died in Franklin 
county, unmarried. Elias is a successful lawyer at Memphis, ]\Iissouri. 
David served in the Ninety-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died 
in Missouri. Ada I. died at the age of sixteen. 

Asbury Scofield was born in Muskingum county, Ohid, June 12, 1827, and 
was about ten years old when his parents removed to Franklin county. Ohio. 
He was brought up as a farmer's boy of all work and went to school when he 
was not needed at home. Schoolhouses were not plentiful in Ohio in those 
days and such as there were were log structures of the most primitive kind, 
w^th stick chimneys, slab benches and paper windows and the schools were 
not much better than the bouses in which they were kept, but they served their 
purpose in their time after a fashion and opened a way to better things educa- 
tionally. While Mr. Scofield's youth was not an unhappy one, it was far 
from being an idle one. He early became a good chopper and was an enthu- 
siastic hunter. He worked early and late on the farm and, at times, almost 
literally day and night in his father's sawmill. After his marriage he located 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 803 

on the old home farm and worked twelve acres of land which his father gave 
him and rented and operated the sawmill. Later he bought sixty-two acres 
more and continued the work of improvement until he went to Hardin county, 
Ohio, and there bought fifty acres of land on which he lived nearly two years 
and which he sold in order to return to Norwich township, where he soon after 
bought another fifty acres. Subsequently he bought his present farm of one 
hundred and fifty-five acres. His last experience as a lumberman was in 
Hardin county where he ran a sawmill in connection with his farming opera- 
tions. After his return to Franklin county, he gave his attention exclusively 
to farming in which he has met with flattering success. He married Lucy 
Jane Scrimger, of Norwich township, a daughter of William and Mary Scrim- 
ger, who died in 1886, having borne him children as follows: Lorenzo F, 
is' a successful physician at West Jefferson, Madison county. Ohio. John 
F. and Chauncey A. are satisfactorily established in life at Columbus, Ohio. 
Laura became the wife of James INIerriman, and died in Norwich township. 
Lydia died at the age of five years. 

Mr. Scofield is a trustee in the Methodist Episcopal church at Hilliard, 
of which he has been a member since 1872. He is an unswerving Republican 
and wields and influence in his towship always beneficial to his party, but 
has always refused to accept any public ofiice though many have been offered" 
him. He is a good example of a self-made American, sturdy, independent and 
successful, the soul of honor, and safe in the esteem of his fellow citizen;. 



GEORGE W. INGHAM. 

The subject of this review, who was one of the most succes3ful farmers 
and highly esteemed citizens of Clinton township for many years, was born 
there in 1816, a son of Abraham and Sarah Ingham, natives of New York state, 
who came to this county at a very early day in its development. On the old 
homestead our subject grew to manhood, and the education he acquired in 
the common schools of the neighborhood well fitted him for the responsible 
duties of life. Farming was his chosen occupation, though he also carried 
on contracting and building to quite an extent, and in his undertakings stead- 
ily prospered, accumulating a good property, though he started out in life 
for himself empty-handed. He was one of the leading and representative cit- 
izens of his community and was called upon to fill various local offices, the du- 
ties of which he most acceptably discharged. He was captain of a company in 
the old state militia, and during the Civil war raised a company which he 
drilled, but did not himself enter the service. From early life he was a member 
of the Episcopal church, and in politics was an uncompromising Renublican 
who took an active and influential part in local affairs. He died ]\Iay 8, 1894, 
honored and respected by all who knew him. 

On the 7th of May, 1850, Mr. Ingham had married Miss Nancy D. 
Ingham, a most estimable lady, who still survives him, and to them were 



804 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

born four children, as follows: Thomas A., who married Mary F. Imley; 
Sarah A., the wife of John R. McDonald, of this county; Mary E., who died 
at the age of four years, nine months and nine days; and Ida R., the wife of 
William Hard, of this county. 

Elijah Legg, the grandfather of Mrs. Ingham, was a native of Virginia, 
where he married Tabitha Holly, and where were born to them seven children, 
namely: Thomas; John; James; Elizabeth, wife of Levi Wiley; Lucy, wife 
of Thomas O'Hara; Mary, wife of James Walcott; and Susan, wife of Robert 
Walcott. In 1816 Mr. Legg came to this county wuth his family, and for a 
time engaged in farming on rented land in Perry township, where he sub- 
sequently purchased a farm, making it his home throughout the remainder of 
his life. Both he and his wife were among the pioneer members of the 
Baptist church in this locality, and as there was no house of worship belong- 
ing to that denomination in the county when he located here, services were 
held in school houses and private residences. Mr. Legg was a successful 
farmer and was highly respected for his many excellent qualities. He died 
in 1852, and his wife in 1845. 

Thomas Legg, Mrs. Ingham's father, was twenty-one years of age 
on the removal of the family from the Old Dominion to this state in 1816. He 
first settled in Ross county, where he w'as married to Miss Amelia Lane, also 
a native of Virginia, wdio was nine years old wdien brought by her parents, 
John and Nancy (Defoe) Lane, to Ohio, their last days being passed in Ross 
county, W'here Mr. Lane purchased property. After his marriage, Mr. Legg 
continued his residence in that county until 1828, when with his wife and five 
children he removed to Franklin Co., and bought one hundred acres of heavily 
W'Ooded land in Perry township, paying for the same four dollars per acre. 
Here he erected a log cabin, which contained the proverbial fire place with its 
stick chimney. Upon this land he made a permanent home, while he cleared 
away the forest, erected good and substantial buildings and otherwise im- 
proved the place, converting it into one of the best farms of the locality. In 
his labors he met wath excellent success, and accumulated considerable prop- 
erty. His children born in Ross county w^ere Nancy D., Elizabeth Holly, 
John F., Lucinda and Elias, and in this county the family circle was increased 
by the birth of six others, namely : Martha, Thomas, Susan, Lewis, Amelia 
and Minerva. Only four are now^ living: Nancy D., John P\, Lewis and 
Amelia. The mother of these children died August 15, 1852, at the age of 
fifty-three years. From the age of thirteen years she was a devout and con- 
sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, wdio seemed possessed of 
all the Christian virtues, and was greatly beloved for her excellent qualities 
of mind and heart. For his second wife ]\Ir. Legg married Mrs. Hannah 
Weatherbee, who survives him. His death occurred September 28. 1887. 
Politically he was a Democrat, and in the war of 181 2 he served in a Virginia 
troop, later receiving a pension in recognition of his services. He was a good 
citizen, friend and neighbor, and was held in high regard ])y all with whom 
he came in contact either in business or social life. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 805 

STEPHEN TOWXSEXD, M. D. 

Success is determined by one's ability to recognize opportunity, and to 
pursue this with a resolute and unflagging energy. It results from continued 
labor, and the man who thus accomplishes his puqDose usually becomes an 
important factor in the business circles of the community with which he is 
connected. Dr. Townsend, through such means, has attained a leading place 
among the representative men of Hilliard, where he is now successfully con- 
ducting a drug store, and as a physician is engaged in office practice. 

The Townsend family was founded in America by his great-grandfather, 
a native of England. The grandfather, Stephen Townsend, was a life-long 
resident of Belmont county, Ohio, and a farmer by occupation. He married 
a Miss Bingham. Levi Kennard Townsend, the Doctor's father, was born 
near Jerusalem, Belmont county, about 18 18, and was reared as a farmer 
boy, receiving a common school education. In early life he learned the black- 
smith's trade, which he followed until 1852, when he embarked in the dry 
goods business in Washington county, this state. He continued to follow 
that line of trade in various places until the fall of 1869, when he removed 
to Muscatine county, Iowa, and turned his attention to farming. He had 
married Abigail Stanton, a native of Belmont county, Ohio, and a daughter 
of William and Margaret (Leslie) Stanton. She died in Muscatine county, 
Iowa, in 1870, and about two years later the father returned to Ohio, and 
lived with our subject two years, but at the end of that time he again went 
to Aluscatine county, Iowa, where he married and continued to reside until 
his death, in 1884. He was a Republican in politics, and in religious faith 
both he and his first wife were Quakers. The children born to them were 
William S., a physician of Galloway, this county, who is a graduate of the 
Iowa Medical College; Stephen, our subject; Thomas K., a resident of Lin- 
coln, Nebraska; Lewis, of Chicago; Anna, who died at the age of twenty- 
one years; Clarkson, of Chicago; Charles and Mary, both deceased. 

Di*. Townsend, of this review, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, on 
the 13th of September, 1847, and was about two years old when the family 
removed to Washington county, and was nineteen when they located in Athens 
county, this state. Until that time his life had been spent upon a farm and 
his education was obtained in the district schools of the neighborhood. From 
the age of fifteen to nineteen he was employed at times by a merchant to drive 
a team, and then began learning the carriage builder's trade in Athens county, 
<:erving a two years' apprenticeship. The following two years he worked as 
a journeyman, and then opened a shop of his own in Guysville. where he 
continued business until the fall of 1880, when he accepted the position of man- 
ager for the Singer Sewing ^Machine Company, and filled the same for eight 
years. In the meantime he took up the study of medicine in Columbus under 
an able physician, and in 1887 entered Starling Aledical College at that place, 
where he attended lectures three terms. He was graduated at the Wooster 
Medical College in the class of 1890, and for a few months had charge of the 



8o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

practice of Dr. Leeper while that gentleman was away on a vacation. He 
then came to Hilliard, and in November of the same year opened a drug store, 
which he conducted in connection with his practice tor some tune, but during 
the past year has given up outside practice. He is a wide-awake, energetic 
business man, whose success in life is due entirely to his own well-directed 
efforts. 

In November, 1869, Dr. Townsend was married in Guysville to Miss 
Mary Windsor, who died at Logan, Ohio, in 1880. By that union there 
were five children, namely : Herbert, who is a member of Company C, Forty- 
first Regiment, with the army in the Philippines, and holds the position of 
company artificer; Emma L., widow of Harry Barnett; William Ellsworth, 
bugler with Grant's scouts on duty in the Philippines; Carl, a resident of 
Hilliard, Ohio; and Grace, who died young. The Doctor was again mar- 
ried in 1896, his second union being with Mrs. Alice Roll. He was formerly 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is now connected wath the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic 
fraternity at Columbus. In his political views he is an ardent Republican, 
and has served as county committeeman two years. He eminently deserves 
classification among those purely self-made men who have distinguished them- 
selves for their ability to master the opposing forces of life and to wrest from 
fate a large measure of success and an honorable name. 

FREDERICK W^ IvIICHEL. 

Frederick W^ ]\Hchel. who was widely known as a leading and representa- 
tive agriculturist of Franklin county, Ohio, and resided upon his well culti- 
vated farm in Prairie township, was called from this life in November, 1900, 
and his death w^as the cause of widespread regret, while the community 
mourned the loss of one of its truest and best citizens. 

His father. John F. Michel, was a native of Germany, who came with 
hisi wdfe and children to America in 1832. They sailed from Havre, France, 
and landed in Baltimore, Maryland, six weeks later, where Mr. Michel hired 
a horse and wagon and had his goods transported to York, Pennsylvania. 
Soon after he secured employment in the iron^ works some ten miles from 
York, W'here he labored until he found a better situation in the neighborhood 
of Wrightsville, wdiere he rented a house and became a farm laborer. Suc- 
ceeding w-ell, he next bought forty acres and engaged in farming, remaining 
until the time of his death in 1847. After his death his widow took our 
subject and his brother George to Ohio and located in Rome, w^hich was the 
home of her son, Gottleib Michel, w^ho had settled in Ohio some time before. 
There the mother died in 1872, at the age of eighty-six. She left these chil- 
dren: Gottleib, John, George and our subject. 

Frederick W. Alichel, who is our subject, was born in Baden, Germanv, 
December 15, 1822, and was ten years old when he came to the United States 
with his father. His education was received in Pennsylvania, and at the age 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 807 

of eighteen entered the Slaymayer Iron W^orks, near Wh-ightsville, where 
he remained until the business was discontinued, when he immediately went 
into the employ of Smalls & Company, as a blacksmith. Later he engaged 
in work for a Baltimore firm, continuing with that house for six years and 
then returned to his home near Wrightsville. In 1853 he accompanied his 
mother and brother George to Rome, where our subject bought property and 
engaged in his trade of smith. During Morgan's raid through Ohio cur sub- 
ject was called out and did service at Camp Chase. While still working in 
his' 'Shop be bought land, adding thereto a few acres at a time until at the 
time of his death he owned valuable property in I^Iarion county and con- 
siderable real estate at Rome, Ohio. 

The marriage of our subject took place in York. Pennsylvania, m 
November, 1847, to Miss Leah Lehr, who was born in York November 30, 
1826, a daughter of one of the old settlers. Their children were: William, 
who resides in Marion county, Ohio; Frederick, who lives in Madison county, 
this state; George, who died young; Charles, who lives in ^lilford Center, 
Ohio; Sarah, who married John Renner, and lives in Norwich township; and 
John, who resides in Rome. ' 

INIr. Michel was a very successful man. but he earned all he possessed 
by his own efforts. He was' long identified with the Democratic party, and the 
family are connected with the Lutheran church, where they are highly regarded. 

CHRISTIAN S. HERR. 

Christian S. Herr, who follows farming on section 26, Hamilton town- 
ship, was born on section 14 of the same township October 7, 1833. His 
grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania, and was of German lineage. John 
Herr, the father of our subject, was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsyl- 
vania, and in the year 1833 came to Franklin county, Ohio, locating in 
Hamilton township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, 
which occurred when he was. seventy-four years of age. He was a consistent 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in his political affiliations 
was first a Whig and afterward a Repuljlican. Ere leaving the Keystone 
state he married Ann Stopher, also a native of Pennsylvania, as was her 
father. The Stopher family was of German origin. Mrs. Herr died at the 
family homestead in Hamilton township when about forty-four years of age. 
She became the mother of eleven children, of whom the following reached 
mature years: Levi, Mary, Elijah, Samuel, Frank, John, Christian S., Ben- 
jamin, Henry and Amanda. Ann died when about seven years old. 

Christian S. Herr, the seventh in order of birth, was reared in his native 
township, and when he had attained an age sufficient to begin his education 
he became a pupil in the little log school house of the neighborhood, there 
acquiring a fundamental knowledge of the English branches of learning. The 
days of his boyhood and youth were spent on the home farm and in the work 
of fields and garden he bore his part. 



8o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

In 1865 he was united in marriage to Susan Stoutzenbarger, who was' 
born in Hamilton township, Franklin county, a daughter of Jacob and Eliza 
Stoutzenbarger, who were early settlers of Franklin county. Mrs. Herr was 
their fourth child, and is the only one who grew to womanhood, the others 
having died in infancy. Unto our subject and his wife were born three 
daughters and a son, namely : Etta, wife of William Holmes, of Columbus, 
by whom 'she has a daughter, Ruth; Irene, wife of Zeb Travis', a resident of 
Toledo, Ohio, by whom she has one son, Herbert; Jacob S., who is engaged 
in the grain and elevator business in Columbus; and Cora, who died at the 
age of one year. 

After his marriage IMr. Herr located upon a farm on section 4. Hamil- 
ton township, and there carried' on agricultural pursuits for twenty-four years, 
devoting his energies' to the cultivation of the fields and to dealing in horses. 
In 1890 he located upon his present farm and erected a fine brick residence at 
a cost of thirty-five hundred dollars. It is the best in the township, and the 
other improvements upon the place are in keeping with the home. In 1897 
he engaged in the grain business in Groveport, in partnership with Albert 
and Ray Herr. They have elevators at Groveport, Reese's and Columbus, and 
their operations in this line are quite extensive. They purchase and ship grain 
on a large scale and are meeting with excellent success in this undertaking. 
Mr. Herr also continues the cultivation of his farm of four hundred and 
forty acres, lying partly in Hamilton and partly in Aladison townships. 

In 1895, after a long and happy married life of thirty years, Mrs. Herr 
was called to her final rest, her loss being deeply mourned by her family and 
friends. In his political views Mr. Herr is a Republican on questions of 
national importance, but at local elections votes independently, regarding 
merely the fitness of the candidate for the discharge of the duties connected 
with the business afl:'airs of town and county. His own diligence and careful 
management have brought to him creditable success and he is now accounted 
one of the substantial citizens of the. community. 

WILLIAAI BULEN. 

William Bulen, deceased, was for many years prominently identified 
Avith the agricultural interests of Franklin county, and was one of the most 
highly esteemed citizens of Truro township. His early home was on the 
other side of the Atlantic, for he was born in England May 2, 182 1, and was 
eleven years of age on the emigration of his family to Canada. Five years' 
later they came to this county, taking up their residence in Truro township, 
w^here the father, William E. Bulen. purchased one hundred acres of land, 
but he was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, however, as he died 
shortly after locating there. The first hrme of the family in this county 
was built of logs. 

Our subject aided in the arduous task of clearing and improving the 
farm. His early ieducation, which was rather limited, was all acquired in 





MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM BULEH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 809 

the schools of England and Canada prior to the removal of the family to Ohio. 
In takmg his father's farm he was compelled to pay the other heirs more than 
the property was worth, but he continued its operation for ten years, and then 
purchased the farm on which his widow now resides. He was enterprismg 
and persevering, and his well-directed efforts were at length crowned with, 
success, so that at his death he left an estate of five hundred and forty-eight 
a^res of valuable and productive land, all improved in the best possible manner. 

On the 30th of March, 1847, Mr. Bulen wedded Miss Mary A. Thomp- 
son, a daughter of McKee Thompson, one of the early settlers of Franklin 
couiJty, who came here from Kentucky when very young. Here Mrs. Bulen 
received a common-school education, beginning her studies' in a primitive 
log school house with its slab seats and other rude furniture. Of the live 
children born to our subject and his wife only two are now living: James 
McKee, the older, is now a resident of Bozeman, Montana ; wdiile Granville 
Moody' is a prominent farmer of Harrison township, this county, where he 
owns and operates a farm of three hundred and forty acres. 

In his political views' Mr. Bulen was a Republican. He served as judge 
of elections, and for the long period of forty years most capably filled the 
office of school director, having always taken an active interest in educational 
affairs'. He was a lifelong member and liberal supporter of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, with which his widow has also been connected for sixty 
yearsi. After a long and useful life of seventy-seven years, he passed away 
March 10, 1899. He was a man of the highest respectability, and those 
who were most intimately associated with him speak in unqualified terms oi 
his sterling integrity, his honor in business, and his fidelity to all the duties' 
of public and private life. Mrs. Bulen is an estimable lady of many sterling 
qualities, and has a large circle of friends in the community where she resides. 

JOHN W. HOWARD. 

The descendants of New England pioneers in Ohio are among the best 
citizens of the state. The Yankee contingent of that band of pioneers who 
redeemed Franklin county from the wilderness and made it "to bloom like the 
rose" had a worthy representative in Eleazar Howard, father of John W. 
Howard, of Norwich township. Eleazar Howard was a son of Abner Howard, 
a native of Tarlton township, W^indham county, Connecticut, a soldier of the 
Revolution, who died in the Nutmeg state. Eleazar Howard was born in 
Windham county, Connecticut, in the latter part of the eighteenth century and 
married Matilda Wood, and not long after his marriage he and two of his 
brothers set out for the west. When they had arrived in the state of New 
York his brothers refused to go further, and one of them returned to Con- 
necticut and the other remained in eastern New York and died there. Eleazar 
went to Monroe county, in the western part of New York, and acquired four 
hundred acres of land there. Returning to Connecticut, he brought his family 
to his big woodland farm in the Genesee valley, where they had a home for 



8 10 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

many years'. Later he came to Norwich township, FrankHn county, Ohio, and 
there bought a large tract of land on which he settled. In the spring of 1851 
he removed to lllinoi'S with his wife and youngest son, where he and h.is wife 
both died. A man of much force of character, he was original in thought 
and speech and independent in action, and in politics he was not a partisan 
but held himself aloof from party afifiliation, free to vote as he thought best 
and he withdrew eventually from the Baptist church, of which he had early 
become a member, and his life thereafter was' guided alone by the golden rule. 
His children were named as follows in the order of their birth : Edwin, who 
died in Monroe county, New York; George, who died in the same county, 
near Rochester; Orson, who died in Empire township, McLean county, Illi- 
nois; John W., who is the immediate subject of this sketch; Joseph, who 
died in Gates, Monroe county, New York; and Hartw^U Carver, a resident 
of Champaign City, Illinois. 

John W. Howard was' born in the town of Henrietta, Monroe county. 
New York, April 22, 1824. and attended school near his father's home in a 
log school house with 'slab benches, and early acquired a somewhat remarkable 
record in mathematics, for which he seemed to have a natural talent. May 
20, 1843, he started with his father's family for Norwich township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, where they arrived June 8, following, and during their eighteen- 
day s journey he drove cattle, provender for which and the other stock belong- 
ing to his father they brought along by wagon. The wild farm in Franklin 
county was' covered with black walnut trees, which would to-day be worth 
more than the land upon which they grew, but which they w^ere glad to get 
rid of as best they could. Mr. Howard asisisted his father as long as the latter 
remained in Ohio and at the age of twenty-six married and began housekeep- 
ing in an old log house which stood on the homestead. Not liking Ohio, the 
elder Howard with his wife and youngest son removed to Illinois, leaving 
the homestead to his boys who remained, but it was under an incumbrance of 
seven thousand! dollars which it was necessary for them to clear off in order 
to make good their title to the property. In the division of the land John 
W. Howard received one hundred and fifty acres. Later he bought the farm 
of one hundred and ninety-four acres on which he now lives and since that 
time he has become possessed of several fine farms, including one at Arling- 
ton, near Columbus, for which he paid seventeen thousand dollars. He 
became known as one of the largest land-owners in the county^ and before 
he gave farms to his children owned nearly six hundred acres. 

Mr. Howard's' success in life has been won on strictly legitimite and hon- 
orable business principles. Always energetic and industrious, he for many 
years took the lead in all work on his farm and became known for his ability 
in cradling wheat and cutting corn, and at such work he had few equals and 
no superior. He is one of the prominent Masons of his township and is. a 
stanch Republican, and filled the office of township trustee with much ability 
for four years. He was marri-ed, in Norwich township, in 1850, to Mary 
Rogers, who died after having borne him children as follows : Martin, who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 8ii 

lives in Empire township, McLean county, Illinois; Emma, who married 
Charles' Walcott, of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio; Edward T., 
who lives on his father's home farm ; Inez, who is Mrs. Harry Walcott ; and 
Nettie, who married Walton C. Lakin. 

FREDERICK FERDINAND WING. 

From that thrifty and progressive German stock which has been so bene- 
ficial to our American citizenship came Frederick Ferdinand Wing, a promi- 
nent citizen of Franklin county, Ohio, who is kown as a prosperous livery- 
man and harnessmaker, of Dublin, Washington township. 

Joseph Wing, grandfather of Frederick Ferdinand \Ving, was born in 
Germany and came to the United States and located at Buzzards' Bay, Mas- 
sachusetts, w^bere he took up one thousand, three hundred acres of land, and 
it is on a' portion of this land that ex-President Cleveland has his summer 
home. He married and by his death left thirteen children, some of whom 
died without issue, thus leaving one liundred and twenty-five acres of the home 
farm land to each of those w^ho remained. Jesse Wing, son of Joseph \Mng 
and father of the subject of this' sketch, was born on the old family home- 
stead, at Buzzards' Bay, Massachusetts, received a good education and learned 
the shoemaker's trade. He married Celinda T. Sprague, who was born in 
Delaware, Ohio, in 1812, and was visiting relatives at Buzzards' Bay when she 
met Mr. Wing, and they became attached to each other. Miss Sprague was* 
a daughter of Pardon Sprague. a native of Ireland, who came to the United 
States when a young man and was married in Massachusetts. He was a pio- 
neer at Delaware, Ohio, where he built a hotel. After the death of his first 
wife he married a Miss Meeker, and they remained in Massachusietts until 
September, 1838, two children having been born to them meantime, and then 
came to Columbus, Ohio, all the way by canal-boat, and from Columbus' 
they came direct to Dublin, where Mr. Wing opened a shoe shop on the site 
of the present building of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, 
in which he employed skilled workmen and built up a business by which he 
prospered until 1857, when he removed to Worthington, where he died Jan- 
uary 2, 1859. After his death his' widow returned, to Dublin, where she 
died October 10, 1875. She was a m'ember of the Christian church and a 
woman of many virtues. Mr. Wing was a free-soiler and a Whig, and was 
not only a lover of liberty but a lover of justice and a citizen of much worth 
and influence. Their children w-ere as follows: Pardon Jesse, who died in 
Dublin at the age of fifty-five; Elnathan Disbro, of Columbus, was accidentally 
killed March 30, 1901. by being run over by a team; Sophia, who died at 
the age of sixteen years; Frederick Ferdinand, who is the immediate subject 
of this sketch ; Gerrard, who served in tlie Civil war three years as a mem- 
ber of Company H. One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, was wounded in the hand at Resaca. Georgia, and died years after- 
ward at Dublin ; John Quincy Adams, of Dublin, who married Emily Shepp, 



8 12 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of Burlington, Iowa; Albert Chapman, who went to Burlington, Iowa, and 
thence to Kansas, where he married and whence, after two children had been 
born to him, he set out with his family, carrying their portable property by 
means of two mule teams, for Washington Territory, dying of mountain 
fever en route, leaving a widow and three children, one an infant, which soon 
died; Mary, who married Thomas Simmons and died at Plain City, Ohio; 
Tamson, who married jMatthew Batchelder and lives at Burlington, Iowa; 
Rose, who died in infancy; and Clara, who is' Mrs. Frank Bannon, of Colum- 
bus, Ohio. 

Frederick Ferdinand Wing was born December i, 1838, at Dublin, Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, where he received a limited education at such times as he 
could be spared from home, he having begun work at the age of seven. When 
be was fourteen years old he hired out as a farm hand in his neighborhood 
at a salary of only seven dollars a month. His wages went to his' father 
except what was necessary for his clothing. At the age of sixteen he bought 
a horse and wagon on credit, paying for them out of the profits of huckstering. 
He moved at this time to Worthington with his father's family, and then he 
engaged in hauling ashes for William Parks, with whom he remained during 
the winter. He then hired out to his uncle, Frederick Wing, of Worthing- 
ton, as a farm hand. He became utterly discouraged by the circumstances 
of his life and one day, in the corn-field, tied the team with which he was 
working to a fence and went home and declared to his father that he would 
never w-ork again by the month for any man and intended to devote him- 
self to huckstering again. His father pointed out the facts that he was too 
young for such business' and had no horse or wagon or other capital. The 
boy said that he could get money with which to begin business and his father 
told him that if he could do so he had no objection to his trying the business 
again. The lad was the owner of two pigs, which he promptly sold for ten 
dollars. He bought a horse on credit and hired a wagon at a daily rental of 
twenty-five cents. His first week's business was successful enough to double 
his original capital of ten dollars and he soon sold his horse and bought 
another one, for which he agreed to pay fifty-five dollars, and a wagon and 
harness, which increased his total indebtedness to ninety-five dollars, which 
he was able to pay off from the proceeds of his enterprise in six weeks. His 
father having now been stricken with what proved to be a fatal illness, the 
boy gave up huckstering and managed his shop until the following spring, 
when he bought a horse, for which he was to pay one hundred dollars, and 
mortgaged it and the horse he had previously bought to secure the indebtedness 
thus incurred. He raised a crop of corn that season on the river bottoms 
near Worthington, but his mare died, which left him unable to pay his mort- 
gage; but the youth borrowed five dollars from each one of nine different 
men, making a total of forty-five dollars, and paid the balance due on the 
mortgage. He kept the shop open through the succeeding winter, during 
which he added harness-making and repairing to shoe-making and repair- 
ing with such success that he continued in the business about a year. After 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 8 1 3 

that he worked for two years at harness-making and shoemaking for Joseph 
Tozer, of Worthington. At the 'end of that time he was still in debt to the 
amount of two hundred and fifty dollars on notes which he had given for 
obligations incurred by his father, but nothing daunted he opened a harness 
shop, to which he adcled a 'shoe shop in the following year, 1863, which he 
bought of Hiram Judson. He has continued the business from that time 
to this with good success. When he began he had no money with which to 
buy leather for use in his work, and during the first season he repaired har- 
nesses with parts of older harnesses and with such 'stray pieces of' leather as 
he could pick up. He bought a lot and built his present brick block in 1879, 
and has occupied it since December, that year. Since 1871 he has done a 
successful livery business in connection with his manufacturing enterprise. 

From his childhood Mr. Wing has been a constant attendant at church 
and Sunday-school services. In i860 he and Mrs. Wing became communicants 
of the Episcopalian church. When they moved to Dublin, in 1868, they united 
with the Christian church of that place, in which he has since held several 
offices, notably that of trustee, of which he was the incumbent for some years, 
and of which Mrs.. Wing was a member until her death, which occurred 
October 10, 1870. Mr. Wing was married, April i, i860, to Miss Amanda 
Boord, who was born at Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, July 17, 1842, a 
daughter of Thomas Boord, who was a native of Maryland. His' present 
wife, whom he married December 6, 1872, was Miss Amelia \\'ittich. born 
in Circleville, Ohio, March 31, 1843, ^ daughter of Frederick and Catherine 
(Herzog) Wittich. Mr. Wittich was a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, 
and Mrs. Wittich was of French birth. By his first marriage ]\Ir. Wing had 
children as follows : Charles Melville Wing married Dora Nicholson and is 
a merchant at Dublin, Ohio. Frank died at the age of two years ; Minnie at 
the age of three years ; and Florence in infancy. His children by his second 
wife were the following : Verna, who died in infancy ; Iva, who is a member 
of her parents' household ; Celinda, who married George Chapman ; and George 
W., who lives with his father. 

Mr. Wing has a creditable war record, having enlisted at Dublin, Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, May 2, 1864, as a private in Company E, One Hundred and 
Thirty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served faith- 
fully one hundred days, receiving honorable discharge at Columbus, Ohio, 
September 15, 1864. During his term of service he was stationed at Fort 
Powhattan, Virginia, and June 16, 1864, was' in a warm engagement at a 
point between Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia. His company commander 
was Captain Hegner and his regimental commander was Colonel Innis. He 
keeps alive the associations of war times by membership in Cicero Davis Post, 
No. 514, Grand Army of the Republic, at Dublin, and is a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, identified with both lodge and encamp- 
ment. 

Politically he is. a stanch Republican and tlie confidence in which he is 
held by his fellow citizens is indicated by the fact that he has by repeated 



8 14 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

election been a member of the town council of Dublin for seven years. A 
man of much public spirit he has always given his support to such measures 
as he has deemed promising of good for his township, county and state. 
Well informed concerning national affairs and enthusiastic for the success 
of Republicanism, he is am active and efficient worker in local politics. 

JEREMIAH COSGRAY. 

Among the prominent agriculturists of Washington township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, is Jeremiah Cosgray, the subject of this sketch. He was born 
on August 20, 1853, near Waynesburg, Greene county, Pennsylvania. The 
grandfather of Mr. Cosgray was named James Cosgray, who in infancy was 
brought to America from Ireland by his parents, who located in Greene county, 
Pennsylvania, where he was reared and learned the trade of shoemaker and 
also followed farming. After the death of his first wife he came to Ohio 
and about 1868 removed to Washington township, Franklin county. 

The father of our subject was named Jeremiah Cosgray and was born 
in Greene county, Pennsylvania, February 2, 1820, and grew up on the home 
farm, receiving a common-school education. On August 19, 1841, he was 
united in marriage to Miss Susan Kiger, who was born August 13, 1824, near 
Newtown, Pennsylvania, a daughter of John Kiger, of German descent. In 
the fall of 1865 the father of our subject came to Ohio and located on a farm 
in Jerome township, in Union county, this place being now owned by James 
Sweeney. Later he moved to what is now the William Graham farm in 
Washington township, and thence to the Charles Mitchell place in this town- 
ship. At that time he decid'ed to invest, and bought fifty acres now owned by 
his son Moses, his death occurring May 12, 1897. While residing in Penn- 
sylvania both parents of our subject connected themselves with the Baptist 
church, but after coming to Ohio they attended the Christian church. In 
politics he was a Democrat and well and favorably known throughout the 
township. 

The children born to the parents of our subject were : Mrs. Maria Lati- 
mer, deceased, who resided in Delaware county, Ohio; Benjamin, who died 
in Washington township; Sarah Ann, who married Martin Myers and lives 
in this township; Moses, who married Janet Postle and also lives in this town- 
ship; Burbidge, who married Malissa Artz and lives in Pulaski county. Indi- 
ana; Jeremiah, who is our subject; Mary Jane, who married Cyrus Fresh- 
water and lives in Union county ; Rebecca, who is married to Simpson Norris 
and resides in Norwich township; Peter, who married Mary Allen, lives in 
Pulaski county, Indiana ; and John, who married Temperance James and 
resides in Idaho, Ohio. 

Until he was' ten years old our subject lived with his parents in Penn- 
sylvania and attended school there, accompanying them when they came to 
Ohio, and continued at school until he was eighteen. He was accustomed' to 
life on a farm and when he married and' began to face life for himself and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 815 

wife he was prepared by this training to expect success. On November 12, 
1874, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Graham, a daughter of Will- 
iam- Graham, and they located in Jackson township, Union county, upon a 
tract of forty-two acres which Mr. Cosgray purchased' in 1875. After four 
years here our subject sold this place and tried renting land, taking the Mitchell 
farm in Washington township for three years, later the Frank Davis farm, 
in Perry township, for about ten years, finally locating on his present place, 
consisting of seventy-two and one-half acres. This place Mr. Cosgray has 
improved by erecting excellent buildings and planting orchards until it is 
one of the most attractive and valuable in the townshij). 

In May, 1892, Mr. Cosgray suffered the loss of his wife. She had been 
a devoted member of the Methodist church and was a good woman, who was 
esteemed by many friends. She left the following family : Oliver, who mar- 
ried Lucy Chapman and resides in Washington township; Amina; Jessie, 
who married Earl Boyer and lives in Trenton, Missouri ; Adelbert, who died 
an infant; Eugene; William, who also lives in Trenton, Missouri; Benjamin; 
and Mary, who died when four years old. 

Our subject is a stanch Democrat, active in the ranks of his party. He 
attends the -services of the Methodist church and socially is connected with 
the Red Men. The family is much respected in the neighborhood where their 
name has been known so long. 

JACOB MECARTNEY. 

Jacob Mecartney, a prominent farmer of Hamilton township, residing on 
section 23, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, four milesi south of 
the city of Lancaster, on the 29th of March. 1826, and is the fourth child 
and second son of John and Maria (Machman) Mecartney. The father was 
also born in the Keystone state, was of Scotch descent and died in his native 
county. By trade he was a cabinetmaker and carpenter and he also followed 
farming. His early political snpport was given the Whig party, and he after- 
ward joined the ranks' of the Republican party. For many years he served 
as county auditor of Lancaster county, and he was a prominent and influential 
citizen, widely known as the "Dutch lawyer" of his county. He was an excel- 
lent scribe and wrote many wills. Of the Mennonite church he was a mem- 
ber, and died in that faith at the age of seventy-seven. His wife, who was 
also a native of Pennsylvania, passed away when about sixty years of age. 
Of their family of three sons and three daughters, all reached adult age and 
three are now living, namely: Amos, a resident of California; Maria, wife 
of David Huber, of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania ; and Jacob. 

The last named was reared and educated in the county of his nativity, 
and attended the common district schools. Li 185 1 he went to Illinois', where 
he engaged in herding cattle through the summer. In the fall he returned 
to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, but the following year came to Franklin 
county, Ohio, where, in connection with C. S. Herr, he operated the Samuel 



8i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Johnson farm in Hamilton township for two years, his eldest sister acting as 
their housekeeper during that time. Mr. Mecartney subsequently purchased 
sixty-nine acres of land on the Chillicothe road in Hamilton township of 
Frank Johnson, and cultivated his land until the following autumn in con- 
nection with sixty-five acres which he rented. He then sold his land to Mr. 
Lindsay, and purchased the farm upon wdiich he now resides. There were 
few improvements upon the place and he lived in a little log cabin until that 
primiti\-e home was' replaced by a frame residence. Subsequently he erected 
his present large brick house at a cost of three thousand dollars. There are over 
one hundred thousand brick in the house, all of which he burned himself. His 
home is modern in its appointments and equipments, and is. one of the desirable 
residences of the county. He has upon the place a mammoth barn, fifty by 
eighty-nine feet, which cost him two thousand dollars, he furnishing the tim- 
ber, wdiich was upon the farm. His place comprises one hundred and forty- 
four and a half acres, the greater part of which is under a high state of culti- 
vation, the well-tilled fields yielding to him a good return. In 1895 his home 
was burned to the ground, but though he suffered a great loss' thereby he 
immediately replaced it with his present fine residence. 

In West Virginia, in 1875, Mr. Mecartney was united in marriage to 
Miss Jemima V. McCloch, a native of that state, and they became parents 
of five children: Alice L., wife of Grant Swindle, of Madison township, 
by whom she has tw^o sons', Arthur and Paul; Mary A., athome; Frank, an 
attorney at Columbus; Alexander C, who married Emma Dumont. and 
resides on the home farm ; and Fannie, who died in infancy. Mr. Mecartney 
is a Prohibitionist in his political views, and also favors some of the prin- 
ciples of the Republican party. He at one time served as road supervisor, 
but has never been an office seeker. He has long taken an active part in 
the work of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he has been a member 
for a half-century, and is now^ serving as trustee and steward. 



CONRAD BORN. 

The firm of Born & Company, of Columbus', Ohio, is one of the best in 
the city, having at its head thoroughly competent men. who understand all 
of its details and who are capable of meeting any emergency that may arise. 
The proprietors are Conrad, C. Christian and C. Edward Born, the business 
having been started in 1859 by Conrad Born. Their brewery is at No. 565- 
579 South Front street. 

Conrad Born, the subject of this review, is tlie senior memlier of the 
above named company, and was' born in the city of Columbus in September, 
1844. He is the son of Conrad and ]\Iary Ann (Rickley) Born, the former 
of whom was a native of Germany, where he spent his youth, coming to the 
United States when a young man. He married the sister of Samuel S. 
Rickley, an old citizen and the president of the Capital Citv Bank of Colum- 




COHRAD BORH, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 8 ^ 7 

bus. Mrs. Born died in 1878, when sixty-one years of age, having been 
born in Switzerland in 181 7. ,.^11 

Conrad Born was educated in the public schools' of Columbus, pas'snig 
through the high school course, and then went to Cincinnati, St. Louis and 
Chicago, where he entered a brewery, there gaining the practical knowledge 
needed in his future business career. But in 1864 he returned to assist his 
fathar soon afterward becoming a member of the firm, C. Born & Son. i his 
enterprise was started in a small way, soon growing to such proportions that 
additional buildings were required, new machinery had to be bought and 
additions w.ere made, until at the present time the plant has become one of 
the laro-est establishments in the state, with a capacity of one hundred_ thou- 
sand barrels annually. The firm enjoys a large local trade besides shipping 
•large quantities of its products' into the states of Pennsylvania and Indiana 
also to various parts of Ohio. The business requires the labor of one hundred 
and twenty men and eighty horses. In 1894 new bottling works were erected 
sixty-two and a half by one hundred and eighty-seven feet, of substantia 
brick and the building is supplied with highly improved machinery and a 1 
the modern improvements' used in this business. A side track connects with 
the various railroads, thus affording superior facilities for shipping. 

In 1869 Mr. Born married Miss Lena Moarlein, who is a daughter of 
Christian Moarlein, a well known brewer of Cincinnati. Their union has 
been blessed with one son, C. Christian, who is a member of the hrm. i he 
third member of the firm, C. Edward, is a nephew of Conrad Born and one 
of the substantial business men of Columbus. _ 

Politically Mr. Born is a stanch Democrat, but is not an ofhce-seeker 
Socially he is a very prominent Mason, having attained the thirty-second 
deo-ree.' He is a director of the Ohio National Bank, is popular and is held 
inliigh esteem- by not only his intimate acquaintances but also by his busi- 
ness' associates. 

JAMES P. KALB. 

James P. Kalb, who devotes his time and energies to agricultural inter- 
ests in Madison township, Franklin county, was' born on the farm where he 
yet resides, his natal day being March 16, 1846. His paternal great-grand- 
father was George Kalb, who was born in the state of Maryland and became 
the founder of the family in Ohio, where he located at a very early day. Here 
he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government secur- 
ino- a tract which now forms a part of the old family homestead at Chillicothe 
Ohio It was then covered with a natural growth of forest trees which stood 
in their primeval strength, and there in the midst of the woods he began the 
improvement of a farm, his first home being a rude log cabin, consisting of 
only one room. He was among the honored pioneers of Franklin county who 
aided in paving the wav for the civilization of the future residents. 

John Kalb, the grandfather of our subject, was born in the state of 



8 1 « CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Maryland and during his boyhood accompanied his parents on their removal 
to Ohio where he was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life. He was 
a pump manufacturer and shoemaker and also engaged in the manufacture of 
cider, following those various pursuits in order to provide for his family. His 
first barn was built of hewn logs and was' considered the best of the kind in 
the county at that time. He married Miss Mary Kieffer, also a native of 
Maryland, and unto them were born eight children, namely : Elisha John 
George, Jeremiah, Isaac, Anna, Mary and Susan. The father of this'family 
continued to carry on business in Franklin countv until his death, and was 
then laid to rest on the old family homestead. 

Isaac Kalb, the father of our subject, was born in Madison township 
on the 17th of July, 1817, and acquired his education in the old-time loo^ 
school houses common at that time. He received only about two months"' 
schooling in each year and during the remainder of the time he assisted his 
lather in clearing and improving the home farm. On' the 9th of February 
1843, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Brown, who was born in 
Fairfield county, Ohio, June 9, 1823. They became the parents of four chil- 
dren, two sons and two daughters, the eldest being James P., of this review 
Mary E. IS the wife of John Beggs, a resident farmer of Putnam countv Ohio, 
and theyhave six children. Theodore D. married Laura Alice Needles and 
he, too, IS engaged in farming. Anna Belle is the wife of John Leidv a 
farmer of Madison township and they have two children. 

James P Kalb, whose name introduces this record, acquired his educa- 
tion m the district schools of Madison township and during the -ummer 
months worked in the fields and meadows, being thus employed until he was 
twenty-one years of age, when he began farming on his own account. The 
fol owing year he was married to Miss Delilah Miller, a daughter of John 
Miller a farmer who resided in Truro township, Franklin county. His wife 
bore the maiden name of Maria Kile and she was born in Madison town- 
ship on the nth of December, 1817. Mr. and Mrs. Miller became the par- 
ents of four sons and three daughters, namelv: William, Milton Oliver 
Clarissa, Serena, Rachel and Mrs. Kalb. Unto our subject and his wife 
have been born seven children, but two of the number died in infancv. Mamie 
the eldest living, married Clinton A. Stevenson, a farmer of Madison town- 
ship, and they are the parents of four sons and one daughter. Howard Blain 
James' Kalb, Clinton W.. Theodore Dewey and Lois May. Katie the wife 
of Edwin Fickle, of Madison township: and Roxie P., Laura Belle and Theo- 
dore W. are all under the parental roof. The farm upon which he and his 
family reside is a part of the old homestead, but since coming into possession 
of the property he has added one hundred and forty-nine acres, located near 
J^rice, Uhio. His entire life has been given to agricultural pursuits and he is' 
thoroughly conversant with the various and best methods of farmino- For 
twenty years he has been a prominent and faithful member of the M?thodist 
Episcopal church, in which he has served as trustee and cla^ss'-leader He 
nas been' school director since he attained his twenty-second year has been 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 819 

a member of the school board for eighteen years and the cause of education 
finds in him a warm friend who does much to advance its interests. He was 
also elected to fill the office o'f chattel assessor of Winchester precinct. Madi- 
son township, for two terms, and was elected land appraiser of Madison town- 
ship for the year 1900. In politics he is a Republican where matters of 
national importance are involved, but at local elections where there is no issue 
before the people he does not consider himself bound by party ties. He is 
a member of the Grange Lodge, No. 194, and was elected its first master. 
As a citizen he is public-spirited and progressive and is well known for his 
sterling worth and fidelity to duty. 

JOSEPH KRUMM. 

Among the representative and highly respected citizens of Truro town- 
ship is Joseph Krumm, a native of Franklin county, whose birth occurred in 
Mifiiin township March 11, 1839. His father, Martin Krumm, was born in 
Wurtemburg, Germany, and on coming to the new world took up his resi- 
dence in Franklin county, Ohio, about 1818. His first purchase consisted 
of forty acres of land in Mifflin township, to which he subsequently added a 
tract of fifty acres, and to the improvement and cultivation of that farm he 
devoted his time and attention for half a century. He was about eighty years 
of age at the time of his death. 

Joseph Krumm aided his father in the farm work until he attained his 
majority, and then rented the farm and operated it on his own account for one 
year. During the following four years he worked for his brother-in^-law, 
Henry Gesick. In the meantime the Civil war had broken out, and^ in 1864 
he enlisted at Columbus in Company F, One Hundred' and Thirty-third Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, which was first ordered to Parkersburg and later to New 
Creek, Virginia. The regiment next went to Washington, D. C. and from there 
proceeded down the Potomac river to City Point, 1>eing' under the command 
of Generals. Grant and Butler. They participated in the engagement between 
Petersburg and Richmond, and were then ordered to Fort Powhattan. While 
there Mr. Krumm was taken ill and sent to Fortress ]\Ionroe, where he was 
confined in the hospital for a time. 

On receiving an honorable discharge he returned to his home in this 
county, and entered the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company 
to oversee the making of ties and other timbers' for railroad use, having charge 
of onie hundred' men, and remaining with the railroad company two years. 
It was during this time that Mr. Krumm married Miss Minerva Woodrufif, 
a native of Franklin county, and a daughter of Brace Woodruff". They made 
their home in a little cabin while he was with the railroad company. On 
leaving the employ of that corporation Mr. Krumm operated two rented farms. 
one of which belonged' to H. M. Carper, the other to Robert Trimble. Sub- 
sequently he bought Mr. Carper's farm, paying for the same fourteen thou- 
sand dollars, and after owning it eight years sold the same to Joseph Bern- 



820 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 



hardt for twenty-one thousand dollars. He next purchased the H. C. Taylor 
farm in Truro township, which he now occupies. It contains one hundred 
acres, all of which is under excellent cultivation, and in its operation he is 
meetmg- with well deserved success. .Mr. and Mrs. Krumm have had eleven 
children, eight of whom are now living : Noble, Myrta, Robert, Lulu, Blanche 
Lyda, Emma and Bessie. Those deceased were William, Joseph and Rolley.' 
By his ballot Mr. Krumm supports the men and measures of the Repub- 
hcan party, and for twenty years he most creditably filled the office of school 
director, resigning the position at the end of that time. For thirty years' he 
has been an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has o-iven 
freely to its support. In his social relations he is a member of the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic, having 
been connected with the latter order for fifteen years. Having started out in 
life for himself with no capital and only about three months' schooling Mr 
Krumm deserves great credit for the success that he has achieved. He has 
ever made the most of his opportunities, and his success is due entirely to his' 
own well-directed efforts. In the operation of his farm and sawmills he 
•has employed as many as fifty men, and his life illustrates' what can be accom- 
plished through industry, perseverance, good management and a determina- 
tion to succeed. 

WILLIAM M. SWOXGER. 

Among the w^ell known and enterprising representatives of farmino- inter- 
ests m Franklin county is numbered William M. Swonger, who resides in 
Truro township. He is a native of Franklin county, Pennsylvania and that 
among his friends are many who have known him from boyhood is an indica- 
tion that his career has been an upright and honorable one. His father John 
Swonger, was' born m Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in 1809, and 'was a 
farmer by occupation. In the year 1852 he came to Franklin county, Ohio, 
locating m Truro township, on Big Walnut creek, where he rented the Taylor 
farm 1 here he remained for five years and then removed to the Geore'e 
Needles farm, where he spent five years. On the expiration of that periSd 
he took up his abode on the John Dysart farm, where he continued to make 
his home for two years. Removing to the town of Reynoldsburg Ohio he 
went from there to a farm on Big Walnut creek, where he spent his remainin? 
days,_ passing away in 1861. He married Margaret Mclntyre who was 
born m Franklm county, Pennsylvania, about 1828, and they became the par- 
ents of nine children, four sons and five daughters, one of whom dded in infancv • 
Ehzabeth, who is the wife of Henry Lyda, resides at Brice Ohio- Maro-aret' 
wifeof Wilham Lyda, is living in Madison township; Henry wedded^Iiss 
Jennie White and is a farmer near Brice; Samuel married Katie Long and 
makes his' home in Columbus, Ohio; Jane is the wife of William Bernard - 
resident of Fairfield county, Ohio; William is the subject of this review Eva 
Ann is the wife of William Moore, a resident of Jefiferson township- Caroline 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 821 

is the deceased wife of James Looker; and Katie is the wife of Edward Pugh, 
a resident of Union county. On both the paternal and maternal sides Will- 
iam Swonger is of German lineage. His' paternal grandfather was born in 
Germany, which was also the birthplace of Elizabeth Mclntyre, the maternal 
grandmother, who came to Franklin county about the year 1856, and here 
died at the very advanced age of ninety-six years. 

William Swonger, whose name introduces this record, accjuired his early 
education in the district schools of Franklin county, whither he came when a 
little lad of seven summers. He remained on the home farm until the death 
of his father, which occurred when he was about seventeen years of age. He 
then worked for his brother-in-law, William Lyda, in whose employ he 
remained for five years, after which he began farming on his own account. 
He has made it his life work and his progressive methods and well directed 
efforts have secured to him creditable success. 

Mr. Swonger was' united in marriage to Aliss Mary Ann ]^Iedford, who 
was born in Licking county, Ohio, September 10, 1845, ^ daughter of Aaron 
and Matsy Ann (Miller) Medford. Her father was a prominent farmer of 
Licking county and a son of Charles and Ruth (Kyle) Medford. The 
mother of Mrs. Swonger was also a native of Licking county, and by her mar- 
riage she had three children, namely: Mary Ann, now Mrs. Swonger; Amos, 
who married Laura Wright, of Madison township, Franklin county, and is 
now deceased ; and John, who wedded Sallie Shuman, of Franklin county, and 
is now living in Union county, Ohio. The father, Aaron Medford, was killed 
by the falling of a tree in northern Indiana while on his' way with his family 
to Minnesota. After his death, however, the family returned' to Licking 
county, where the mother resided four or five years, when she moved to Madi- 
son township ; later she moved to Truro township, wdiere she died. The 
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Swonger has been blessed with four children, two 
sons and two daughters. John W\ is still at home with his parents. Frank 
E. married Minnie Southard, a daughter of Converse Southard, and they 
reside on the homestead farm. He served as a soldier in the Spanish war, 
enlisting in Battery H of the First Regiment of Ohio Light Artillery, and 
when the war w^as ended he received an honorable discharge. Ida Ellen is 
the wife of H. G. Taylor, a teacher by occupation, living in Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma. They have two children, Ruth and Harry Glenford. Alice M., 
the youngest of the family, is the w4fe of Frank M. McClure, of Brice, Ohio, 
and they have four children, Dorothy, Byron, Guy and' a baby girl unnamed. 

At the time of the Civil war William Swonger, of this' review, manifested 
his loyalty to the government by enlisting in his country's service, although 
he was only sixteen years of age. His father, however, objected to his going 
to the front when so young and accordingly he w^as discharged. He has, 
however, throughout the succeeding years been faithful and true to every duty 
of citizenship. For two years, from 1888 until 1890, he Avas land appraiser 
and was chattel assessor for eight years. He votes with the Democracy on 
questions of national importance, believing firmly in the principles of the party, 



822 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

but at local elections he casts' his ballot for the man whom, he considers best 
qualified for office without regard to political affiliations. For twenty-five 
years he has been a member of the Masonic fraternity, holding membership 
with the lodge in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. His life has been quietly passed, but 
has been characterized by fidelity to duty in every relation, and wherever he 
is known he is held in high esteem for his sterling characteristics. 

LEWIS SCHLEPPI. 

Lewis Schleppi, who was connected with agricultural interests of Frank- 
lin county for many years, was born in Bavaria, Germany, May 15, 1835, and 
died on the 13th of January, 1898. His father, Jacob Henry Schleppi. was 
also born in Germany and was a farmer by occupation. His wife, Eva Mary 
Schleppi, was a native of Germany^ and they became the parents of eight chil- 
dren, six of whom are now deceased. They were named as follows : Andrew, 
Daniel, Jacob Henry, Charles, Christian, Lewis, Charlotte and Caroline. Of 
this number, Jacob Henry married Barbara Seibert, and they became the 
parents of ten children. Charlotte is the wife of Jacob Hussing and has three 
children, two sons and a daughter. Caroline married Daniel Ludwig. who 
was a farmer of Bavaria, Germany, where he died. His widow is still living 
in that country and ha5> four children. 

Lewis Schleppi spent the first nineteen years of his life in the land of 
his birth and then crossed the Atlantic to the new world in 1854. He made 
his way direct to Columbus, Franklin county, Ohio, and for a time was 
employed by the day at any occupation he could secure. Later he conducted, 
with his brother Jacob, a rented farm near Columbus; which they operated for 
a short time, after which our subject removed to Madison township, renting 
another farm. When his brother Jacob purchased a farm Mr. Schleppi, of 
this review, rented it and resided thereon for a year. 

On the 15th of November, i860, he chose as a companion and helpmeet 
on life's journey Miss Elizabeth Boeshausz, a native of Columbus, Ohio, born 
September 13, 1844, a daughter of William Boeshausz, a native of Germany, 
born July 20, 1809, and his' death occurred July 15, 1883. His wife, Magda- 
lene Ell, w^as born in Germany November 29, 18 19, and by her marriage she 
became the mother of ten children, namely: Margaret; Elizabeth; William, 
deceased; Jacob; Peter; Louise; Mary; Louis, deceased; Phillipina; and John. 
The eldest is the wife of John Neiberlein, a resident of Columbus, and they 
were the parents of eleven children : William wedded Barbara Eich, who 
was born in Germany, and they have three children. Jacob married Sarah 
Harris, by w^hom he has six children, four of whom are living, and the home 
of the family is now Columbus. Peter married Barbara Ruffing, who was' 
born in Columbus, and they have three children. Louise is the wife of Peter 
Zimmer, a farmer of Madison township, and they have three daughters and 
one son. Mary is the wnfe of John Neverlein, an agriculturist of Madison 
township, by whom she has three sons and two daughters'. Phillipina wedded 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 823 

Milton Hepner, a school teacher living near Columbus, Ohio, and they are 
the parents of six children, three sons and three daughters. John married 
Nettie Woods, of Columbus, Ohio, and two sons and two daughters con- 
stitute their family. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Schleppi were born eight children, of whom four are 
now living, namely: Magdalene, Daniel. Christian and Caroline. Of those 
who passied away, William, Clara and Amanda died in infancy, and Edward 
departed this life at the age of twenty years. The eldest child, Magdalene. 
is the wife of Fred Karch, a farmer of Marion township, and they became the 
parents of five daughters and two sons, namely: Alma, Ella, Leroy, Effie. 
Raymond, Bertha and Hilda Elizabeth. Daniel, the second living member 
of the family, married Dora Runk. and lives in Madison township with his 
wife and children, two sons and two daughters: Earl, Edith. Celestia and 
Carl. Christian, who is living on the homestead farm, married Rose Wag- 
ner, who was born in Wurtemberg. Germany, and they have one child. Edward 
Floyd. Caroline, the youngest of the family, is living with her mother. 

Mr. Schleppi, whose name introduces this review, served for three years' 
as school director. He was a member of the German Lutheran church of 
Columbus, took an active part in its work, contributed liberally to its sup- 
port and lived an earnest Christian life. The farm which he owned he cleared 
from the timber, erected thereon the buildings and made all of the improve- 
ments, so that the place is a monument to his' enterprise, capable management 
and labor. He died very suddenly of heart disease January 13, 1898. but he 
left his family not only a comfortable competence but also that untarnished 
name which is rather to be chosen than great riches. He had the warm 
regard of many friends and was recognized as one of the valued citizens of 
the community. His widow still lives on the home farm. She has three 
times visited Germany, having crossed the Atlantic in 1889. 1895 and 1898 
to visit her own and her husband's relatives. She is an estimable wornan, 
possessing many excellencies of character, and her worth is widely recognized 
by those with whom she has been brought in contact. 

ORA L. LAMP. 

Ora L. Lamp, who follows farming in Truro township, was born in 
Truro township, Franklin county, on the 28th of May, 1879. His father. 
Nimrod Lamp, was a native of Licking county. Ohio, and about 1863 removed 
to Truro township. His first purchase of land comprised a tract of one hun- 
dred acres, to which he afterward added sixty acres. His early education 
was somewhat limited and he started in life without capital, but his energy and 
determination enabled him to become the possessor of an excellent farm. At 
the time he purchased his land it was all covered with foresrt; trees, but soon 
they fell before the sturdy strokes of the woodman's ax. and as he cleared 
and improved his farm the well tilled fields yielded to him a good return for 
the care and labor he bestowed upon them. He wedded Mary Jane Dust- 



824 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

heimer, a native of Licking county, Ohio, and unto them were born five chil- 
dren : James A.; WiHiam S. ; Mary and Alice, who died in infancy; and Ora 
L. The eldest son wedded Mary A. Enlow, of Truro township, and William 
S. married Minnie K. Roberts, of Mifflin township. 

Mr. Lamp, whose name introduces this record, is indebted to the district 
schools of Truro township for the educational privileges which he enjoyed, 
his attendance at school being alternated with labor upon the home farm dur- 
ing the summer months. He also continued his education in the Reynolds- 
burg high school, where he was a student for six years. After putting aside 
his text books he began farming on his own account at the place where he now 
resides. He is one of the enterprising and progressive agriculturists of the 
community, and, though a young man, holds an enviable position among the 
substantial farmers. He has a valuable tract oi land of one hundred and 
twelve acres, all of which is under cultivation. 

Mr. Lamp was united in marriage to Miss Edna ]\L Powell, who was 
born in Mifflin township, the wedding being celebrated' on the 5th of Septem- 
ber, 1900. Her father, Louis Powell, is a prominent farmer living in jMifflin 
township, where he was born on the 12th of January, 1852. He is a son of 
Samuel Powell, a native of Yorkshire, England, who came to Franklin county 
when about twenty years of age. He first located in Licking county, Ohio, 
and afterward removed to Mifflin township, where he lived until his death. 
His son, Louis Powell, after arriving at years of maturity wedded Clara 
Keim, who was born in Ohio, her parents having come from Pennsylvania 
to this state at an early day. She died in Indiana, leaving no children. For 
his second wife Mr. Powell married Emma Achey. They took up their abode 
in Mifflin township, where Mrs. Powell has spent her entire life. By her 
marriage she has become the mother of three children : Edna M., now the 
wife of Mr. Lamp; Louis C. and Gladys, who are with their parents. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lamp have a pleasant home and their circle O'f friends is 
extensive in Franklin county, where they have spent their entire lives. Mr 
Lamp is a Democrat in his political affiliations iruquestions of state and national 
importance, but at local elections where no issue is involved he votes for the 
man, regardless of party affiliations. He contributes liberally to the sup- 
port of churches, and withholds his aid from no measure or movement cal- 
culated to prove of benefit to the community along substantial lines of progress. 

ADAM G. GRANT. 

It is the enterprise and character of the citizens that enrich and ennoble 
the commonwealth. From individual enterprise has sprung all the splendor 
and importance of this great west. The greatest merchants have developed 
from the humblest origins. From clerkships have emerged men who have 
built great busines's enterprises. America is a self-made country, and those 
who have created it are self-made men. No influence of birth or fortune 
has favored the architects of her glory. Among those who have achieved 




A. G. GRAHT, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 825 

prominence as men of marked ability and substantial worth in Grove City 
the subject of this sketch, /\dam G. Grant, occupies a prominent position. 
He is one of the most enterprising- citizens of the county and the owner of 
the Grove City & Greenlawn Railroad, his' home being in Grove City. 

He was born in Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio, February 
25, 1840. He is a representative of one of the old and prominent New Eng- 
land families. His great-grandfather, Noah H. Grant, was' born in Connecti- 
cut and was one of a family of nine children, to one of whom General Grant 
traced his ancestry. Noah Grant went to Pittsburg-, Pennsylvania, and there 
spent one winter; but nothing else concerning his history is known by his 
descendants. The grandfather, Hugh Grant, was a native of Pittsburg, was 
reared in the Keystone state and became a miller by trade. He owned and 
operated a mill there and was also the owner of one hundred and eighty-seven 
acres of land, which is now in the heart of Pittsburg. He exchanged that 
property for four hundred acres east of Grove City, Ohio, and' in 1803 came 
to his new home, — the year in which the state was admitted to the Cnion. 
In the midst of the forest he took up his abode, being one of the first men 
to locate in the county. He was a great hunter, and after locating in Frank- 
lin county he in one day killed two panthers. The Indians were very numerous 
and one of their camps was located where Grove City now stands. The red 
men would come to the house of Mr. Grant and take what they wanted, when 
the grandfather of our subject was away; but they never carried anything 
off when he was near. In December, 1806, he was killed on what was known 
as the Samuel Landis farm. He had located a bee-tree and had climbed up 
to saw off the limb on which the bees had lighted, but the limb broke and he 
fell, the heavy limb striking his chest and killing him instantly. This was six 
months before the birth of his son Hugh, the father of our subject. 

Hugh Grant, our subject's father, was a native of Jackson township, 
born June 30, 1807, and there throughout his life he resided upon the same 
farm, being well known as a leading and influential agriculturist of the com- 
munity. His methods of farming were progressive and practical, and his 
fields always indicated the supervision of a careful and painstaking owner. 
In politics he was a Democrat, and he held various offices in his township. 
He was a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church and in its work took 
an active part, doing all in his power to promote its growth and u]3building. 
He died at the age of seventy-seven years, and in his death the community 
lost one of its most valued citizen!.-, for he was widely known and hiighly 
esteemed for his sterling worth. 

He was united in marriage to Miss Leah Diemer, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, who was born in 181 5. During her girlhood she came to Franklin 
county with her parents, Jacob and Eliza Diemer, who were of Pennsylvania 
German lineage. She was reared in Jackson township and died in the forty- 
fourth year of her age. By her marriage she became the mother of ten chil- 
dren : Eliza, who became the wife of Joseph Fagg and is now deceased : Marv. 
the wife of the late AMlliam Sibrav, of Grove Citv : Catherine, the wife of 

52 



826 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

R. Higgy, of Grove City; Elizabeth, the wicUnv of Rev. A. R. ]\Iiller, a resi- 
dent of Columbus, Ohicj; A. G., of this review; Sarah, the widuw of Samuel 
L. Ouinn, making her home in Columbus; Nancy IMatilda, the deceased wife 
of C. L. Webster, of Worthington; Emma, the wife of Aaron Neiswender, 
of Grove City; Robert D., a merchant of Grove City; and George H., who is 
a conductor on the Union Pacific Railroad, and for twenty years has made 
his home in Sacramento, California. 

Adam Grant, the fifth child and the eldest son of the first family above 
mentioned, was reared on the farm which his grandfather had purchased in 
1803, and in his youth attended the district school, walking two miles to the 
little log school house wherein he conned the lessons which formed the rather 
limited curriculum of the time. The school-room was furnished with slab 
seats, and a single pane of glass formed the window. Later he enjoyed the 
privileges afforded by the Grove City schools, and for one term w^as a student 
at Delaware; but in 1861 the Civil war was inaugurated and the excitement 
of the times was' such that he could not confine his attention to his books. 
He returned home and w^orked on the farm with his father, and in April, 1862, 
located in Sierra county, California, where he was a miner for two years. 
In 1864 he returned to Grove City, where he embarked in merchandising, 
which he carried on for about twenty-seven years, in connection w'ith other 
business interests. He is now engaged in farming, and for twenty-eight 
years he was engaged in the manufacture of brick in Grove City. For the 
past eighteen years he has been a meml^er of the firm of Cooke, Grant & 
Cooke, of Columbus, contractors, doing an extensive business, and for six- 
teen years he has been connected with the grain trade, owning an elevator at 
Grove City. Through two decades he w-as associated with ex-Sherifi: Barbee 
in stock-dealing, handling the greater part of the stock shipped from this 
part of the country, their operations extending also into Pickaway and Madi- 
son counties. In 1889 he laid out into town lots eighty acres, known as 
Grant's Beulah addition to Grove City, constituting at least one-half of the 
town. This has become its I'nost populous portion, the number of its' 
inhabitants increasing from two hundred and seventy-two in 1890 to eight 
hundred in the present year. Pie has erected in the town altogether about 
fifty buildings. 

On the 1st of May, 1898, he began the construction of the Grove City 
& Greenlaw'n Railroad, a line six miles in length, connecting this enterprising 
place with Ohio's' capital. He is the sole owner of the road, wdiich has proved 
a very great benefit to Grove City and the surrounding country, suoplying 
shipping and transportation facilities. The road has been in operation for 
three years, and not an accident or injury has occurred in connection wdth it 
in that time. 

IMr. Grant also owns real estate in Columbus, and his business interests' 
are very extensive and important. No man has contributed in a greater 
degree to the commercial activity and consequent prosperity of Jackson town- 
ship than Adam G. Grant : and no man stands higher in the estimation of his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 827 

fellow citizens than he. The great secret of Air. Grant's success is to be 
attributed not only to his tireless energy and labor, but also to his strictly 
honest and upright dealings. None of. his large fortune has been accumulated 
at the expense of others, but, on the contrary, many are largely indel)ted to 
him for their present prosperity, while the city in which he has accumulated 
his wealth, as in the past, will in the future 1)e benefited by his expenditures. 



JOHN M. KARNS. 

John M. Karns is a retired farmer living in Galloway. His has been 
a busy, active and useful. career, and now in his later life he well deserves 
the rest which he is enjoying, it being a merited compensation for the toil of 
former years. He is of Holland lineage, the Karns family having been 
founded in America by Jacob Karns, the great-grandfather of our subject, 
who crossed the Atlantic to the United States and took up his abode in Berkeley 
county, Virginia, his home being near Martinsburg. There he owned and 
operated a large plantation and also engaged in loaning money. His entire 
life was there passed after his arrival in the new world. Adam Karns, the 
grandfather of our subject, w^as a boy when he accompanied his parents to 
the United States. He became a planter and spent the residue of his days m 
the Old Dominion, where he married Aliss Alargaret Peggy, a native of 
Ireland. She, too, died in Virginia. Their children were William, who 
became a minister of the gospel and died in Illinois; Jacob: John; Benjamin; 
David; George; and a daughter who died in Virginia. All have now passed 
away. 

John Karns, the father of our subject, was born m Alartuisburg. \ ir- 
ginia, in 181 6. He was only six years of age at the time of the war of 181 2. 
His father started for the front and the little son followed him and vigorously 
protested against being sent back home. When about twenty years' of age 
he came to Columbus, Ohio, and learned the shoemaker's trade with John 
Greenwood, following that pursuit in the capital city, in Springfield. Ohio, and 
in Fort Finley. He married, in Columbus, Miss Annie Fountain, who was 
born in Maryland in 181 2, and was a daughter of William Fountain, whose 
Avife died in Maryland. The mother of our subject was fourteen years of 
age when she came to Ohio. After leaving Findlay Mr. Karns located on a 
farm in Hancock county, Ohio, near what is now the town of Gilboy, and 
there he ow^ned one hundred acres of land, giving in part "payment for thi^. 
his property in Findlay. His wife died on the farm in 185 1, after wliich 
the family became scattered, the father going to Columbus, where he died m 
1882. In his political views he was a Democrat, and in religious faith his 
wife was connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. In their family 
were the following children: John M., of this review; George, who is living 
in Norwich township; William, who died in Madison county, Ohio; Leonidas, 
of Rome, Ohio; Mary Ann; Sarah, wife of David Shoup, of Kansas; Airs. 



828 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Phoebe Leavick, deceased; Jacob, of Belle Center, Ohio; and Smith, of Frank- 
lin county. 

The subject of this review was born in Columbus October i6, 183 1, and 
was only two years old when his father removed to Springfield, where he 
began his education at the usual age. He afterward accompanied his parents 
to Findlay, Ohio, where he completed his' education at the age of nineteen. 
He then learned the carpenter's trade, but during the greater part of his life 
has followed farming. He worked for his father on the home farm in Han- 
cock county until after the death of his mother, when he went to Columbus 
and resumed work at the carpenter's trade. He was married in 1854 and 
then took up farming, renting a tract of land in Franklin county until 1861, 
when he purchased a farm of fifty-two acres, a mile and a half, south of Alton. 
There he located and gave his attention to the improvement and cultivation of 
the place until 1896. In that year his home was' destroyed by tire, and, being 
unable to actively engage in farming there, he next spent two years at Alton, 
and then purchased his present home in Callaway, where he has since resided. 

At the time of the Civil war Mr. Karns manifested his loyalty by enlist- 
ing at Camp Chase in 1865 as la private of Company G, One Hundred and 
Eighty-fifth Ohio Infantry, for one year or during the war. He served for 
seven months' and' then, hostilities having ended, he received an honorable dis- 
charge and returned to his home. At the time of his enlistment the regiment 
proceeded to Nashville, but on account of high water could proceed' only to 
Louisville, where the troops were assigned to guard duty. When the war 
was over Mr. Karns gladly returned to his home and family. He had been 
married, on the 19th of December, 1854, to Miss Millie Jane Clover, who 
was born in Prairie township December 14, 1837, a daughter of Joshua and 
Rachel (Roten) Clover. She was' reared to womanhood in Prairie town- 
ship and by her marriage she became the mother of seven children : Viola 
and Emma, wdio died in infancy; Ida Alice, wife of Gabriel Holsberry. of 
Alton; Irene, wife of Duke Story, of Pleasant township; John D., of Colum- 
bus, who married Louise Baum; Jennie, wife of William Reardon; and Emma 
May, at home. 

Since casting his first presidential vote for Buchanan Mr. Karns has been 
a stanch advocate of Democratic principles, never swerving from his' allegiance 
to the party, yet never seeking office as a reward for his support. His life 
has been an active and useful one and through the legitimate channels of 
business he has won a handsome competence which now enables him to live 
retired. Thus' in the enjoyment of a well-earned rest he is residing at his 
pleasant home in Galloway. 

EDWARD HOPPER. 

Edward Hopper, who is engaged in farming in Prairie township. Frank- 
lin county, traces his ancestry back to the Emerald Isle. His grandfather, 
Alexander Hopper, was a farmer in that country, living in the vicinity of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 829 

Cork. At an early day he l)runght his wife and children to the United States, 
landmg ni New York city, whence he made his way to Virginia, afterward 
coming to Ohio. Here he took up his abode at Franklinton and devoted his 
energies to the development and improvement of a tract of land. He was of 
medium build, but was very strong and was noted for his powers as a swim- 
mer, but eventually he was drowned in the Scioto river while ferrying across 
in a canoe above Franklinton, his boat being drawn over the falls'. He was 
then quite well advanced' in years. 

Edward Hopper, the father of our subject, was one of the earliest set- 
tlers' of Franklin county. He was only two years of age when brought bv his 
parents to America, and in Virginia he was reared, "in Hardy countv.'that 
state, he married Susan Neff. a native of the Old Dominion and a daughter 
of Jacob Neff, who was-born in the fatherland, whence he came to the United 
States in early manhood. He took up his abode in Virginia and was married 
there to Margaret Jones, an English lady. Both Mr. and Mrs. Neff spent 
their last years in Hardy county, Virginia, where the former died at the 
advanced age of ninety-five years. He was the owner of four hundred acres 
of land and' a large number of slaves. In his ninety-fifth year he planted 
and cared for a five-acre field of com. retaining his vigor and 'Strength to a 
remarkable degree. 

About 1806 Edward Hopper came with his wife and two children to 
Franklin county, locating at Franklinton, where he purchased one hundred 
acres of land in what is now Prairie township. At that time he received no 
deed, but was given a title bond which proved his ownership until he paid for 
the property, for which he gave five dollars per acre. Coming to the farm 
upon which our subject now resides, he made a clearing and "bought a log 
cabin. After a year spent in a home in Franklinton he removed his family 
to what is now the old Hopper homestead, but the Indians were so numerous 
that they had to return to Franklinton, where they remained through the suc- 
ceeding year. _ On the expiration of that "period they once more settled on the 
farm in Prairie township, living in true pioneer style. Mrs. Hopper had to 
grind her corn for meal in a coffee mill. At times the land was covered 
with water and people throughout this section of the state suffered greatly 
from milk sickness. The father died of that disease in November, 1822, at 
the age of thirty-three years; leaving a family to carrv on the farm work 
which he had begun. Two and a half years after his death the mother was 
again married, becoming the wife of Henry Slv. Bv her first marriage she 
had the following children: Mary, who became the wife of Thomas Vvilcox 
and died in Norwich township in June, 1853; John, who died at Palestine, 
Ohio, while visiting relatives there: Alexander, who died in Alton, Ohio: 
Margaret, now ^Irs. Samuel Fleming, of Franklin countv: Solomon, who died 
m St. Louis: Elizabeth, who died in childhood: and Edward. The children 
of the 'Second marriage were Henry C, Amanda and Jacob, the last named 
now deceased. Their mother is deceased. 



830 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Edward Hopper, one of the honored pioneers of the county, was born on 
the old homestead farm June 23, 1822. His educational privileges were lim- 
ited to those afforded by the schools of the times in a frontier district. His 
teacher was David Kennard. He became quite a good penman and was also 
very proficient in arithmetic. He pursued' his studies mostly through the 
winter season and also read and studied at home in his leisure hours. At one 
time he was a student under Lorenzo Taylor, a teacher from Massachusetts. 
Mr. Hopper aided his stepfather in clearing and dieveloping the farm, 
remaining at home until fourteen years of age, when he accepted a 
clerkship in a store in Alton owned by hie, brother. He occupied that posi- 
tion for five years and sold as high as eighty dollars worth of goods in a 
single day. He afterward learned shoe-making at Alton in his brother's shop 
under a man who had been employed to conduct the shoe-making department 
of the business. After his marriage he turned his attention to farming, 
locating on his present farm of fifty acres. He had inherited sixteen and 
two-thirds acres of his father's estate, but the remainder has been purchased 
by him with money acquired through his own efforts. He continued to 
engage in agricultural pursuits until 1892, when he retired from business 
life, now living in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. 

On the 22d of August, 1843, ^^^- Hopper was united in marriage to 
Miss Rebecca Keller, a daughter of Ezekiel and Elizabeth (\A^right) Keller, 
who came from Virginia to Franklinton on horseback. Her father was one 
of the strongest men in the county. On one occasion he and a Mr. Scott 
became engaged in an altercation, and Mr. Scott made for him with an ax, 
but when he got near enough Mr. Keller struck him and he dropped like a 
log, people thinking that he was' killed. ]\Irs. Hopper died February 19, 
1854. The children of that marriage were: Hiram, who was born July 3, 
1844, and died in 1847; Mary Elizabeth, who was born March 3, 1846, married 
Clarence Case and died in 18 — ; John A., a farmer of Madison county, who 
w:!S born December 9, 1849, ^^^' married Jemimah Reardon; Jacob, who was 
born June 9, 1854, and died November 28, 1881. On the 25th of Novem- 
ber, 1854, Mr. Hopper was again married, his second union being with Nancy 
L \Viley, who was born in Perry township. Franklin county April 9. 1834, 
a daughter of Levi and Elizabeth (Lugg) Wiley. 

In his political affiliations Air. Hopper is a stanch Democrat. He cast 
his first vote for Taylor and twice supported Abraham Lincoln, but has- 
usually given his ballot to the Democratic candidates. He served for nine 
years and six months as treasurer of Prairie township, filling the office with 
ability and to the satisfaction of all concerned. He was also trustee for one 
term. He has ever been well known for his' kindness, his hospitality, his 
charity, and is a popular and highly esteemed citizen. Numbered among the 
honored pioneers of the county, he has experienced all the hardships and trials 
of pioneer life as well as enjoying the recreations common in early days. He 
lived in the county when few improvements had been made and has seen 
as many as twelve teams stuck in tlie mud near Alton. It would require 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 831 

many hours to extricate them, but the people of the community would lend 
their assistance until the task was accomplished. Mr. Hopper has ever given 
an active support and co-operation to movements calculated to prove of benefit 
to the community, and is now one of the valued citizens of Franklin county. 

LOUIS GLASS. 

One of the old and respected citizens of Prairie township J\lr. Glass has 
long been numbered among the representative men of Franklin county, and 
in this volume he well deserves representation. He is of German lineage, and 
his grandfather, who was a farmer by occupation, died' in Rhineberger, Ger- 
many. Louis Glass, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in that place 
and also gave his time and attention to agricultural pursuits. He pursued his 
education in the schools of his native land, continuing his studies between the 
ages of six and fourteen years, in accordance with the laws' of his country. 
He married Wilhelmina Everly, also a native of Rhineberger, and in 1848 
they bade adieu to friends and native land, sailing from Bremen to the L^nited 
States. They were thirty-two days upon the voyage and then landed at New 
York, whence they came direct to Ohio, locating in Columbus. The father 
died in the capital city in 1849, o^ cholera, and his wife passed away about 
the same time, her death being occasioned by that dread disease. They were 
consistent members of the Lutheran church. They had seven children, namely : 
Charles, who died of cholera in 1849; Louis; Jacob, who died in Georgesville, 
Franklin county; Caroline, deceased wife of Joseph Bush; Katy, deceased wife 
of Frederick ]\Iichel ; Elizabeth, wife of John Kizer, of Columbus ; and ]Mina, 
wife of Louis Stohler, of Columbus. 

Louis Glass, now a well known resident of Prairie township, was born in 
Germany February 4, 1820, and there attended the public schools' until four- 
teen years of age. At that time he was confirmed in the Lutheran church. 
He was reared' as a farmer boy and escaped service in the German army bv 
drawing a high number at the time the allotments for military service were 
made. He accompanied his parents on their emigration to the new world and 
was married, in Columbus, in 1855, ^^ Miss Sophia Durpin, who was born in 
Germany in 1830. and was a daughter of Jacob and Susan (Stuse) Durpin. 
Mrs. Glass came to the United States in 1852 with her parents, the family 
taking passage on a sailing vessel which weighed anchor at Havre. France, 
and reached the New York harbor thirty-six days later. They, too. became 
residents of Columbus, where they made their home for a time and fhen 
removed to a farm near Hilliard, where the parents both died. Their chil- 
dren are: Mrs'. Glass; Barbara; Sarah; Caroline, of Columbus; Jacob, 
deceased ; Christian, of Prairie township ; and John, who is living in Marion 
county, Iowa. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Glass have been born four children : Fred- 
erick, whose home is in Madison county; John and Christian, who are under 
the parental roof; and Elizabeth, wife of Charles Michel, of Prairie township. 

For some time after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Glass resided in Colum- 



832 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus, where he was employed for a time in a tool factory and afterward engaged 
in the manufacture of brooms with a partner, but that venture proved unprofit- 
able and he lost all that he had saved. He then rented his father-in-law's 
farm near Hilliard for a period of four years and continued to operate rented 
land through the succeeding decade. Within that time his industry and econ- 
omy had brought to him some capital, and in 1869 he invested this in a iarm 
of tw^enty acres in Prairie township. He has since added to this another tract 
of twenty acres, so that he now owns a good property of forty acres, one-half 
of which has been cleared and is under a high state of cultivation. Industry 
has been one of the marked features in his career, and it is this which has 
enabled him to work his way upward, for without capital or influential friends 
he started out in life for himself. In his political views he is a Democrat 
and in religious affiliations is a Lutheran. 

ELE W. TULLER. 

It is the busy man that leads the forward movement of progress and 
whose activities' stimulate trade, feed the flames of commerce, drive the shafts 
of industry, give impetus to the strides of agriculture, promote the schemes 
of finance and lend encouragement and hope to the struggles of men. It is 
the man of business who creates and maintains public confidence and starts 
and perpetuates' the spirit of development, which, in reality, is the real great- 
ness of a community. He is the axis around which everything else seems 
to rotate, the magnet producing a common center toward which all things 
w^ithin its sphere seem to trend. He is the acme of strength and influence 
and nothing thrives and prospers wdthout his moral and material encourage- 
ment. Such are the men who make history, furnish object lessons and inspira- 
tion to the youth, and of such it is the provirtce of this volume to speak. 

The grandfather of our subject, Bela M. Tuller, was born June 19, 
1773, i'"^ Connecticut, and on the 15th of November, 1794. was united in 
marriage to Miss Lydia Holcomb, w-hose birth occurred in the Charter Oak 
state June 19, 1776. With their five children they emigrated westward to 
Ohio, making the journey in wagons. They located just west of Worthington 
in the midst of a wilderness', which was infested by Indians, and all kinds 
of wild game could be obtained. Their home was a log cabin and for a num- 
ber of years they kept an inn, entertaining many officers who w^ere in that 
part of the country. In 1812 General Harrison's army was on its way from 
Franklinton to Sandusky and the Tullers^ sold him butter, cheese, eggs and 
provisions. The grandparents of our subject suft'ered many hardships and 
privations in those early days. The squirrels were so numerous that they 
would destroy the crops, and many other difficulties met the sturdy pioneers 
who had come to the west to found homes in the wilderness. In early pioneer 
times the grandfather, in connection with the operation of his farm, also con- 
ducted a small distillery. He continued the cultivation of his land until his 
death, which occurred on the old homestead. He was a man of strong force 




E. W. TULLER AHD SARAH E. TULLER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 833 

of character, of marked industry, and as the residt of his untiring labor he 
became a wealthy man. His wife died in Tiffin, Seneca county, Ohio, ^larch 
27, 1848, and her remains were brought back to Worthington and buried in 
St. John's cemetery. Five of their children were born in Connecticut, the 
others after the removal of the family to Ohio. 

Flavel Tuller, their eldest child, was born December 7, 1795. and in 
partnership with his brother Homer conducted a general mercantile estab- 
lishment and real-estate business and also operated a distillery near Worth- 
ington. He married Miss Lucinda Holcomb. Homer, the second son, was 
born April 13, 1797, and married Miss' Eliza Kilbourne, a cousin of Colonel 
Kilbourne. The marriage occurred July 21, 1836, and Homer Tuller died 
in Worthington July 27, 1866. Flora, born March 24, 1800, became the 
wife of Zoker T. Moore, of Wooster, Ohio. Her husband conducted a gen- 
eral merchandising store and one of her sons, Treadwell Moore, was grad- 
uated at West Point prior to the Civil war and served as lieutenant when the 
country became involved in the war of the Rebellion. His' sister became 
the wife of Rufus Brewster, who went to California in 1849. He there 
became very wealthy and died in Marysville, Ohio. Elvira, the first of the 
family, was"^ born December 4, 1803, and died in March, 1806. Lydia, born 
August 30, 1804, was married, July 13, 1828, to James E. Woodbridge. 
They located in Mount Vernon, where her husband conducted a general store 
and there both died, Mrs. Woodbridge passing away March 26, 1875. Achilles, 
born May 31, 1812, was married, October 18, 1853, to Miss Laura A. Morse, 
of Akron, Ohio. They located in Tiffin, Ohio, where he engaged in the 
brokerage business. Elvira, the second of the name, was born May 13, 181 8, 
and was married April i, 1839, to Reason W. Shawhan. They located in 
Tiffin, Ohio, where the husband carried on business as a general merchant, 
pork-packer and grain buyer. Her death occurred there May 20, 1880. 
Aurelius, born September 5. 181 5, died in childhood.. 

Holcomb Tuller, the father of our subject, was' born December 25, 1809, 
in Connecticut, near the town of Simsbury. During his boyhood he accom- 
panied his parents on their removal to Ohio, and for a few weeks he pur- 
sued his education in the log school house, but his privileges in that direction 
were extremely meager. He learned to write after his marriage. His serv- 
ices were needed on the home farm and he aided in the arduous task of clear- 
ing the land. On the 22d of October, 1835. he married Miss Jane Wood- 
ruff. Her parents were about to start from Worthington for Peoria, Illi- 
nois. Mr. Tuller had become acquainted with the daughter of the household, 
and the morning after they left town for the west he went to say good-bye 
to his sweetheart. The family were encamped on the bank of the Olentangy 
river and in a little private conversation the young lady said to her lover, 
"Vi you ever intend to marry, do so now; if you don't. Ell go west and never 
expect to see you again." Mr. Tuller at once proceeded to Columbus', where 
he secured a license'and they were married. The bride remained behind, while 
her parents with their family proceeded to Illinois. ]\Ir. Tuller took his young 



834 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

wife to the old home farm, which he rented of his mother. On the expira- 
tion of the year they removed to Dul^Hn, in 1836, making their home in what 
is now the L of the Sells Hotel. A year was there passed, after wdiich they 
returned to the old homestead and continued its cultivation for another twelve 
months. Once more they located in Dublin, where Mr. Tuller gave his atten- 
tion to merchandising on a site now occupied by the store owned by the sub- 
ject of this sketch. At that time be could not write,, and every Sunday he 
would go to the home of his brother Flavel in Worthington and would give 
him a list of credits which the brother would then put on paper. He carried 
a stock of general merchandise and did a good busines-, supplying the needs 
of the country and town trade. 

On the 23d of January, 1855. Holcomb Tuller was called to mourn the 
loss of his wife, who was on that date called to her final rest. He was again 
married, December 23, 1856, his second union being with Mrs. Mary Sells, 
a widow, who was born March 20, 1830. He continued his mercantile pur- 
.suits, carrying on 'business in a building which had been used on Sundays 
as a Presbyterian church, wdiile school was held in the basement. He pur- 
chased the building from the Presbyterians and erected an addition, after 
which he removed his stock to the new location. ]\Iany of the old residents 
remember the "good old sole leather" which he kept in his' basement, where 
they gathered to slake their thirst. In this store Mr. Tuller remained for a 
number of years. In the meantime his old store had burned, and when he 
built on that site he removed into the new structure, carrying on business 
there until 1861. He then disposed of his mercantile interests and took up 
his abode at the home now owned by his son, John Tuller. There he 
resided for several years', engaged in no business save the management of his 
investments. Subsequently he returned to his farm in Perry township, living 
in the little farm house that stood on the place. He afterward purchaised 
thirty-seven and a half acres on the river from William B. Hayes, and resided 
there until his death, wdiich was occasioned by apoplexy, April 26, 1868. 

Holcomb Tuller was always an energetic and industrious man, accurate 
and reliable in business. The first bill of goodS: which he sold on credit went 
to James Jimison, who was cruelly murdered in Perry towns'hip by three 
unknown men. His carefully conducted business affairs brought to him suc- 
cess'. He took quite an interest in public affairsi and gave his political sup- 
port first to the Whig and afterward to the Republican party. For several 
terms he served as township treasurer. During the Civil war he loyally 
defended the Union and' raised much money to hire and send men to the 
front. He never held membership in any church, but regularly attended 
service. His second wife died September 7, 1872. The children of his first 
marriage are as follows: Ele W., of this review; Elvira was born October 
7, 1838, and was married, February 7, 1861, to Henry Baldwin, at which 
time they located on a farm in Norwich township, where they have since 
resided. John T., of Dublin, was born April 4, 1842, and was married, Sep- 
tember 18, 1864, to Caroline Shipman. Viola was born February 20, 1846, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 835 

and died Alay 31, 1849. Holcomb was born April 22, 1848, and died August 
15, 1849. Woodruff was born November 24, 1852, and was married, Jan- 
uary 23, 1878, to jMiss Lucy Chapman, their home being now in Columbus. 
Lillie was born April 16, 1850, and died July 26, 1866; and Jane was born 
January 18, 1855, and died on the 31st of August of that year. There were 
four children by the second marriage: Hartwell, of Columbus, born April 
29, 1858; Flora, who was born December 9, 1859, and died September 8, 
1878; Ida May, who w-as born June 20, 1864, and is the wife of William 
Williams; and Herrick Holcomb, who was born March 20, 1866. 

On the maternal side Mr. Tuller, of this review, is a representative of an 
old American family. His mother was born March 3, 181 5, in Worthing- 
ton, Franklin county, which indicates that the Woodruffs were pioneers of 
this locality. Her father was Samuel W;oodruff, who was born April 12, 
1789, was a grandson of Samuel \\'oodruff, Sr., who married Miss Elizabeth 
Norton on the 24th of January, 1754. His death occurred April 10, 1777, 
and his wnfe passed away October 22, 1798. Their children w^ere as follows: 
Lot, born November 24, 1754; Mark, born November 19, 1756; Rachel, born 
May 29, 1759; Elizabeth, born ]\Iay 27, 1761; and Darius, born August 7, 
1765. Of this family Mark died in the Continental army when aiding in 
the cause of independence, his death occurring at Skeensborough, August 31, 
1776, when he wa'si twenty years of age. Lot, the eldest child, was mar- 
ried, March 9, 1780, to Miss Martha Hart, who was then twenty-one years 
of age. Their children were: Sarepta, born June 29, 1781 ; Dollv, liorn 
November 28, 1782; Samuel, the grandfather of our subject, was born April 
12, 1789; Mark, born November 23, 1792; and Asahel, born August 21, 1798. 
The father of this family passed away April 26, 1810. 

Samuel Woodruff, the grandfather of Mr. Tuller, was married, October 
10, 1808, Clementine Woodruff becoming his wife. With his family, except 
the mother of our subject, he removed to Illinois, locating in Peoria, where 
he followed the cooper's trade. His wife died there and his death occurred 
in that city September 17, 1838. The following is the record of their family: 
George, their eldest child, was born July 13, 1809, was married, October 
17, 1841, to ]\Iiss Elizabeth Schlotman and died in Peoria. He had two chil- 
dren : Mary Clementine, born July 19. 1842; John Henry, born January 
4, 1845; Aseneth, born April 6, 1812, and died April 13. 1814; Jane, wdio was 
born March 3, 1815, and became the mother of Mr. Tuller; Lot Nelson, born 
May 16, 1818, and died in Peoria, Illinois; Marinda, who was born March 
20, 1820; Ambrose Hart, born June 9, 1823; Richard, born November 20, 
1825, married Miss Sarah Davis and died at Plain City, Ohio; Celestia. wdio 
w^as born September 8, 183 1; and Emilv, the voungest, who was born Jan- 
uary 9. 1833. 

\\t now take up the history of Hon. File Woodbridge Tuller. whose 
name introduces this record. He was born on the old family homestead, 
near Worthington, Perry towns'hip, Franklin county, September 27, 1836, 
and when he was two years of age his parents located permanently in Dublin. 



836 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Here he grew to manhood amid pleasant surroundings and evironments, hav- 
ing a good home in which culture and refinement were marked characteristics. 
At the usual age of six years he entered the schools of Dublin, his first teacher 
being William Lusk, an Irishman, who compiled the first almanac in Ohio. 
He was kind' and considerate and school life therefore made a favorable 
impression upon Mr. Tuller. He continued his education under the direction 
of John Carson in the same school. After school hours and during the 
periods of vacation he worked in his father's store, being thus employed until 
about sixteen years' of age, when his father sent Jiim to Antioch College. He 
remained for only a week, however, for he became homesick and returned 
to the parental roof. At the age of nineteen he matriculated in Heidelberg 
College, at Tiffin, Ohio, but after three months was called home to attend his 
mother's funeral. She died very suddenly and little did the ycung man think 
Avhen he told her good-bye as he started for college that it was the last time 
that he would ever see her alive. 

In 1859 ]\Ir. Tuller received a diploma from Granger's, Commercial Col- 
lege, of Columbus. He then began the study of law under the direction of 
James E. Wright, of Dublin, being admitted to the bar in 1861. On the 
5th of February of the following year he married Miss Sarah E. Evritt, the 
wedding ceremony being performed by Rev. Archibald Fleming, the Methodist 
Episcopal minister, while Francis Riley and Amos S. Brelsford were wit- 
nesses. Mrs. Tuller was born in Perry township, Franklin county, February 
10, 1840, upon her father's farm. She is a daughter of Zephaniah Evritt, 
who w^as born in June, 1805, in Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandfather, 
Samuel Evritt, was' a native of Germany and when a small boy accompanied 
his parents on their emigration to America, the family locating in New York, 
where he was reared. He there married Miss Sarah Wilcox and for a time 
resided in Tonawanda, New York, later removing to Pennsylvania and thence 
to Ohio. He settled on a farm near Franklinton, where his wdfe died. He 
was a shoemaker by trade and ow^ned a kit with which he traveled from place 
to place, mending and making shoes. He was also a lover of fine horses and 
usually owned several good specimens of the noble steed. After the death 
of his wife the family became scattered and he died at the home of his sen 
Zephaniah, about 1848, having survived his wife for thirty-six years. Their 
children were: Thomas, who died near St. Joseph, Missouri; Jane; who 
became the wife of Samuel Mickey and died in Missouri ; Aaron, who mar- 
ried Elsie Miller and died on a farm in Perry township, this comity ; Zephaniah, 
the father of Mrs'. Tuller, died June 14, 1872; Elisha, who died in Missouri; 
Mary, who became the wife of Henry \\'illis and died in Missouri ; Mercy, 
who became the wife of Jesse Miller and also died in Missouri. The father 
of this family was a second time married and the children of the second 
union were: Charity, wife of Robert Marshall, of Plain City, Ohio; Avis, 
who married and moved to Missouri; and Ann, deceased. 

Zephaniah Evritt was' a small boy when his parents came to the Buckeye 
state, and was only seven years of age at the time of his mother's death. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 837 

He then went to live with Griffith Thomas, of Perry township, with whom 
he remained until fourteen years of age, having very limited educational priv- 
ileges, for there was no school house in his neighborhood and he had to walk 
miles through the dense woods to the nearest school. His mother taught 
him some of the principles of arithmetic and experience and observation in 
later years added to his knowledge. On leaving Mr. Thomas he entered 
the employ of Air. Comstock, on the W'orthington road, and also worked for 
Colonel Medbury. Subsequently he became guard at the Ohio penitentiary, 
remaining in that position until after the Mexican war. He was married^ 
J^ily 3.' 1836, at Smiley 's Corners, in the tavern kept by David Smiley, the 
father of the bride, Nancy Smiley, Smiley's Corners being six miles north of 
Columbus, on the Scioto river, and now owned by Mrs. Tuller. A few- 
years afterward Mr. Evritt purchased and located upon fifty-three acres of 
land on the Scioto river, in Perry township, and to this place he added until 
he was the owner of three hundred and fifty acres of land, giving his atten- 
tion to farming pursuits until his death, which occurred June 14, 1872. His 
wife passed away September 11, 1858. In early life he gave his political sup- 
port to the Whig party. He filled several township offices, discharging his 
duties in a competent manner. Of the Christian church he was a faithful 
member. In the family were the following children : David S., who died at 
the age of seven years : Airs. Tuller ; Esther Evelyn, wife of James T. Aliller, 
of Perry township ; Eliza Jane, who became the wife of John E. Price and 
died on a train while en route from Rochester to her home in Columbus; 
Josephine Blanche, wife of Julius C. Richards, of Columbus; and Da^•id Henry' 
who married Belle Evans and is living in Columbus. The second of the 
family is Airs. Tuller. She attended the district schools and while in her 
thirteenth year entered the schools, of Dublin. She began her education in 
a log school house seated with slab benches, while the writing desk was formed 
of a board resting upon pins driven into the wall. The entire end of the 
building was occupied by the fireplace. She wore a linsey-woolsey dress, which 
was spun, woven and colored by her mother, and her first teacher was a Air. 
Benjamm. When she was fourteen years of age her parents sent her to the 
Esther Institute, at Columbus, of which Lewis Heyl was principal. She 
spent four years there and after completing her education remained at home 
until her marriage. Her mother died when she was seventeen years of ao-e. 
In 1 86 1 Air. Tuller had entered into partnership with Francis Rilev^in 
the grocery business at Dublin and conducted that enterprise for a year, when 
he sold out owing to the uncertainty of affairs during the Civil wa'r. At the 
time of his marriage his only possession was a house which had been given 
him in 1858 by his father, who had purchased it from James Brooks, paying 
one thousand dollar^;. In the spring of 1864 his father-in-law. Air. Evritf, 
said to Air. Tuller, "You are not doing anything, and if vou will come upon 
my farm I will furnish everything needed frr its operation, keep you, vour 
wife and child and give you half that you raise." Air. Tuller accepted' the 
proposition. He had never engaged in farming before and the arduous 



838 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

manual labor was a heavy strain upon his physical powers. He would return 
from the field at nig'ht sore and weary, but he had a wife and 'babj tu keep 
and was at a loss to know what to do to better his condition. He, however, 
worked on untiringly, hoping, like J\lr. Micawber, that something better 
would turn up, yet unlike Mr. Micawber, he did not remain in idleness whde 
waiting for a more fortunate condition of things. He found in his wife 
a most faithful helpmeet and assistant and though they entered upon their 
domestic life in limited circumstances they are now the possessors of a hand- 
some competence. Becoming disgusted with the work of the farm Mr. Tuller 
went to Columbus, wdiere he saw a friend, Eli F. Jennings, who was then an 
officer in the commissary department, and to him he applied for a position. 
Mr. Jennings said he would do what he could for him. Mr. Tuller then 
returned home and a month later, just as he was going into the corn field, 
his brother-in-law, David H. Evritt, brought him a letter from Mr. Jennings, 
telling our subject to meet him in Urbana, Ohio, if he wanted a position. 
Mr. Tuller was very glad to relinquish farming, which had not been profitable 
to him, and went to Urbana and thence to Nashville, Tennessee, as chief 
clerk in the commissary department. From Nashville he was ordered to 
Johnsonville, on the Tennessee river and there five hundred head of cattle 
and a company of drovers, together with a body-guard of soldiers, were placed 
in charge of Captain Jennings, who took them to Nashville, where they 
were turned over to the commissary department in that city. Captain Jen- 
nings and Mr. Tuller made two or three trips of this kind. On one occasion 
they took to Chattanooga, Tennessee, one thousand head of cattle, making 
the trip twice. -Afterward they were ordered to Tullahoma, Tennessee, and 
stationed there for about six months. During that time Mr. Tuller returned 
home on a twenty days' furlough, and on the expiration of that time again 
went to the scene of his duties, there remaining until the close of the w-ar, 
when he was discharged at Nashville in 1865. 

At the close of the war Mr. Tuller purchased fifty acres of land from 
William B. Hayes, the tract being located in Washington township. For this 
he paid fifty dollars per acre. He then entered into partnership with James' 
Brown, buying and shipping hogs to the New York markets. Subsequently 
he entered into partnership with his father and with Francis Riley in a gen- 
eral mercantile business at Dublin, this relation being maintained for a year, 
when ]\Ir. Riley withdrew. Mr. Tuller and his father, however, continued 
the enterprise until the death of the latter, in 1868, when the business 
passed into the hands of the administrator. In the fall of that year, how- 
ever, our subject purchased the stock of goods and has since carried on the 
business. He found it much more suited to his tastes and talents than farm- 
ing and has made an excellent living, his labors bringing to him creditable suc- 
cess. In the meantime, in association with j\Ir. Riley, he bought and sold 
real estate, and about 1890 formed a partnership with I. N. Hansbrough in 
the brokerage business, which they carried on for about ten years, when the 
relation between them was dissolved. Mr. Tuller is well known as a man of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 839 

resourceful business ability and has been connected with many enterprises 
which have contributed in a marked degree to the prosperity and activity of 
the town as well as his individual success. About 1892 he joined Ephraim 
Sells, James M. Loren, Daniel E. Sullivan and George Atkinson in the estab- 
lishment of the Fifth Avenue Bank of Columbus, Ohio. It was conducted for 
four or five years, but proved an unprofitable venture under its first manage- 
ment and after a time was reorganized into a stock company, wdiich also 
proved unprofitable. In 1885 Mr. Tuller purchased the stock of drugs in 
the same building in which his general mercantile store was located and car- 
ried on a drug business until 1898. For a time he was a stockholder in the 
Columbus, Shawnee & Hocking Railroad. In Washington and Perrv town- 
ships he owns over seven hundred acres of land, giving careful supervision 
to its cultivation and management. He also owns valuable real estate in 
Columbus, including a business building on North High street, between Long 
and Gay streets, and a block sixty feet front, between High and Third streets! 
He also has realty interests in Bowling Green, Ohio, in Findlay, Ohio, and 
at Devil's Lake, North Dakota, and at Portland, Indiana. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Tuller have been born four children : Charles Evritt, 
the eldest, born December 18, 1862, was married March 8, 1900, to Mary Lud- 
wig, of Circleville, Ohio, and resides on a farm in Perry township. Eber 
Theron, born October 9, 1864, w^as married, June 8, 1899, to Nellie B. Davis, 
and they have one child, — Ele W., Jr., born May 3, 1900; Nancy Jane born 
November 10, 1867, married Willis' Arthur Herdman, of ZanesVille, Ohio, 
June 10, 1 89 1, and they have two children, Sarah Amelia, born March 2% 
1892, and died August 9, 1893, and Willis Arthur, born October 3. 1896; 
and Sarah Lillian, born August 3, 1874, died November 23, 1883. 

Mr. Tuller has traveled quite extensively through the western and 
southern states and has gained that broad knowledge and culture which only 
travel can bring. Fraternally he is a member of the Evening Star Lodge, 
No. 104, I. O. O. F., of Dublin, New England Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., of 
Worthington. Also the Masonic chapter of Worthington, and is identified 
with Johanan Encampment, No. 57, of Dublin, and the Daughters of Rebekah, 
also of Dublin. His wife became a member of the Baptist church in 1857, 
but since 1868 has held membership in the Christian church. She also belongs 
to the Woman's Relief Corps, and Level Chapter, No. 109, of the Eastern 
Star. Air. Tuller cast his first presidential vote for Lincoln in i860, in Dub- 
lin, while in 1864 he voted for the martyred president, when in Nashville. 
Tennessee. He was first elected to the office'^in the spring of 1875. when he ^vas 
chosen justice of the peace, in which capacity he has since served, dischargino- 
his duty in a most exact and impartial manner, thus winning "golden opinions 
from all sorts of people." He was elected to represent his district in the state 
legislature in the fall of 1899, and was renominated for a second term to this 
position, and at present is a candidate for election in November of this year. 
For rnany years he has served as school director and the cause of education 
finds in him a warm friend. His hearty co-operation and aid have never been 



840 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Avithheld from any measure or movement which he beHeves would contribute 
to the pubHc good and he has long been recognized as an important factor 
in business, political and fraternal circles in Franklin county. In all his 
business dealings he is straightforward and commands the good will of all 
those with wdiom he is brought into contact. His prosperity is therefore 
w'ell deserved, as it comes in return for effort both honorable and consecutive. 

RUDOLPH PHENEGER. 

When a life is ended we can gain a clear and full conception of a full 
and round career. It is well then to take into consideration the salient features 
of the life and follow closely the characteristics that are worthy of emulation. 
There was in the career of Mr. Pheneger more that was commendable, for 
he was ever an upright man, a public-spirited and progressive citizen, and 
a faithful friend and neighboT. His birth occurred in Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania, September ii, 1810. He was there reared, obtained a limited 
education, his school course comprising less than three months. After he had 
attained his majority he was married, in his native county, to Miss Elizabeth 
Galbraith, who was born December 20, 1816. The following spring he started 
for Ohio in company with his wife. Their outfit consisted of a horse and 
"dandy" wagon and such household effects as' they could carry. 

Arriving in Franklin county, Mr. Pheneger purchased eighty acres of 
land belonging to the military tract of Perry township. He made a cash pay- 
ment of two hundred' dollars, borrowing four dollars of the amount. The 
tract was unimproved, but he erected a small log cabin and at once began to 
clear the land and place it under cultivation. He was a carpenter by trade 
and many of the early frame houses of this neighborhood were erected by 
him. As his financial resources increased he subsequently purchased other 
land from time to time until he was possessed of large acreage. A part of 
his realty he afterward sold, investing the capital in city property. He was 
a very successful man, wdio carried forward to completion whatever 
he undertook, brooking no obstacles that would yield before earnest and 
determined effort. Although his' early privileges were very meager he was 
studiously inclined, read extensively, and thus kept in touch wath the general 
interests and questions of the day. He held several offices of trust, being trus- 
tee and school director. He usually voted with the Democracy, although he 
was not strictly partisan. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs'. Pheneger were born eight children, six of whom 
reached mature years, namely: William Rudolph; John James; Henry 
Alonzo; Benjamin Harper, of Cleveland, Ohio; Newton Frantz; and Parker 
Willard. a practicing physician of Columbus. John, the second son, is now 
deceased, having been accidentally killed in California. The father of this 
family was called to his final rest March 4, 1886, at the age of seventy-five 
years, six month^ and twenty-one' days, while his' wife passed away March 
10, 1898, at the ripe old age of eighty-one years, seven months and eighteen 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 841 

days. Both were members of the German Reformed church, with which 
they became connected after locating in Ohio, remaining consistent members 
until death claimed them. Both were deeply interested in religions work and 
devoted much time and labor in promoting the cause of Christianity. Mr. 
Pheneger was a power for good in his community. He assisted in the material 
development of the county through his agricultural interests and at the same 
time gave an earnest support to all measures calculated to promote the general 
progress along social, intellectual and moral lines. 

Newton Frantz Pheneger, who was the seventh in order of birth of the 
"family, first opened his eyes' to the light of day on the nth of September. 
1856, on the old homestead where he now resides. He was reared upon the 
farm, which became his training school for business, his playground m youth 
and has been the scene of his mature efforts. He attended the district school 
of the neighborhood and also pursued a six-months course at the Worthing- 
ton Normal School. On the home farm he remained with his parents until 
they passed away, aiding his father in the cultivation of the land; 

In 1 88 1 Newton F. Pheneger was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
Easthen Walcutt, who died September 5. 1881, after which he again married^ 
his second union being with Ada L. Johnston, a daughter of William A. 
Johnston, one of the pioneers of the county. Mr. Pheneger now has four 
children, namely: Stanley J., Ethel E., Plarry J. and Howard K. 

Mr. Pheneger is interested in the dairy business in connection with gen- 
eral farming, his land comprising eighty-four acres and the tract is' well 
improved and highly cultivated. Upon the farm are found all modern con- 
veniences and accessories, and everything about the place denotes his faithful 
supervision. In his political views he votes with the Democracy, taking an 
active working interest in his party's welfare. 

HANSON N. MYERS. 

When the tocsin of war sounded in the middle of the nineteenth century 
and there were four years of bloodshed Hanson N. Myers responded to the 
call of his country, and with loyal heart and unfaltering courage went to the 
front to aid in defending the Union. Throughout the period of hostilities 
he followed the starry banner of the nation, and when the war was ended he 
returned to his home with a most creditable military record. A debt of grati- 
tude is due to the soldiers that can never be repaid, but while memory lasts 
young hearts will be thrilled with the story of their heroism and fortitude. 

]\Ir. Myers, who is now living in North Columbus, is a native of Picka- 
way county, Ohio, born December i, 1839. He was reared in the town of 
Tarlton, that county, and is a son of Samuel and Matilda (Hedge) Myers, 
who were natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. They became 
early settlers of Pickaway county, Ohio, where both attained to a ripe old age, 
but have now passed away. Our subject acquired a common-school education 

in the county of his nativitv, and there learned the shoemaker's trade, which 
53 



842 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lie followed until the time of his enlistment for service in the Union army. 
He made an attempt to join the First Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but was not 
accepted on account of being under size. Later, however, he joined Com- 
pany B, of the Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in 1861, for three months' 
service, and went to Camp Dennison, where the regiment remained until the 
time had expired. He received his discharge at Columbus and again went to 
his home, but on the 7th of October, 186 1, he was enrolled among the boys in 
blue of Company I, Fifty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being mustered 
in as sergeant. From Columbus the regiment was transferred to the scene 
of conflict in Kentucky, under General Lew Wallace. They left the boat on" 
the Tennessee river and formed into line of battle at Fort Donelson, where 
the rebels were soon afterward forced to surrender. The command then 
proceeded southward, taking part in the engagement at Shiloh, the brigade 
to which Mr. Myers was attached opening the battle at that place on Sunday 
morning. Following that engagement the Fifty-eighth Ohio Infantry was 
at Corinth, Mississippi, later at Alilliken's Bend, Louisiana, on the 28th and 
29th of December, 1862. They proceeded to Helena, Arkansas, and i\Ir. 
Myers, being taken ill, was sent to the hospital at St. Louis, Missouri. When 
he had partially recovered he was sent home, being mustered out, however, 
in St. Louis. He was discharged on the 28th of October, 1862, and after 
recuperating his health he re-enlisted, on the 20th of February, 1863, as a 
member of Company M, First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, being mustered in 
as a private. He was then transferred to the front, joining his regiment at 
St. Louis, whence he proceeded to Tennessee, taking part in the battle of 
Stone River on the 31st of December, 1862, and on the 2d of January, 1863. 
He also participated in the engagement at Elk River, on the 2d of July of the 
latter year ; Chickamauga, on the 20th of September ; Washington, Tennessee, 
October i, 1863; Painted Rock, October 30; Cleveland, Tennessee, November 
27; and Calhoun, Tennessee, on the i6th of December, 1863. In the fol- 
lowing year he participated in the engagements at Decatur, on the 20th of 
May; Aloulton, Alabama, on the 29th of May; Lovejoy Station, August 20; 
and the Atlanta campaign. On the ist of April, 1865, he was in the engage- 
ment at Ebenezer, Georgia, on the following day took part in the battle at 
Columbus Church, Georgia, and was mustered out of service September 13, 
1865, in Columbus, Ohio. His record is one of thrilling interest, for from 
first to last his was an active service upon the field of battle. During the 
dififerent terms of his enlistment he never missed an engagement in which 
his regiment participated. He displayed bravery and loyalty of a high order, 
and he has every reason to be proud of his military record. 

Upon his return to civil life Mr. Myers resided in Pickaway county 
for a time, but about twenty years ago came to Columbus, where he has since 
remained, his home being now in North Columbus. He was married to Rachel 
Friend, and luito them has been born one son, A. J., who resides near his 
parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Myers hold membership in tfie Methodist church 
and are worthy and consistent Christian people. He retains pleasant rela- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 843 

tionship with his old army comrades throng-h his membership witli military 
organizations. He always attends the national annual reunions, and is inter- 
ested and active in all soldiers' gatherings. Uurmg the recent war with Spain 
he made an effort to enter the service, but owing to his gray hairs and his 
advanced age he was not accepted. His son, however, joined the Fourth 
Ohio Regiment, as a member of the quartermaster's department, and did 
duty m Porto Rico. Fraternally Mr. Myers is connected with Curtis Lodge. 
No. 762, I. O. O. F., of Columbus, and in politics he is a Republican, keeping 
well informed on the issues of the day which concerns the welfare of tne nation. 

JACOB E. SLYH. 

Jacob E. Slyh, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and fifty 
acres in Clmton township, and is accounted one of the most progressive ao-ri- 
cultunsts of Franklin county, was born at the place of his present residence 
May 30, 1831, his parents being Jacob and Emeline (Lakin) Slvh, honored 
pioneer settlers of the county. His boyhood davs were spent in 'his parents- 
home, his time being passed in a manner similar to that of pioneer lads of the 
period. He acquired his preliminary education in one of the primitive schools 
of the day— a log cabin with one window, a stick chimnev and puncheon 
floor. He subsequently spent a portion of one term in the college at Delaware 
but left that institution in April in order to aid in the work of the farm. Sub- 
sequently he was at different times for brief periods a student in Otterbein 
College, at Westerville, thus completing his education, which he obtained 
under serious difficulties, having to pursue his studies during the portions of 
lhe_ year when there was little to do upon the farm. In his early vouth he 
assisted m the labors of clearing and cultivating new land, for his father's 
farm was heavily timbered and it was necessary to clear away the forest trees 
and grub up the stumps ere the work of plowing and planting could be carried 
on. To his father he gave the benefit of his services until he had attained the 
oge of twenty-five years. 

Mr. Slyh then completed arrangements for a home of his own by his 
marriage, on the 13th of December, 1855, to Miss Louisa Walcutt, a daugh- 
ter of Robert and Susan (Legg) Walcutt, earlv settlers of Franklin countv. 
After their marriage they began their domestic life upon the farm where Mr. 
C5lyh now resides and which has been his home continuouslv since. To this 
worthy couple were born four children : Anna Maria ; William Henrv de- 
ceased ; Sarah Nattie Christina ; and one who died in infancy. 

Mr. Slyh is one of the enterprising and successful agriculturists of Frank- 
lin township, and to-day owns and operates one hundred and fiftv acres of land 
all of which IS under cultivation and supplied with substantial' and attractive 
improvements. He is energetic and diligent in the prosecution of his labors, 
and his industry and capable management have been crowned with a very 
desirable degree of success. He is recognized as one of the prominent and 
influential residents of the communitv. and has several times been called 



844 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

upon to serve in the capacity of township trustee. He was also justice of the 
peace for six months, school director for twenty-eight years and supervisor for 
many years. He is likewise a director of the Union Cemetery Association, 
in which capacity he has been associated with the organization through a 
long period, having been one of the incorporators. He has many times as- 
sessed his township, and in other public positions has discharged his duties 
with the utmost fidelity and promptness. He has ever been interested in all 
that tends to promote public progress and the general good, and is an enter- 
prising citizen, actively co-operating in everything calculated to advance the 
general welfare. In igoo he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, 
Avho passed away on the 14th of July, at the age of sixty-two years, eight 
months and eight days. She was a consistent Christian woman, holding 
membership in the Episcopal church, to which Mt. Slyh also belongs, having 
been identified therewith for many years. Both he ancThis wife took an active 
part in religious work, and were people of broad charity and sympathy. Mr. 
Slyh has almost reached the age of four-score years and ten, but is a well- 
preserved man yet, actively connected with business and public affairs. His 
entire life has been passed in Franklin county, and those who have know-n 
him from youth entertain for him the warmest regard, a fact which indicates 
that his career has ever been worthy of respect and emulation. 

JOHN CLARK. 

John Clark is one of the venerable and highly esteemed citizens of Perry 
township, Franklin county. Few, indeed, of the settlers of this portion of the 
state can claim to have spent eighty-two years in this section, but this honor 
was justly accorded Mr. Clark, wdio was born on the old family homestead 
in Franklin county in 1819. His father, Uriah Clark, settled on the site of 
the Dublin Bridge January 28, 1815. The family is of English lineage, the 
grandfather of our subject having been born in England. \Vhen Uriah Clark 
came to Ohio he secured from the government one hundred acres of wild land 
and established his home in a little log cabin. He was a successful farmer, 
and lived and died in Perry township, where he carried on agricultural pur- 
suits, his energy and labors bringing to him a handsome return. Although 
he started out in life a poor man, he accumulated a good property. He mar- 
ried Miss Nancy Pfeififer, the wedding being celebrated in Franklin county, 
although the lady was a native of Kentucky, her birth having occurred in 
1800. They became the parents of eight children, namely: John, Samuel, 
Daniel, Lucy Ann, Sarah, Elizabeth, Martha and Cornelius. For a number 
of years Mr. Clark filled the office of justice of the peace, and also served as 
trustee, discharging the duties of both positions in a capable and satisfactory 
manner. He died in 1856, at the age of seventy-three years, and his wife 
has also passed away. She was a deeply religious woman and wath her hus- 
band shared in the high regard of all with whom they came in contact. In 
politics he was a Jacksonian Democrat. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 845 

_ John Clark, whose name introduces this review, was reartd on the old 
iamily homestead near Dublin, amid the wild scenes of frontier life He 
received a hmited education in the common schools, and early assisted in the 
work ot clearmg the land and preparing it for the plow, giving his father the 
beneht of his services until he attained his majoritv. He then left home 
and, like most young men who start out upon a business career, secured a 
companion and helpmeet on the journey of life. He married Aliss Catherine 
Urtan, the wedding being celebrated when he was twenty-five years of ao-e 
bhe IS a daughter of John Urtan, one of the early settlers of Franklin countv 
who came to Ohio from Virginia. About a year after their marriage Al'r' 
and Mrs Clark removed to Delaware countv. Ohio, settling on a tract of 
^vlld land, where they lived for four years. He erected a cabin and cleared 
about thirty acres of the land, but afterward returned to Perrv township 
and subsequently he bought a small farm in Union county Ohio where he 
carried on agricultural pursuits for four years. On the expiration of that 
period he returned to Perry township, where he has since remained, havino- 
tor thirty-four years lived upon his present farm. He owns two hundred and 
sixty acres of valuable land out in Perry township, and the rich, alluvial soil 
returns splendid crops for the care and labor bestowed upon it ' 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Clark has been blessed with ten children 
namely: Nancy, Maria, Milton, Holmes, Emma, Uriah, Josie. Martha Emilv 
and Dudley, the four last mentioned being the only ones living. The parents 
hold membership in the Christian church, and Mr. Clark has been a lifelono- 
iJemocrat; he cast his first presidential vote for ^lartin Van Buren 

_ He is now well preserved for one of his vears. There is a particular 
satisfaction m reverting to the life history of the honored and venerable gen- 
tleman whose name initiates this review, since his mind bears the impress 
ot the historic annals of the state of Ohio from the earlv pioneer davs and 
from the fact that he has been a loyal son of the republic'and has attained to 
a position of distinctive prominence in the countv where he has retained his 
residence until the present time; being now one of the revered patriarchs 
ct the community. 

DAXIEL M. SLYH. 

Daniel Isl. Slyh is a worthy representative of an honored pioneer family 
of Frankhn county, and is the second child of Jacob and Emeline (Lakin) 
blyh. He was born m Clinton township May 8. 1830. and his earlv educa- 
tion was obtained in the primitive schools common in the county. H'is father 
-vvas a prosperous man and was ambitious to give his children good practical 
education. Daniel Slyh was therefore sent to Otterbein University where 
he pursued his studies for two terms and diligentlv applied himself' to the 
mastery of the English branches of learning. During the time not ^pent in 
the school room he aided in clearing his father's land and developed it into 
highly cultivated fiekls. It was during the period of his earlv marriao-e that 



846 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. . 

the arduous task of cutting down the great forests of Ohio and making their 
places cultivable fields was carried on, and in other work Mr. Slyh has borne 
his part. He chopped and hauled hundreds of cords of wood, which was dis- 
posed of on the Columbus market, often for a mere pittance. He can well 
remember when there were no houses north of Gay street in the capital city, 
and has cradled wdieat in the fields within the present site of Fourth and Fifth 
avenues and High street. For this laborious work he was well fitted by nature, 
being endowed with a strongly knit frame, wdiich gave him immunity from 
the exhaustion of hard and incessant labor. He remained under the parental 
roof uniil twenty-three years of age, and then made preparations for a home 
of his own by his marriage, on the 3d of November, 1853, to Miss Rosalthe, 
a daugliter of Martin and Mary (Osborne) Griswold, who located in Blen- 
don township, Franklin county, in 1808. After his marriage he located upon 
a farm of two hundred and fourteen acres in Perry township, given him by 
bis father. At that time the land was but partially improved. After long 
years of hard toil he brought it to its present highly cultivated condition. 
Flere he yet resides, spending the evening of his life within sight of the scenes 
that have been familiar to him throughout his entire career. He has long 
been recognized as a representative citizen of the community, aiding in all 
movements which his judgment informs him are for the public good. He 
l:as never been an aspirant for office, yet he has been officially identified with 
township affairs. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Slyh and his estimable wife have been born seven chil- 
dren, five of whom are yet living, namely : Ida Mary, \\\it of Hiram Richards, 
of Perry township; Clarence H., a merchant of North Columbus; Miriam, 
wife of Dr. John Gordon, a prominent physician of North Columbus; Almeda 
E., wife of W. H. Baker, of Trenton, Missouri; and Etta R., who since her 
mother's death has presided over her father's home. In 1895 Mr. Slyh was 
called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away on the I5tli of 
]\Iarch. She was born in Illinois April 10, 1835, and during her childhood 
came with her parents to this county. She possessed many excellent qualities 
of mind and heart, being a devoted Christian and a loving and tender wife 
and mother. She held membership in the Episcopal church throughout the 
greater part of her life, and jMr. Slyh is also one of its communicants. Long 
has he been numbered among the leading and influential agriculturists of 
Franklin county. His career has been one of honest industry, and his labors 
have resulted in bringing to him a gratifying competence. 

THOMAS JOHNSTON. 

Thomas Johnston, deceased, was one of the early born citizens of Frank- 
lin county, iiis birth occurring in Hamilton township, December 7, 181 1. His 
parents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Stewart) Johnston, were both natives of 
Pennsylvania, the former born January 2^, '^777^ the latter December 30, 
1782, and in that state thev were united in marriage October 14. 1801. In 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 847 

1S05 they migrated to Ohio, locating in the forest of Hamilton township, 
this county, wliere the father purchased land. He first built a barn, in which 
the family lived until a residence could be erected, and to the improvement and 
cultivation of his land he devoted his energies until called to his final rest, 
December 6, 1829. After his death his widow continued on the farm, where 
she reared her family. Of the thirteen children born to them five reached 
adult age, namely: William, Frank, Thomas, Edmund and Samuel, all now 
deceased. The father entered quite a large tract of land from the government, 
and became one of the prosperous and influential citizens of his community, 
representing his district in the state legislature for a time. 

In the midst of pioneer scenes Thomas Johnston grew to manhood on 
the home farm, and early became inured to the arduous task of clearing the 
wild land and converting it into productive fields. On the 19th of December, 
1839, l''^ l^d to the marriage altar Aliss Eliza Brobeck, a daughter of William 
and Rebecca (Baker) Brobeck, who were born, reared and married near 
Staunton, Virginia, and at the time of their emigration to Ohio had six chil- 
dren : Philip and Mahala, deceased; Eliza; Joseph; Rebecca, deceased; and 
Sarah. In this country three others were added to the family circle, namely : 
William; John, deceased; and George. It was in 1825 that the Brobeck 
family came to Ohio, and after spending a year in Clinton county moved to 
Perry township, Franklin county, locating on the land now owned by James 
T. Miller. The parents both died of cholera in September, 1852, within 
twenty-four hours of each other, at about the age of sixty-five years, both 
being born in the same week. Mr. Brobeck was a member of a Virginia regi- 
ment in the war of 1812, and in religious belief was a [Methodist, while his 
wife was a lifelong member of the Lutheran church. 

After his marriage Mr. Johnston located on a farm in Perry township, 
which had been partially cleared and upon which a log cabin had been erected. 
Fle inherited three hundred acres of land from his father's estate, and became 
one of the most successful and leading agriculturists of his community, as 
well as one of its most highly respected citizens. He was an active and promi- 
nent member of the Presbyterian church, in which he served as elder for more 
than a quarter of a century, and his life was ever in harmony with his pro- 
fessions. His death occurred December 4, 1877. His widow still survives 
him. She was born in Virginia, and was eight years old when brought by 
her parents to this state. A most estimable lady of many sterling qualities, 
she has a large circle of friends throughout Franklin county, who appreciate 
her sterling worth. Of her two children, the younger, Sarah E., died in 
childhood. 

William A. Johnston, the only son of Thomas and Eliza (Brobeck) 
Johnston, and the only male representative of the family in Franklin county, 
was born in Perry township March 12, 1841. and was educated in the com- 
mon district schools and Miller Academy at Washington, Ohio, but after one 
year spent at the latter institution his eyes became so seriously affected by 
study that he was foced to leave school. Since then he has successfully 



848 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

engaged in farming on the old homestead. He was married April 2, 1862, 
to Miss JNIillie, daughter of Thomas Legg, a pioneer of this county. By this 
union were born three children, namely: iVda L., wife of N. F. Pheneger; 
Harlan L., who married Dora Lisk, of Lima, Ohio ; and Gertrude, wife of 
Charles R. Slyh. The family is one of considerable prominence in this com- 
munity. 

LOUIS HEINMILLER. 

Formerly a well known resident of Columbus, Ohio, Louis Heinmiller, 
now deceased, is well remembered as a fine German scholar and a successful 
business man as' well as an honest public official. He was born in Columbus 
in 1838, his death occurring September 5, 1899, when he was sixty-one 
years old. 

•Louis Heinmiller was the son of Conrad and Elizabeth (Bonafelt) Hein- 
miller, who came to this city about 1833, from Germany, their native land. 
They were people of worth, living to be eighty-three and sixty-two years' of 
age, respectively. Mr. Heinmiller was educated in the public schools and when 
of proper age entered another school, that of the printing office, also becoming 
a pupil at night school. He was both industrious and ambitious and in time 
became the foreman of the Myers Printing House, of this city, retaining this 
responsible position from 1865 to 1881. During eight years of this time he 
was engaged in translating into German all of the state papers upon public 
institutions, — a work of great magnitude. 

A Democrat in his political views, Mr. Heinmiller took great interest in 
the public affairs of his city and county. He was elected sheriff, October 29, 
1 88 1, and served for two terms. For four years he was a member of the city 
council, 1885-89, from the eleventh ward, and was also a member of the 
Democratic county and city committees. 

The marriage of Mr. Heinmiller took place in i860, the lady of his 
choice being Miss Eliza Wilson, a native of Connecticut, who had come to 
this city with her parents in 1849. She was a daughter of John Jameson and 
Lydia (Snyder) Wilson, natives of Hartford, Connecticut. The Wilson 
family originally emigrated from Pennsylvania to Connecticut and settled in 
Hartford, where John' Wilson, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Heinmiller, 
was a teacher and entered into service in the Revolutionary war. Her grand- 
father, Robert Wilson, was a lieutenant of the militia company in the w^ar of 
181 2, and was a surveyor. Her father, J. J. Wilson, was a stationary engin- 
eer by profession, attending closely to his line of work until his death, at the 
age of eighty-one years, in 1896. 

The family of Mr. and Mrs. Heinmiller consisted of seven children, as 
follows: William, Henry and Albert, grocers on Mound street and active 
members of the Democratic party: Frank H., at home: Anna E., the wife 
of Charles Beck, of Columbus; Henrietta, the wife oi William Wien- 
man, of Columbus; Lla Frances, the wife of Delmer Harrington, of Colum- 



/ 





LOUIS HEIHMILLER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 849 

bus; and Myrtle ^lay, the wife of Frederick Sniff, of the same city. The 
entire family is one well known and highly respected in Columlnis. For 
twenty-one years one brother of Mr. Heinmiller was chief of the city fire 
department, two others being John and AVilliam Heinmiller, in business in 
this place. Mrs. Heinmiller still resides in the pleasant residence built by 
her husband in 1865, on one of the beautiful streets of the capital city of Ohio. 

WILLIAM L. PIXKERTON, M. D. 

William L. Pinkerton, who is successfully engaged in the practice of 
niedicine in Galloway, w^as born in Ohio county, West Virginia, on the 2d of 
February, 1840, and traces his ancestry back to the green isle of Erin. His 
great-grandfather, a native of that land, sailed from Londonderry to the new 
world and became a resident of Pennsylvania, where his remaining days were 
passed. He had three sons, one of whom was William Pinkerton, the grand- 
father of our subject. He was born in Pennsylvania and there acquired his 
education. Removing to West Virginia, he located near the line between Ohio 
and Pennsylvania, and there he engaged in teaching school for several years. 
He was married just across the Maryland line to a Miss Littig, and several 
years later he removed to Ohio, afterward taking up his abode in Mnton 
county, where he spent his remaining days, dying when between forty and 
forty-five years of age. 

John White Pinkerton, the father of our subject, was born in West Vir- 
gmia, and married Miss Susan Burroughs, of the Old Dominion. They lo- 
cated in Ohio county, where the mother died in 1841. The father afterward 
came to Ohio, and died in Vinton county in 1843. Their children were: 
Amanda, who became Mrs. De Garmo, ancl died in West Virginia; Z^Iary C., 
wife of William Birkey, of Franklin county; Thomas Benton, who for thirty 
years has been engaged in teaching school as principal, in ^loncluva Lucas 
county; and William L. 

The Doctor was eighteen months old at the time of his mother's death, 
and was left an orphan when three years of age. He went to live with John 
B. Wdson, by w^hom he was reared until he was nineteen years of age. In 
that tim.e he pursued his education in the common schools and became f'amiliar 
with the various duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He 
had a good home, being regarded as a member of the familv. When a young 
man of nineteen years he came to Ohio and secured a pos'ition as teacher in 
district Xo. I, of Prairie township, Franklin countv. He remained there 
during the winter of 1859-60. and also through the succeeding winter. On 
the 22d of April, 1861, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he responded to his 
country's call for aid to crush out the rebellion in its incipiencv. and joined 
Company B, of the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain James H 
May and Colonel I. H. Morrow. He served until June 20, 1864, when he 
was honorably discharged by reason of the expiration of his three years' term 
of service. He participated in the engagements at Rich Mountain. Perrv- 



850 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ville and Stone River, the last named occurring during the winter of 1863-4. 
Subsequently he was on detached service under Colonel A. D. Street, of the 
Sevent3^-second Indiana, and was also with the Third Ohio, Seventy-sec- 
ond Indiana and the Eighty-eighth Indiana. He was almost continu- 
ously engaged in skirmishing. He participated in the battle of Sand 
Mountain, in Alabama, and kept up a running fight for almost five days. 
With thirteen hundred others he was captured near Rome, Georgia, and taken 
to Atlanta, where he met his uncle, Samuel Pinkerton, who was in the Confed- 
erate service as a chaplain. Mr. Pinkerton knew he was at that point and 
sent for him. The uncle came and asked to see the young man, who besought 
him to aid him in making his escape. He also complained of hunger, and the 
uncle replied that he would get him something to eat, but Mr. Pinkerton said 
that if he could not get something for his comrades he did not want it. He 
was sent from Atlanta to Knoxville, thence to Belle Isle, where he remained 
for two weeks, and thence he was paroled to Camp Chase, Columbus, arriving 
there in July, 1863. His regiment took part in the Holmes county raid at 
Fort Fizzle, where the Amish had resented the draft. He afterward assisted 
in the capture of Morgan, and was sent with his regiment to Nashville. Soon 
afterward he went into the Sequatchie valley, at the time the army was gath- 
ering for the battle of Chattanooga, his regiment being engaged in guard duty 
along the railroad. In the winter of 1863-4 they were on the Tennessee river 
near Kellogg's Landing, and later he w^as sent to Chattanooga, where he did 
guard duty until June, 1864. From there he was sent home to be discharged 
at Camp Denison, on the 20th of June. 

In July following Dr. Pinkerton went to Helena, Arkansas, to act as 
guard on a cotton plantation, and there he remained until Christmas time. 
He then returned home, where he continued until the spring of 1865. and w^as 
engaged in teaching school in Franklin towship. He spent the summer or 
1866 at work upon a farm in Franklin tow^nship, and in August of that year 
he married Miss Emily Demorest, of that township, a daughter of Gilimus 
snd Lucinda (Peterson) Demorest. Her great-grandfather was a blanket 
weaver mider LaFayette's command in the time of the war of the Revolution. 
Unto our subject and his wife were born five children: Charles G.. who mar- 
ried Ida C. , and is living in Galloway; Louis L., who died in 

childhood; Mary lone, the wife of J. J. Doyle, of Columbus; Isaac B., who 
died in childhood; and Edith, at home. 

After his marriage Dr. Pinkerton engaged in teaching in Franklin town- 
ship, in the winter of 1866, and spent the summer months of 1867-8 on the 
home farm. In the meantime he devoted his leisure hours to the study of 
medicine, and in the spring of 1869 he went to Delaware, Ohio, where he 
■read medicine under the direction of Dr. T. B. Williams. He was a student 
in the Starling Medical College from 1869 until 1871, being graduated in 
March of the latter year. In June of that year he began practice in Oswego, 
Kansas, and in 1873 he returned to Ohio, for the climate of the west did not 
agree with his wife's health. In July of the same year he took up his abode 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 851 

in Galloway, where he opened an office, and in ]\Iarch, 1875, he went to Broad- 
way, Union county, Ohio, where he remained for a year. On the expiration 
'A that period he came to Galloway, where he has since made his home, enjoy- 
ing a large practice. He is a member of the Cincinnati. Ohio, Medical Society, 
and is 2 physician of skill, whose well-directed efforts have brought to him 
a good return for his labors. 

In igoo the Doctor was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who 
died on the 6th of February, in the faith of the Methodist church, of which 
she had for some years been an active and consistent member. The Doctor 
belongs to the church, and is serving as steward. In politics he is a stalwart 
Republican. For a number of years he has been a member of \Y. H. Elliott 
Post, G. A. R., and he formerly belonged to Libby Post at Georgesville, of 
W'hich he was commander. He also holds membership relations with Prairie 
Lodge, No. 662. I. O. O. F.. and with ^ladison Lodge, No. 221. F. &" A. M. 
The Doctor is a well-known citizen of Franklin county, and takes a commenda- 
ble interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community along the 
lines of substantial progress and intellectual development. 

FULTON H. VIRDEN, M. D. 

A physician and pharmacist, Milton H. Virden is one of the rising young 
representatives of the medical fraternity of Franklin county, carrying on blisi- 
ness at the corner of Fifth and Cleveland avenues, in Columbus, where he 
has a well-appointed pharmacy and office. He is a native of Marion. Marion 
county, Ohio, born in 1859, his parents being Theodore W. and Sarah Virden, 
both of whom were natives of the state of Delaware. The former came to 
Ohio about 1835, when fifteen years of age. He was a farmer by occupa- 
tion and one of the substantial and respected citizens of Marion county. 
During the period of the Civil war he took an active part in raising money 
with which to encourage enlistments in the northern army. To him and 
his wife were born eight children, seven sons and one daughter. The father 
died in 1899, at the age of eighty-four years, and the mother passed away 
in 1870, at the age of fifty-seven. 

In the public schools of ]MariQn county. Ohio, Dr. Virden pursued his 
elementary education. He possessed studious habits and devoted himself 
assiduously to the mastery of the branches forming the curriculum in the 
common schools. He made the best of his opportunities and became a good 
English scholar before entering the normal school at Lebanon. Ohio, in which 
institution he pursued his studies for four years. He took both literarv and 
scientific branches in the Lebanon Normal Extension, a replete curriculum, 
but just before completing the four years' course he was taken ill and had to 
leave the school a few days before the time of graduation. On recovering 
his health he entered the Eastman's Business College, of Poughkeepsie. New 
York, in which he was graduated with the class of 188 1, winning a diploma 
upon the completion of the pharmaceutical course. The same vear he secured 



852 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

employment m the drug store of Dr. J. M. \\'ood, of Larue, Ohio, where 
he remained for some time in the capacity of prescription cLerk. He afterward 
purchased a half interest in the business from his employer, and the partnership 
was continued until the store and its contents were destroyed by lire, which 
unfortunately occurred a few days after the insurance had expired, entailmg 
a total loss. 

Subsequently Dr. Virden estal^lished himself at the same place and con- 
ducted his enterprise for three years, meeting with a very gratifying degree 
of success. On the expiration of that period he sold out. In 1890 he began 
reading medicine under the direction of Dr. William Shira, a prominent antl 
well-known physician of Larue, and in 1891 he matriculated in the Ohio 
]\JedicaI College, being one of the nine students who were in the school in the 
opening year. There he pursued the regular course and graduated in 1894. 
Liimediately afterward he opened an office on Front street, in Columbus, 
where he successfully practiced for a year, and then removed to his present 
location on Fifth and Cleveland avenues, where by assiduous attention to his 
professional duties he has built up a lucrative and constantly growing practice. 
In 189Q he erected a store building, which he stocked with a complete assort- 
ment of drugs and other such goods usually found in a first-class establish- 
ment of the kind, and that branch of his business is also proving prcfitable. 

The Doctor was married to Miiss Louie Burke, formerly of Urbana, 
Ohio, and unto them has been born a son, George Leon, now a bright young 
lad of ten years. The Doctor is a member of the Academy of Medicme, of 
Columbus, and belongs to various fraternal organizations, holding member- 
ship with Lodge No. 32, B. P. O. E., of Marion, Ohio, with Champion Lodge, 
Xo. 105, K. P., of Columbus, and the Olentangy Tribe of Red Men. He 
is a social, genial gentleman, interested in all that pertains to the welfare of 
tlie capital city, and he has a large circle of warm friends, his friendship being 
best prized by those who have known him longest. 

HENRY KINER. 

Prominent among the energetic, far-seeing and successful business men 
of Ohio is the subject of this review. His life history most happily illustrates 
what may be attained by faithful and continued effort in carrying out an 
earnest purpose. Litegrity, activity and energy have been the crowning points 
in his success, and his connection with the agricultural interests of Franklin 
county have been a decided advantage to this section of the state, promoting 
its material welfare in no uncertain manner, while bringing to him a financial 
return that numbers him among the wealthy men of his community. He 
has justly won the distinction of being what the public term a self-made man. 

Henry Kiner was born December 10, 1838, in the old family homestead 
in Franklin county, and is the only surviving child of Casper and Elizabeth 
(IMock) Kiner. His father was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and 
there formed the acquaintance of and married ^liss jNIock, a daughter of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 853 

Michael Mock. In 18 18 he came to Ohio, first locating in Coshocton county, 
where he purchased land upon which he resided for a time. In 1823 he came 
to this county, locating in Clinton township, where he purchased one hundred 
and fifty acres of land in partnership with Mr. Mock, paying for the same 
five dollars per acre. It was a swampy tract, covered with a forest. He 
Duilt a log cabin of one room, doing all the work himself, and in the construc- 
tion of the little home he used no nails, for they w^ere very expensive and 
could hardly be obtained at any price. Into this pioneer cabin of round poles 
he removed with his wife and children. His financial resources were very 
limited, and in order to provide for his family he had to work for other peo- 
ple. As his sons grew older he began clearing the land and in the course of 
time placed it under a high state of cultivation. The parents spent their re- 
maining days on the homestead. They were honest, industrious people, worthy 
the respect of all. Air. Kiner cared little for the honors of official position, 
yet in the early settlement of this township he served in the capacity of consta- 
ble. Both he and his wife were devoted Christian people, and he held mem- 
bership in the Presbyterian church, while his wife belonged to the Alethodist 
Episcopal church. They had a family of ten children, two or three having 
been born before their removal to Franklin county. The record is as follows : 
Michael, who married Sarah Meigs and reared a family; Jacob, who wedded 
Lavica Smith and had a family; Martha Jane, who became the wife of Will- 
iam Ring, by whom she had seven children; Peggy Ann, who married Solo- 
mon Hays and had a family; Lucinda, wife of Lafayette- Lazelle, by whom she 
had several children; Amanda, w'ife of Nathaniel Smith; Mary^ wdio died 
unmarried ; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Lafayette Lazelle after her 
sister's death, and they had several children; Henry, of this review; and John, 
who died in Clinton township. The parents have also' passed away. 

Mr. Kiner, whose name introduces this record, was reared on the family 
homestead, and in the common schools of that locality was instructed in the 
rudiments of an English education. When old enough to be of assistance 
in the work of the farm he aided in clearing and improving that tract of land, 
and in connection with his brother John he engaged in the stock business in 
early life, buying and selling stock. This proved a very profitable venture, 
and they also raised stock of good grades and gained a good start in the 
financial world. 

On the 3d of January, 1863, Mr. Kiner was united in marriage to Aliss 
Catherine De Nune, daughter of William and Mary Ann (Baker ) De Xune. 
Her father was a native of Pennsylvania, her mother of Virginia, and they 
were married in Ohio, having come to this state in childhood. At an early 
period in the history of the Buckeye state Air. De Nune located south of Co- 
lumbus, while his wife's people, the Bakers, settled on Alum creek. xA-fter 
their marriage I\Ir. and Mrs. De Nune resided in Franklin county, spending 
their remaining days within its borders. He was a well-educated man for his 
uay. and was one of the successful early teachers in that county. In the 
family were five children, four of whom reached mature years, namely : Will- 



854 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

iam R. ; Eliza, who married Solomon Hays; Mrs. Kiner; and John. The 
deceased member cf the family is Alexander, who died in youtli. Their 
mother's death occurred about 1870, and their father is also deceased. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kiner have been born twelve children, of whom 
seven are yet living. Alice is the wife of Milo Street; Ellis wedded Barbara 
Huy; Elmer married Lena Huy; Lambert became the husband of Bessie Bur- 
nett; Justin married Maud Brinklinger; and Annie and Emma are young 
ladies at home. The deceased children are Jennie, Clayton, Grace, Icy and 
Charles. 

^Ir. Kiner's first investment in real estate made him the owner of thirty 
acres of wooded land in Clinton township. This he cleared and improved 
and as his financial resources increased he added to his possessions until he is 
now the owner of very extensive tracts of valuable property. He has been 
associated in his business affairs with his brother John and success has attended 
their efforts in a high degree. The home farm is well improved and is sup- 
plied with every modern accessory and convenience that go to facilitate agri- 
cultural pursuits. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kiner hold membership in the Metho- 
dist Episcopal church, with which they have long been actively identified, 
taking part in its work and upbuilding. The subject of this sketch is widely 
recognized as one of the most prosperous farmers and business men of the 
county, and is well known as a gentleman of excellent judgment and irre- 
proachable character. His wife has indeed been a faithful companion and 
helpmeet to him, and to her he attributes his prosperity in no small degre?. 
They are widely known and have a large circle of warm friends. 

SAAIUEL CASHXER. 

Much has been said concerning the corruption of politics and the control 
of political affairs by unprincipled men. While this may be true to some ex- 
tent in the larger cities, such a state does not exist in the smaller towns where 
the man who wins office must be worthy of the trust and confidence reposed in 
hmi. Some one has said, "You can fool all of the American people some of 
Mie time, and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the 
people all of the time," and in this lies the safeguard of our American political 
system. As mayor of Gahanna, Mr. Cashner is capably discharging his du- 
ties to the best of his ability, and that ability is of no circumscribed order. 
His administration is at once practical and businesslike and he has brought 
about many needed reforms and improvements. 

A native of Franklin county, Mr. Cashner was born April 15. 1837, and 
is a representative of one of the old families of Pennsylvania. His paternal 
grandfather, Jacob Cashner, was a native of the Keystone state, whence he 
removed to Lithopolis, Fairfield county, Ohio, in an early day. By occupation 
he was a farmer and his death occurred in 1832. His wife, Christina Myers, 
was also born in Pennsylvania and accompanied her husband to Fairfield 
county during the days of the pioneer epoch. She was of German lineage. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 855 

Their son, Jeremiah Cashner, the father of our suljject, was born in Pennsyl- 
vania and became a resident of Frankhn county in 1826, here following the 
occupation of farmino- throughout his active business career. He weclded 
Christina Riggle and she too was born in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio 
about the time of her husband's removal. Her father, Philip Riggle, was 
born in the Keystone state and took up his abode in Fairfield county in the 
pioneer days; his death there occurred when he was ninety years of age. His 
wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Moyer and came with him to 
Ohio, was of German extraction. The father of our subject died at the age 
of sixty-two, while his wife, long surviving him, passed away at the age of 
eighty-four. They were the parents of four sons and five daughters and with 
but one exception all reached years of maturity, but only three are now living 
the sisters being Mrs. Caroline McCisick and Mrs. Lucy Swickard. 

Samuel Cashner, the fifth member of the family and the only survivincr 
son, was reared on the old family homestead in his native township, and m 
the log school house near his home pursued his education. At the age of 
nineteen years he engaged in the wholesale notion business, traveling from store 
to store and from town to town, being thus employed until the inauguration of 
the Civil war. He had watched with interest the progress of events and 
when rebellion reared its awful front he resolved to aid in the preservation of 
the ymon by service in the field of battle. Accordingly, at President Lin- 
coln s first call ior troops he enlisted, joining Company A, of the Third Ohio 
Volunteer Lifantry, on the 15th of April, when the smoke from Fort Sum- 
ter s guns had hardly cleared away. On the 21st of June, of the same year 
he re-enhsted for three years' service and was discharged on the 13th of 
June, 1864, but the south had not been subjected and feeling that his duty 
was at the front he again offered his services, and joined Company D of the 
Eleventh Ohio Infantry, on the 2d of July. He remained with that regiment 
until June 27, 1865, when he was honorably discharged after a Ion- and 
faithful service of four years, one month and twenty-six days. He partici- 
pated m the battles of Richmond, Pittsburg Landing, Stephenson Perry- 
ville, Murtreesboro, Round Mound and Iron Works, and Sand iVIountain He 
was taken prisoner at Sand Mountain and after being held a captive for fifteen 
days he was paroled and joined his command at Chattanooga, Tennessee 
after which he was discharged. In his next enlistment he joined his com- 
mand at Atlanta and participated in the engagements of JMilledgeville Black 
Kiver, Savannah, Bentonville and in General Sherman's campaign to Greene- 
borough, North Carolina, and then marched with his regiment to Washin-ton 
D. L., and participated in the Grand Review, the most celebrated militarv 
pageant ever seen in the country, and was then honorablv discharo-ed He 
was wounded in the right leg in the battle of Sand .Alountain and'' received 
buckshot m the breast at Bentonville. North Carolina. 

,„. M'r.Cashner, after his return to Franklin countv. was married in Dixon 
Illinois, m 1865, to Miss Hetty S. Hand, a native of Plain township 'this 
county, and a daughter of Charles and Jane (Smith) Hand the former a 



S^e CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

native of New York, and the later of New Jersey. The mother became a 
resident of Frankhn county when seven years of age, and the father when 
eighteen years of age. He is still living at the ripe old age of ninety-two, 
hut his wife passed away at the age of eighty-nine. Thev had celebrated 
their sixty-sixth wedding anniversary. Mrs. Cashner is the seventh in order 
of birth among their ten children and was reared in her native township, 
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cashner have been born three children : Clara Roletta is 
the widow of James Ryan, who was an engineer and was accidently killed 
October 3, 1898. They had four children: James C, Delia, Nellie M. and 
Charles Willis. Nellie, the second member of the family, is the wife of Will- 
iam Dorsey, a dairyman, and they have two children, Walter and' Eva. 
Charles W., the youngest of the family, is a grocer of Gahanna. He married 
JMiss Florence Dawson by whom he had two children, Hazel L. and Gail. 

After their marriage our subject and his wife took up their abode in 
Mifflin township and he devoted his energies to selling notions to retail dealers 
for seven years. He then came to Gahanna and has since been engaged in 
auctioneering. In 1889 he was elected mayor and has since held the office, 
covering a period of eleven years, a record that can scarcely be paralleled in 
the history of a city, which indicates in an unmistakable manner his fidelity 
to duty and the conficlence reposed in his ability by his fellow townsmen. His 
administration has indeed been a creditable one and thus gained for him high 
regard and commendation. He holds membership in John A. IMiller Post, 
No. 192, G. A. R., in which he served as chaplain for about eight years. He 
has also been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1869, and of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1862, while his name is found on the 
membership roll of the Union Veteran Legion, Columbus Camp, No. 78. In 
politics he has always been a stanch Republican and no man in the community 
is more deserving of the high regard of his fellow townsmen than Samuel 
Cashner. Local and public improvement are causes dear to his heart and he 
withholds his support from no measure calculated to prove of general good. 



GEORGE H. RADER. 

The fine farm of fifty-seven acres which is now the property of Mrs. 
George H. Rader is a visible proof of the industry and economy of its pur- 
chaser, George H. Rader, now deceased, at one time one of the most respected 
residents of Franklin county, Ohio. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, March 
8, 1854, a son of John and Elizabeth Rader, both of whom were natives of 
Germany, and had come to Franklin county, Ohio, when young. The father 
died in this county, at about sixty-five years, and the mother still survives, 
at the age of eighty years. 

Mr. Rader was about fifteen years old when his father moved into the 
country and engaged in farming. He received his education in the city 
schools and spent three years at college. After marriage, Mr. Rader settled 




GEORGE H. RADER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 857 

upon the farm where he spent the remainder of his Hfe, and actively engaged 
in its cuhivation. 

Our subject was united in marriage to Miss Carohne Horgher, February 
10, 1875. She was a native of Jackson township, Franklin county, born No- 
vember 13, 1856, a daughter of Frank Horgher, a native of Germany who 
came to America previous to his marriage, this taking place some time later, 
in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, w'hence he moved to Franklin county, Ohio, set- 
tled in Jackson township, and in 1875 moved to Columbus, and died there, 
at the age of seventy-seven years. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Horgher: Rose; Catherine; John, who is the twin of Mrs. Rader, the widow 
of our subject, and an infant which died in infancy. 

The death of Mr. Rader took place February i, 1897, when passed away 
a good husband and indulgent father. He left six estimable children to con- 
sole his bereaved widow: Carrie R., who married Carl Gutnecght and has 
a daughter, Marie Ethel; George H., who assists on the farm; Alma F., Alice 
M., Lenora E. and Inez A. 

Since the death of Mr. Rader, his widow has shown great ability in the 
management of the estate. Not only did she suffer loss when his life ended, 
but the community in which he had lived an honest life, filled with good deeds, 
felt the bereavement also. He was well known and had been called upon to 
serve as school director for some twelve years, his judgment making him par- 
ticularly fitted for the position. A Democrat in his political convictions' 
he upheld the principles of that party. In his death the Lutheran church 
lost a valued member. 

ALLEN ORDERS. 

The subject of this sketch has the distinction of being the oldest citizen 
of Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio. He was' born on the Fullerton 
farm, five miles south of Columbus, October 22, 1814, a son of Jonas Orders, 
who was reared in Virginia and fought six years on the old western frontier, 
in the army of "Mad Anthony" Wayne, in campaigns against Indians who 
opposed the settlement of Ohio and adjacent states. Allen Order's grand- 
father in the paternal line was born and married in England and after the 
death of his wife emigrated to Virginia with his sons Job and Jonas, the first 
mentioned of whom never married. Jonas married Sarah Ford, a native of 
Maryland. He came to Franklin county on foot and was soon attacked by 
chills and fever, which, kept him "under the weather" ftn- about a vear. He 
lived in Jackson township, to the advanced age of one hundred years or there- 
about, enjoying the title of oldest man in the county, and died after the close 
of the Civil war. during wliich he was an outspoken Union man. He was a 
member of the L'ni\ersalist church and as a citizen was prominent and pro- 
gressive. 

Sarah Ford, who married Jonas Orders and was the mother of the sub- 
ject of this sketch, was a daughter of Frederick and Margaret (Benjamin) 
54 " ' ■ 



858 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Ford and her father was' an early settler in Franklin county, Ohio, where, with 
his family, he located in the woods and cleared up a farm on which he li\ed 
until he died, past the age of seventy years. His wife also is deceased. They 
had four sons and four daughters. Jonas and Sarah (Ford) Orders had 
seven sons and three daughters, of whom Allen Orders' was the third son and 
fourth child in order of nativity. 

Allen attended school in old fashioned log school houses and when he was 
seven years old his father left the Fullerton farm, where the boy was born, 
and moved on another, and at that time the lad practically took up the 
battle of life for himself, w^orking by the month or by the day at anything that 
his hands found to do. By hard economy he managed to save a little money 
which he invested in cattle, and when he turned the cattle over to his father to 
help him buy a piece of land he found himself as poor as when he had begun, 
but was not daunted by the prospect of beginning over again. He made such 
satisfactory progress' that just before he came of age he deemed it safe for him 
to marry and he took for his wife Miss Mary Gabon, a native of Virginia, 
whose family had settled in Ohio. After his marriage he lived for a year in 
the household of his father-in-law and after that rented a farm until, about 
1838, he bought one hundred acres of land where he now lives, on which he 
built a log house which gave place to his' present residence in 1848 and which 
has been moved to Grove City where it does service as a stable. He has lived 
continuously in his native tjownship and has been identified with it during his 
whole life of eighty-six years and is at this time the oldest person living within 
its borders. Formerly a Whig, he has been a Republican since the organiza- 
tion of that party and has filled several township offices and has shown his 
public spirit by assisting many measures promising to benefit his fellow citizens 
and during all his active years set a good example to other farmers in the 
county by improving his farm of one hundred and forty-nine acres and culti- 
vating it in a thoroughly up-to-date manner. Though not a member of any 
church, he testifies to a belief in the teachings of the Bible and has' always 
supported religious worship in his neighborhood. Of his seven children only 
two survive. These are George W., who has reared a family and now, aged 
sixty-five years, lives at Grove City; and Clorinda, who married Silas Borror, 
of Jackson township, Franklin county, a biographical sketch of whom appears 
in this work. 

BLAM DRAKE. 

Elam Drake is now living a retired life in Mifflin township after long 
years of active and honorable connection with the agricultural pursuits of 
Franklin county. His home is situated on the Johnstown and Columbus pike, 
about five miles from the state's capitol, and there he is surrounded by many 
comforts and luxuries which have come to hjm as the reward of earnest effort 
in former years. A native of Connecticut, he was born on the i6th of Novem- 
ber, 1 812, in East Windsor, Hartford countv. Tradition savs that the family 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 859 

was founded in America by English ancestors who came to the new world 
early in the seventeenth century and located in the Charter Oak state. Elias 
Drake, the father of our subject, was also born in East \Vindsor and was a 
brick mason by occupation. Emigrating westward, he took up his abode upon 
a farm in Franklin county, Ohio, where he died at the age of sixty-four 
years. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Collins, and she, too, was a 
native of Connecticut and was of English' lineage. Her death occurred in 
Franklin county when she was sixty-four years of age. The marriage of this 
worthy couple was blessed with eight children, three sons and live daughters, 
of whom Elam was the third in order of birth. He has one sister, Mrs. 
Lucinda Lemon, who is now living in Iowa, but the others have all passed 
away. 

Upon the Atlantic seacoast j\Ir. Drake of this review spent the first twenty 
years of his life, and in 183 1 he became a resident of Franklin county, Ohio, 
the family taking up their abode in a log cabin in Mifflin township. Here 
he began work at his trade of brick laying and plastering, which he had 
learned in Connecticut. As a boy he became familiar with those lines of in- 
dustry, working under the direction of his father. He was thus identified with 
the building interests of Columbus for many years, aiding in its improvement 
at the time when it was a small village. He assisted in the erection of the 
first brick house in that city and for his services he received good wages, being 
a first-class mechanic. He helped support__his' mother and younger brothers 
and sisters. He did much work outside of the city, being called upon to con- 
struct the fronts of many of the buildings in the county. For some time he 
was in the employ of others, but eventually began contracting and building 
on his own account in Franklin and adjoining counties. For many years he was 
an active representative of that line of endeavor, and dozens of the best busi- 
ness houses and residences in Columbus stand as monuments to his thrift, enter- 
prise and skill. At length he retired from that occupation, removing to his 
farm five miles from the city. He erected thereon a good brick residence and 
barn and has made many other substantial improvements upon his land, 
which constitutes a tract of sixty-two acres', now under a high state of culti- 
vation. 

In 1837 Mr. Drake was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Angeline Patterson, 
a native of Mifilin township, Franklin county. They have five sons and a 
daughter : Franklin, Charles P., Douglas C, D wight F., Alice A. and George 
B. Charles married Sarah Reese, and they have four children, — Homier, 
Rosella, Ray and Blanche. Douglas C. married Elsie \\\ IMoore. a native 
of Columbus and who was educated in that city. Her parents died during 
her infancy and she was reared by Mrs. Laura Moore. Unto Douglas and his 
wife have been born five children. Kate, Guy B., Ralph E., Clyde W. and 
Harold. Dwight F. married Lizzie Goodman, and they have a daughter, 
Florence. Alice A., is the wife of Henry Innis, and they have two daugh- 
ters, Mabel A. and Mildred. The eldest and youngest sons are single. There 



86o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

are also six great-grandchildren, namely : Vinnie, \'erna and Russell Drake, 
Marguerite and INIaurice Kurtzhalz and Marie Kers'olty. 

Mr. Drake is well known in the county and has aided much in its upbuild- 
ing and improvement. He cast his first presidential vote for Andrew Jackson, 
but became a Republican on the organization of the party. Since that time, 
however, he has voted for various candidates. He is' a venerable gentleman 
of sterling worth whose life's record has been honorable and in many; re- 
spects well worthy of emulation. Through almost a century he has witnessed 
the development of the nation, and feels just pride in the wonderful accomplish- 
ments of his country. He has reached the eighty-eighth milestone on the 
journey of life and can look back over the past without regret and forward to 
the future without fear. 

SARAH J. SWAGLER. 

There are in every community women accounts of whose lives would be 
edifying as the biographical sketches of men are found to be, and it is to be 
regretted that more women are not represented in such works as this. One of 
the best known women of Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio, is Mrs. 
Sarah J. Swagler, a brief account of whose busy life it will now be attempted 
to give. Mrs. Swagler was born in the township in which she now lives 
November ii, 1830, a daughter of William B. Duff. 

William B. Duff was born, reared and educated in Franklin township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, and passed his entire life there, except for six months' 
absence in Illinois. His earlier days were spent amid pioneer surroundings 
and the foundations of his education were laid in a primitive log school house. 
He married Nancy Orders, a native of Jackson township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, and located in the township just mentioned, where Mrs. Duff" died aged 
about forty. His second marriage was to Mrs. Jane Laslear, and after her 
death he married Mahala Hill. He lived to the advanced age of eighty-two 
years, rounding out an industrious and useful life and one crowned with 
measurable success. By his first marriage he had eight children: Sarah J., 
Elizabeth (Boucher), William, Nancy (deceased), George (deceased), John, 
and ]\Iary Ann (Robinson), David, Adam, and Ella (Haughn), the first 
of whom is the subject of this sketch. By his second marriage he had three 
children, — Michael W., Charles and Maud, — the last mentioned of whom 
married Mat. Hanna, of Fayette county, Ohio ; and by his last marriage there 
was no issue. 

Mrs. Swagler, who was the first born of the children of William B. and 
Nancy (Orders) Duff, was reared in Jackson township and relates that she 
attended school in a small log building with slab benches and holes in the 
walls covered with greased papers for windows and that she was taught all 
the work performed by pioneer women in her clays and often spun woolen 
yarn for her own family and for neighbors. In 185 1 she married Phillip 
Near, who was born in Ross ccunty. Ohio, June 10, 1827, and mo\-ed to a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 86 1 

point where her husljand died aljcut seven years afterward and where she 
remained for some years after that event, 'in 1868 she married Solomon 
Swagler and located on a farm in Jackson township, Franklin county, which 
i:, her present home. Mr. Swagier, who was a native of Pennsylvania, was 
married there to his first wife, Miss Sarah Conrad, who died in Jackson town- 
ship, after having borne him eight children, four of whom are living : Jona- 
than and Henry Swagler and Elizabeth Borror and Sarah Standiford. Mr. 
Swagler was an influential Republican and took a great interest in public ed- 
ucation and was elected to the office of school director, and he was a class 
leader in the Methodist Episcopal church in which he long held the office of 
trustee. He ranked among the leading farmers of his township and died 
August 28, 1892, deeply regretted by all who had known him. 

By her first marriage Mrs. Swagler had three children, A. M., William 
J. and Milton Near. William J. died at the age of eight years and Milton 
is represented by a separate biographical sketch on another page. A. M. Near 
was born in Ross county, Ohio, October 20, 1852, and came with his mother 
wdien she returned to Franklin county, and remained with her until her 
marriage with Alice O'Connor, who died leaving three children named Ora, 
William and Mertie. For his second wife he married Clara Clemens, a native 
of Pickaway county, Ohio, and they have one son. Noble. He is now living 
in Pickaway county, Ohio. Mrs. Swagler bore her second husband three 
daughters: Emma, the eldest, married R. E. Shover and lives on the old 
home farm of his grandfather Duff and has two children, named Pearl and 
Oren. Jennie married L. J. Kolter and lives at Wapakoneta. Auglaize count v, 
Ohio. Viola married Otis Borror, of Jackson township, and has a son 
named Harold. Airs. Swagler has one great-grandchild,— Clvde Steel, a 
son of George and Ora (Near) Steel, of Cincinnati. Ohio. 

Mrs. Swagler has been fifty years a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. She is well known throughout the county and is highly respected 
by all who have the honor of her acquaintance. Her homestead, which is one 
oJ the good farms of Jackson township, consists of one hundred and sixty- 
eight acres of well improved and well cultivated land. 



JOHN T. DORSEY. 

John T. Dorsey, who resides on the Johnstown pike, four miles from 
the state capitol, in Franklin county, was born in Licking county, Ohio, May 
16, 1840. His father. James Dorsey. was a native of Pennsylvania where he 
spent the days of his boyhood and youth. He was of German descent and 
in his life manifested some of the best characteristics of that people. When 
a young man he removed to Licking county. Ohio, where he met and married 
Miss' Nancy Wells, a native of that county. He was a miller and erected a 
mill at Kirksville, Ohio, operating the same for many rears. On the expira- 
tion of that period he came to Franklin county where he purchased other mills. 



862 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

continuing in that bu.-^iness until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-five 
years of age. He was a well known citizen of good business ability and ster- 
ling worth who enjoyed the confidence and regard of all who knew him. In 
politics he was' first a Whig and afterward a Republican, giving an earnest 
support to the principles in which he believed. His wife died oi smallpox at 
the age of sixty-five. They were the parents of three sons and three daugh- 
ters, all of whom reached mature years, wdiile five are now living, namely : 
William H. H., the twin brother of our subject, who died in the service of 
his country during the Civil war, having enlisted in the Ninety-fifth Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry; Mrs. Jane Nedrow; Albert G., who served in the Union army 
with the Twelfth Regiment of Ohio Cavalry; Mrs'. Angeline Damude and 
Mrs. Adeline O'Brien, twins. 

Mr. Dorsey of this sketch and his twin brother were the first born. He 
was about twelve years of age when he accompanied his parents on their re- 
moval to Franklin county. He acquired his early education in the schools 
of Licking county and afterward became a student in the public schools of 
Norwich, Berry and Franklin tow^nships. Patriotism prompted his enlistment 
with the boys in blue at the time the country became involved in Civil war, 
qnd in 1861 he was enrolled among the members of Company K, of the First 
Ohio Cavalry. After serving for two years he was disabled by a horse falling 
upon him and on account of his disability received an honorable discharge in 
1863. He served w-ith the Army of the Cumberland, participating in the en- 
gagements at Fort Donelson, Chattanooga, Stone river and in others of lesser 
importance. 

When honorably discharged Mr. Dorsey returned to his home in Frank- 
lin county, and in 1865 he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Lackey, 
who was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, October 24, 1837. Her 
father, Alexander Lackey, was also a native of the Keystone state and in 1838 
came to Franklin county, locating on the farm wdiere Mrs. Dorsey now re- 
sides. It was then a tract of wild timber land, but he cleared away the trees 
and continued the development of the fields until his death, which occurred when 
he was sixty-six years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Martha 
Hart, was also a native of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, and her death' 
occurred when she had' attained the age of sixty-four years'. This worthy 
couple had eleven children and the family circle w'as unbroken until after they 
had attained- adult age, but only four are yet living. Mrs. Dorsey is the 
youngest and was only nine months old wdien brought by her parents to Frank- 
lin county, where she has therefore practically spent her entire life. She pur- 
sued her education in the log schoolhouse of those early days', and at the time 
of her marriage began her domestic life on the old homestead where she is yet 
living. Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey have had four children, — William Allen, Joseph- 
ine Alice, Iva Cordelia and Mary Ellen ; the last named is now deceased. 
Josephine Alice became the wife of Peter Short, of Columbus, and has three 
children, — Edith May, Earl and Mary Elizabeth ; Iva Cordelia is' the wnfe of 
Fred. Spencer, of Mifflin township, and has five children, — Chester, Albert O., 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 863 

Hettie, Oscar and a baby boy ; and William Allen married Nellie Cashner and: 
resides on his father's homestead, and has two children, — Walter Adel and 
Eva Marie. 

Mr. Dorsey has been engaged in general farming and in the dairy busi- 
ness for about thirteen years, and has managed his affairs in a manner that 
has brought to him creditable prosperity. He owns sixty-three and one-half 
acres of land which is highly cultivated, and the products of his field and dairy, 
owing to their excellent quality, find a ready sale upon the market. 

In his political views Mr. Dorsey is a Republican. He has served as a 
school director and in other offices and is a well known citizen whose fidelity 
to every trust reposed in him is above question. He holds membership in Wells 
Post, G. A. R., and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, his life 
being permeated by his Christian faith. His worth as a man and citizen is 
widely acknowledged. The same loyalty which he manifested on the southern 
battle-fields has characterized his every relation of life and his example is in 
many respects w-ell worthy of emulation. 

JOHN KEYS. 

For many years this gentleman was one of the active and progressive 
agriculturists of Franklin county, as well as one of its most reliable artd 
honored citizens, and now in his declining years is enjoying a well-earned rest, 
free from the cares and responsibilities of business life. He w^as born Sep- 
tember 14, 1823, in Buckinghamshire. England, five miles from Aylesbury, 
and about forty miles from London. His father, Stephen Keys, was a native 
of the same place, and was what is known as a bailiff, or foreman of a farm in 
America. In 1833 he brought his family to the United States, and on land- 
ing in this country came immediately to Columbus, Ohio. He located on the 
farm in Clinton township, this county, now occupied by the State University, 
and upon that place he died at about the age of forty years. His wife, who 
bore the maiden name of Mary Payne, was also born in Buckinghamshire, 
England, and died in Worthington, this county, at the age of fifty-three. 
They were the parents of twelve children, eight of whom reached man and 
womanhood. 

Of this family John Keys is the third child and third son. At the age of 
ten years he came with his parents to the new world and was reared on the 
Neil farm in Clinton township, where the family located. He has been three 
times married, his first wife being Emily Hennis, by whom he had one son, 
William D., a resident of this county. For his second wife he married 
Nancy Lane, and to them were born two children: Emma, deceased; and 
James E., a resident of Columbus and a street car conductor. In 1856, Mr. 
Keys was united in marriage with Mrs. Susan (Csirns) Harman, who was 
born in Pennsylvania, and came from Cumberland county, that state, to this 
county when about fourteen years of age. On the 2d of May, 1848, in Miami 
county, Ohio, she married David Harman, who died in August, of the follow- 



864 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ing year, and the only child born to that union, a daughter, died at the age 
of twenty months. By his third marriage Mr. Keys has one daughter, Jeannett 
C, wife of Charles W. Grant, of Jackson township. The\ have two children: 
\Vinnie O., wife of Samuel Alspaw, of Reynoidsburg, Ohio; and John Nel- 
son. 

After his first marriage Mr. Keys remained on the Neil farm until the 
following spring, and then moved to Columbus, where for a time he was 
in the employ of G. W. Peters, a manufacturer of trunks. He was next 
employed as foreman by Charles G. Deshler in the ice l)usiness, and on re- 
signing that position was appointed mail agent at the depot in Columbus, 
where he remained nine years. At the end of that time he purchased a farm 
in Jackson township, but after operating it for about two years, he sold the 
place and bought the farm which he still owns and now rents. It consists of 
eighty-four acres of rich and arable land and is pleasantly situated three 
miles southeast of Grove City. Mr. Keys retired from active farming in 
J 888, and in 1897 moved to Grove City, where he now makes his home. 

In his political views he is a Democrat, and has been called upon to serve 
his fellow citizens in the capacity of road supervisor, school director and 
president of the board of education two years. Like his father he is a self- 
iTjade man. When the latter landed in Columbus, he had but twenty-five 
cents in his pocket and this he spent for bread. He was successful in getting 
work and soon gained a good start in life. Through his own self-directed 
efforts our subject has gained a comfortable competence, and his life has ever 
been such as to win for him the confidence and high regard of those with 
whom he has come in contact either in business or social life. 

GBORGE H. DISTELHORST. 

A well known and successful business man of the city of Columbus, now 
retired from active labor, is George H. Distelhorst, who was born in Detmold, 
Germany, November 10, 1824, the eldest son of Simon and Wilhelmina Distel- 
horst, natives' of the same place, where they spent their entire lives. Until 
the age of tw^enty years George H. Distelhorst resided in Germany, engaging 
in teaching, after he had obtained his own education, and also was a teacher 
of music. In 1849 he came to America, locating first in Virginia and there 
engaging in farm work, by the month. His wages were eight dollars a month, 
the usual price that was paid for like labor at that time. He remained at this 
place for four years, coming then to Franklin county, Ohio. He owned a team 
by this time, and here engaged in hauling brick and stone and in general team- 
ing. Soon after he rented a small tract of land near the city, where he began 
gardening, on a small scale, continuing, a? he succeeded, to add improvements. 
This place was cultivated for four years, l,ut in 1859 ^e bought his present 
farm and began gardening on a large scale. At that time there were few 
market gardens near the city, and Mr. Distelhorst made an immediate success 
of his venture. Until 1893 he continued in the active conduct of his business, 




GEORGE H. DISTELHORST. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 865 

but at that time he resigned the work to younger hands. He now has twenty- 
three acres of valuable land where he resides, eight acres upon which his son 
George lives and owns nineteen mere acres as productive land. 

Mr. Distelhorst was married in Germany, in 1847, to Miss Hermine 
Althoff, a native of his native county. She died November 6, 1897, having 
been the mother of eight children: Frederick, who married and located in 
Franklin township: George, who also settled in Franklin township, with his 
family; \\^illiam. Otto and Charles, deceased; Pauline, who married Robert 
\\'acker, of Columbus; Anna, at home; and Herman, who is married and en- 
gages in the gardening business, in this township. 

Air. Distelhorst has -given his family every advantage in his power and 
takes much comfort in their material prosperity. He is well known and much 
respected, both in his immediate locality, and also in the business world of 
Columbus, and having a fine voice, was for many years' a member of the 
Maennerchor of Columbus. He is a member of the Independent Protestant 
church, of Columbus, and much credit is. due Mr. Distelhorst for his success 
in life, as it has been attained by his own unaided effort. 

JOSEPH SHOAF. 

Joseph Shoaf, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and fifty 
acres on section i, Hamilton township, was born July 7, 1836, in the town- 
ship where he yet makes his home. His father, Henry Shoaf, was a native of 
Virginia and removed to Franklin county at an early day, taking up his 
abode in the midst of the forest in Hamilton township. There he built a log 
house and improved the farm, upon which not a furrow had been turned or an 
improvement made when he located there. Throughout his entire life he 
carried on agricultural pursuits' and was also a successful stock-raiser. His 
father, Jacob Shoaf, was also a native of the old Dominion and when his 
children were small emigrated to Ohio, taking up his residence on the farm 
which is now the home of Adam Lenhardt. Here he spent his remaining days, 
and Henry Shoaf was a resident of the county from the age of seven years 
until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-four years of age. He 
married Rachel Stummel, also a native of Virginia, and a daughter of Michael 
Stummel, who became one of the honored pioneers of Franklin countv. :\Irs. 
Shoaf died at the age of sixty-six years. 

Joseph Shoaf was one of three children born to his parents, and is now 
the_ only survivor of the family. The sun shone down upon many a farm 
which he plowed in his boyhood and ripened the grain which sprang from the 
seed which he planted, for he was early trained to the work of the home farm. 
His youth was passed in Hamilton township, and he began his education in a 
primitive log schoolhouse, the methods of instruction differing greatly from 
those now in vogue. Under the parental roof he remained until his marriage, 
which was celebrated July 19, 1859. Miss' Mary Ann Rohr becoming his wi^fe. 

Mrs. Shoaf is the eldest daughter of \Villiam and Elizabeth (\\'olf) 



866 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Rohr, and was born in Hamilton township, Franklin county, on the 4th of 
November, 1835. Her father was one of 'the pioneers of the county. He 
was born in Haycock township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on the 20th of 
September, 1810, and' in 1816, when six years of age. acccjmpanied his ]5ar- 
ents on their removal to Ohio. The family located in Madison township, 
where he was reared and after his marriage he removed to Hamilton town- 
ship, where he reared his family of eleven children. He was widely and 
favorably known in the community, was a Republican in his political adher- 
ency and served as trustee of his township. His wife was a native of tlie 
Empire state. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Shoaf have been born three children. 
Flora, the eldest, is the wife of George W. Finks, a farmer of Hamilton town- 
ship, and they have three children living, — Harry W., Anna G. and Albert S. 
Lorma E., the second child, is the wife of Jesse G. Gould, also an agriculturist 
of Hamilton township, and they have live children, — Mary F., Edith M., 
Charles J., Louisa L. and Walter E. Mary C., the youngest member of the 
Shoaf family, died at the age of five months. 

At the time of their marriage our subject and his wife located' in what 
is now Marion township, on the farm now occupied by Mr. Davis. It is' 
situated on the Chillicothe pike, and there they remained until 1876, when they 
removed to Delaware county. After a year, however, they returned to Frank- 
lin county and have since made their home on section i, Hamilton township, 
where Mr. Shoaf owns one hundred and five acres of land, which he has 
placed under a high state of cultivation and has improved with many modern 
accessories and conveniences, rendering this one of the attractive farms of the 
community. 

In his political views he is a Republican, having been identified with the 
party since attaining his majority. He served as a member of the school board 
for twelve years and is now serving in the thirteenth year as s'chool director. 
For thirty-five years he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church and has taken an active part in its work and advancement. His life 
is characterized by industry and by fidelity to both public and private duties 
and thus he is accounted one of the representative men of Hamilton township. 

ELI CHRYSLER. 

Eli Chrysler is numbered among the early settlers of Alifflin township, 
Avhere he yet resides, his home being a half a mile west of Gahanna. Many 
years have passed since he came to Franklin county and decade after 
decade has been added to the cycle of the centuries. The contrast between 
the sight which met the gaze of the traveler when Mr. Chrysler first arrived 
here and the view which is spread out before the visitor of to-day is very great. 
Then there was to be seen unbroken forests and tracts of wet. marshy land, 
where to-day are fine fields of grain, surrounding commodious and substantial 
farm houses, while here and there are towns., villages and cities with all the 
business interests known to the much older east. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ^67 

Mr. Chrysler was born in Ca}-uga county, New York, June 15, 1836. 
His father, Adam Chrysler, was a native of the Empire state and a farmer 
by occupation. In 1838 he came to Ohio, locating in Licking county, and in 
1853 he took up his abode in Franklin county, his farm being situated in Truro 
township. His last days, however, were passed in ]\Iifflin township, where 
he died when about seventy years of age. He was of German lineage. His 
wife, who bore the name of Ruth Leonard, was a native of Vermont but was 
reared in New York and for many years was a resident of Ohio, her death 
occurring in Coluni'bus when she was about seventy years of age. She was 
of English descent. They were the parents of four sons and five daughters, 
eight of whom reached years of maturity. 

'"Squire" Chrysler, as he is well known throughout Franklin county, 
was the fifth child and second son. When about two years of age he was 
brought by his parents from New York to Ohio, and at the age of seventeen 
accompanied the family on their removal from Licking to Franklin county. 
In the former locality he acquired his education in the common schools and 
through the months of summer he assisted in the labors of field and meadow. 
His first independent work was as a farm hand, at which he was employed by 
the day. He afterward embarked in the saw mill business in partnership with 
his brother in Truro township, where they continued until 1864. In 1865 they 
began the operation of a grist-mill and also engaged in the manufacture and 
sale of lumber in Mifiiin township, the partnership being continued until the 
death of the brother. Mr. Chrysler afterward carried on the business alone 
until 1875. The following year he purchased another sawmill in Mififlin 
township and therein converted the timber into lumber. Throughout the 
greater part of his active business career Mr. Chrysler has been engaged in the 
sawmill business, and in the enterprise is now associated with his son, having 
a mill in Mifflin township. He also followed general farming through a 
portion of the time and has continuously given his attention to that industry 
during the past eight years, owning a farm of eighteen acres in ]\Iifflin town- 
ship. In connection with his son he also owns forty-six acres in Blendon 
township and another tract of ninety-five acres in the same township, while 
:n Wal.ut township, Pickaway county, they have fifty acres. 

In 1863 '"Squire" Chrysler was united in marriage to Miss Susan 
Roshell, who for about a quarter of a century was to him a faithful companion 
and helpmate on the journey of life, but her death occurred January 17, 
1887. They had two children, Eva, now the wife of Harry Earl, a farmer 
of Mifflin township, and Charles H., who married Clara Palmer and resides 
with his father, with whom he is associated in business. 

Mr. Chrysler was elected justice of the peace in 1878 and since that time 
has continuously filled that office, — a period of twenty-three coiisecutive 
years. His record in this regard is unparalleled by that of any incumbent in 
the office in the county. That he discharges his duties in a prompt and reliable 
manner and without fear or favor is indicated by his long continuance in 
the position. During this time he has not onlv administered the law concerning 



868 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

differences between litigants, but has also married about sixty couples. In 
politics he has been a life-long Democrat. Socially he is connected with 
Mifliin Lodge, No. 518, I. O. O. F., has filled all of its chairs and has taken a 
very active part in its work. At the time of the Civil war he was among the 
loyal defenders of the Union who wore the blue. He enlisted in August, 
1862, as a member of Company I, Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
and served for nine months. At the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, he was 
wounded by a gun shot, and on account of his injuries was honorably dis- 
charged. He holds membership in John A. Miller Post, No. 192, G. A. R., 
and has served as its quartermaster. At all times he has been faithful to 
his duties of citizenship, honorable in his business relations and loyal to the 
ties of social and home life. His history show^s the powder of industry as a 
means of wrestling fortune from the hands of an adverse fate. He is now 
a substantial citizen of Franklin county, and has attained to that position 
through his well directed efforts. 

WILLIAM A. WILSON, M. D. 

William A. Wilson, M. D., is a representative of both the professional and 
agricultural interests of Franklin county, wdiere he has attained prominence 
as a reliable physician and is also known as a leading farmer and stock- 
raiser. He was born in the city of Columbus, on the 28th of June, 1854, 
and represents one of the old families of the community. The Wilsons are 
of Scotch lineage. The father, Washington Wilson, was born in Pennsyl- 
vania and became a machinist, in wdiich capacity he long served in the employ 
of the Pan Handle Railroad Company, having charge of the old Piqua shops 
at Columbus, and lived to be about seventy years of age. His wife, Caroline A. 
Moore, was a native of England and when a maiden of twelve summers 
crossed the Atlantic to the new world w'ith her people, the family making 
their way direct to Knox county, Ohio, and thence to Columbus. She is still 
living, at the age of sixty-seven years. 

The Doctor is her second child and the only one of the family now 
living. He w^as educated in the public schools of his native city until twelve 
years of age, w^hen the family removed to Mifflin towaiship and he afterw^ard 
attended a private academy in that locality. Determining to make the practice 
of medicine his life work he began his preparation to that end, when nine- 
teen years of age, under the direction of Dr. D. N. Kinsman. Subsequently 
he attended the Columbus Medical College and upon completing the regularly 
prescribed course was graduated in 1878. He then located in Mifflin town- 
ship, where he has since engaged in practice, keeping in touch with the progress 
which has been so marked in the profession through the past half century. 
He also has a fine stock farm, owning many valuable horses, including one 
stallion — Imperial Hal — having a record of 2:12^. He has seven w-ell-bred 
horses and other high grade stock upon his farm, which is located in Delaware 
county and comprises seventy acres. He is also engag^ed in general mercITan- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 869 

dising in Gahanna, where he has erected the largest building in the town, 
It is two stories in height, with a large hall above, and is fifty-six by twenty- 
four feet in dimensions. 

In 1878 the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Ella Belt, a native 
of Licking county, Ohio, and a daughter of James P. and Margaret (Baker) 
Belt. They became the parents of five children, of whom four are living: 
Estella L., Lois M., William A., and Washington A. The third child, Frank 
L., is now deceased. The eldest is the wife of George W. Nicholson, of Col- 
ambus. Lois is a student in that city and William A. will complete the course 
in the Gahanna high school in 1901. The cause of education finds the Doctor 
a warm friend and he is providing his children with excellent advantages in 
that direction. He has served as a member of the school board and has held 
other offices. In politics he is a stanch Republican and his varied business 
interests indicate his ability for he has carried all forward to successful com- 
pletion. 

WILLIAAI HOUSE. 

One of the pioneer residents of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio, 
who watched' the growth and development of his section from almost a wilder- 
ness to its present flourishing state of cultivation, was the late William House, 
the subject of this mempir. He was born on his father's farm, in this town- 
ship and county, January 27, 1816, in a log cabin on a little clearing" in tlie 
woods. His parents were Richard and Sarah (White) House, the former a 
native of Maryland, the latter of Loudoun county, Virginia. Richard House 
was born in 1777, and wdien but a youth came to Franklin county, Ohio, about 
1809, taking up his residence in this township. Fie came of sturdy Dutch 
stock and lived to a good old age. The mother of our subject was a daugliter 
of another old settler, named Samuel White, who^ had served in the Revolu- 
tionary war. He was one of the earliest pioneers of Franklin county and 
possessed five hundred acres of land, all of which he succeeded in clearing 
excepting about ten acres. He alsu lived to the age of about eighty. The 
mother of our subject was one of a pair of twins, in a family of six children, 
and lived to be about sixty-six years of age, always being proud of her Scotch 
descent. The parents of our subject reared four children in the little log house, 
he being the only surivivor, the others being George; Nancy Ann, who mar- 
ried James Vanderburgh and later Robert Riordan ; and John, who died when 
but twenty-one years old. 

William House was reared in the primitive surroundings of the time and 
vicinity, growing into sturdy manhood upon his father's farm and enjoying 
all of the educational advantages provided at the district school. On Febru- 
ary 14, 1843, 1''^ married Miss Julia Moler, a native of Tiffin, Ohio, born there 
September 22, 1825, a daughter of Rollin and Susan (Ransburgh) ]\Ioler, 
both natives of Maryland. They reared a large number of children. — John, 
Daniel, Sarah Ann. Julia Ann, Rollin G., Eliza. Maria, Hannah, Henry and 



870 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Cornelia; but jMrs. House, the wife of cur suljject, was the only survivor. 
She was five years of age when she came to Franklin township with her par- 
ents. She grew to womanhood in her native place, attended the district school 
and later the city schools in Columbus. After marriage she went to house- 
keeping in a cabin of logs located on the farm where their present beautiful 
residence is located, but when the family increased Mr. House built a larger 
cabin of the same useful material, where they remained- comfortable until 
circumstances caused the erection of the new brick mansion. Seven children 
were born to Mr. and Mrs. House: Sarah, who died in infancy; Emily, who 
married William Miller, a resident of Columbus, and has three daughters — 
Gertrude, Clara and Pearl; Rollin, deceased, who married Lovina Bender and 
had two children, — Grace and George, — now residents of Columbus ; Virginia 
D., deceased; William D., born June 23, 1859, '^'^'ho attends to the farm; James 
H., who married Annie Haines, since deceased, and has two children, — 
Kichard and Cora ; and Nellie Blanch, who married Clark Allen and has two 
sons, William and Charles W., who reside on farms in Jackson township. 

Mr. House was a successful farmer and stock-raiser, dealing extensively 
in caitje and hogs. His farm of one hundred and eighty acres he placed in 
a fine state of cultivation, with most attractive surrounding^s near his resi- 
dence. HiS' own duties were lightened for some years by his son Will- 
iam, who attended to much of the work. 

Politically, Mr. House was a Whig in earlier years and voted for Gen- 
eral Harrison in 1840, after which time every Republican candidate for the high 
office of president received his ballot. He w^as very frequently called upon to 
hold ofiice, being at one time township trustee.. In 1840 he became a member 
of the Methodist church, after which time his allegiance never failed. Pie was 
ever one of the substantial men of Franklin county who did his duty to country, 
church and family. He died February 17, 1901, at the age of eighty-five years, 
and his wife departed this life only a few days previously, February 4, at the age 
of seventy-five years, and thus the social relations of the ccmmunity were 
severely affected. 

THOMAS HART. 

This well known citizen of Franklin township, Franklin county, is the 
subject of the following sketch. He was born April 28, 1847, on the home- 
stead farm of his parents, Theadore and Catherine A. (Walton) Hart, a 
sketch of whose lives appears upon another page of this history. He was 
reared upon that homestead, attending the district schools for his education 
and ^remaining at the parental home until his marriage, when he located upon 
a tract of land near Green Lawn and began farming for himself. As a farmer 
boy he had always been very successful, and his present fine farm shows that 
he thoroughly understands agricultural matters. For five years he followed 
agriculture in Jackson township previous to location at his present place, 
where he has about fifty-five acres, devoted to general farming. In 1900 he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 8;i 

purchased the John Brown farm of one hundred and twenty-seven arces in 
Jackson township; and besides this property he also owns a half interest in 
thirty-seven acres of the old Dennison farm near Greenlawn cemetery. 

At the age of twenty-three years Mr. Hart was married to Miss Sarah 
Jane Lott, a native of New Jersey, where she was reared until about sixteen 
years of age, when he came to Franklin township. She was one of a family 
of eleven children, and now has the satisfaction of having two sisters and a 
brother living in the same township. Mr. and Mrs. Hart have no children of 
their own, but have adopted a little child by the name of Raymond Bertrand, 
who came to their loving care when he was but seventeen days old. 

J\Ir. Hart has taken an active part in the deliberations of the Republican 
party, and he and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist church, 
in which he is' a trustee and is highly valued on account of his efficiency and 
readiness in the performance of religious duties. He is well known and 
highly respected throughout the township. 



WILLIAM CLINE. 

One of the oldest settlers and a prominent farmer of Franklin county, 
Ohio, is William Cline, who was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, August 
9, 1832. He was a son of Conrad and ^lartha Rebecca (Heaton) Cline, both 
of them natives of the Keystone state. They settled in Franklin county in 
1833, residing one year in Columbus and then removing to the farm upon which 
our subject now resides. Conrad Cline was one of the pioneers of the county 
and he and his family endured' all the privations' which attended the settling 
of the new home. Nothing can bring the life of that yesterday to the mind so 
well as do the tales from the picneer's own lips. The rude log huts in the wil- 
derness, the struggles with savage animals and wild nature, the deprivations' 
and unavoidable hcme-sickness, and then the overcoming of all these conditions, 
make tales well worthy of attention. All of these experiences came into the 
lives of the parents of our subject, but they lived out their four-score and ten 
years, dying at the age of eighty-four years. The family consisted of three 
children, our subject being the only son, his two sisters being ^lary Jane, the 
wife of Charles White, of Franklin township; and Anna, the wife of Richard 
Vanderburg, — both of whom are deceased. 

\\^illiam Cline was but one year of age when brought to Franklin county, 
and here he grew tO' manhood. His schooling was that obtainalile in the 
country and was often interrupted by the necessity of beginning work as soon 
as the seasons were far enough advanced for agricultural labor. In those 
days no machinery was to be had, many of the present implements had not 
been invented, and the threshing of the grain was accomplished by the tramp- 
ling of horses upon the wheat, which was spread in a small circle upon hard 
ground. Until his marriage he remained with his father, later engaging 
in general farming upon a part of the estate. He now owns two hundred and 



872 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

sixty-four acres of some of the finest land in the Scioto vahey. He rents a 
part of it and the rest is under the care of his two sons. 

Mr. CHne was married in Franklin township, November 4, 1858, to j\Iiss 
Lydia Briggs, the only sister of Henry Briggs, whose sketch appears upon 
another page of this work. The death of Mrs. Cline took place November 8, 
1 888, leaving three children and the bereaved husband. The children are: 
Anna, the wife of Nelson Breninger, of Texas; Lester, who married Lydia 
]Moore, of Franklin county and resides at home; and Willard. who married 
Lizzie Huffman and is also at home. 

The political opinions of Mr. Cline favor the Democratic party, and he has 
alwavs taken a great interest in its success'. He has faithfully served the 
township as trustee for eleven years, and has many times filled the minor oflices. 
In all the county there is no one more thoroughly respected than our subject. 
He has done much for the development of the section in which he lives, and 
has taken intense interest in the improvements which have been wrought since 
his advent so many years ago. 

BARNABAS PFHNNEY. 

For many years this gentleman was .prominently identified with the 
agricultural and business interests of Franklin county, Ohio, his home being 
on a farm in Clinton township, where he died on the 28th of January, 1899, 
honored and respected by all who knew him. He was born in Lee, Berk- 
shire county, Massachusetts, April 3, 181 3, and when four years of age moved 
to New York state with his parents, Calvin an^l Thankful (Bassett) Phinney, 
residing there until the removal of the family to ]\Iedina county, Ohio, more 
than sixty years ago. In 1838, at the age of twenty-six, he came to Frank- 
lin county, and located in Clinton township, where he continued lo make his 
home throughout the remainder of his life. On his arrival here he purchased 
sixty acres of land, three of which are still retained by his widow as a home 
place. He was married on the 2nd of November, 1843, to Miss Mary S. 
Smiley. No children were born to them but they reared three from child- 
hood, namely : Nellie Smiley ; Barney Smiley ; and Libbie Cruder, now 
Mrs. Arnold. 

Mr. Phinney was a man of good business ability and did not confine his 
attention solely to agricultural pursuits, but became interested in other enter- 
prises, including the construction and carrying on of the toll road from Colum- 
bus to W'Orthington, being treasurer of the company for a number of years. 
He al.^o held stock in the Electric Street Car Company that built the line be- 
tween those cities. In his political views he was a Republican, and at the polls" 
always exercised the privileges of citizenship. He was a regular attendant 
at the Presbyteran church of Worthington, of which he was a trustee for many 
years, and was a liberal contributor to all religious denominations and to any 
other worthy public enterprise. As a gentleman he was widely and favorably 
known, and was highly respected by a host of friends. 




BARS ABAS PHIHNEY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. §73 

Colonel William Smiley, the father of ]\Irs. Phinney, was a native of 
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, born June 5, 1789, and in early manhood came to this 
state. At Greenville, Ohio, he was married in 181 7 to Miss Nancy Penning- 
ton, a native of Virginia, and they became the parents of eleven children, 
nine of whom were born in Franklin county, namely : Ryan, deceased ; Lu- 
cinda, deceased wife of George P. Whip; George E., a resident of Clinton 
township, this county; John, of Sharon township; Richard M., of Clinton 
township; Theodore and William, both deceased; James, a resident of Illi- 
nois ; Sarah Jane, deceased ; Robert ; and Mrs. Phinney. During the Civil 
war Robert enlisted for three months at the first call for troop =, and while in 
the service was taken ill with smallpox at Philadelphia, where 1t€ died and was 
buried. The father of this family departed this life September 2j, 1873, ^^^<i 
the mother died March 24, 1885, at the age of eighty-three years, f :ur months 
and fourteen days. 

Before 1820 Colonel Smiley became a resident of Franklin county and 
purchased land in Clinton township, upon which North Columbus is now 
located. By trade he was a carpenter and followed that occupation during the 
greater part of his life, but he also operated the Whip mill, now known as the 
Weisenheimer mill, for a good many years and the Wilcox mill at North 
Columbus. He was an active and energetic business man and dealt largely in 
mill products. Politically he was a Democrat, and on one occasion was the 
nominee of his party for the ofBce of representative, but was defeated at the 
polls. For about thirty-five years he served as constable in Clinton township, 
and also held the position of township treasurer. In early life he ran many 
races with the Indians, and at the age of sixty-five could outrun or outwalk 
any man, old or young, in Franklin county. He served with distinction as 
captain in the war of 1812 under General Harrison, and later received a pen- 
sion in recognition of his services. In religious belief he was a Universalist, 
while his \yife was a devout and active member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. He was greatly respected by all who knew him, and justly merited 
the high regard in which he was held. 

JOSEPH F. JONES, M. D. 

One of the young men who is rapidly winning a place among the success- 
ful physicians and surgeons of Columbus is Dr. Jones, who was born in Fayette 
county, Ohio, in 1872, a son of Dr. J. F. Jones, of New Martinsburg,' this 
state. The father is a graduate of the State ]\Iedical College, at Cincumati, 
and for a number of years has engaged in practice in New Martinsburg, where 
the son was reared and educated, completing the high school course there. Later 
he entered the National Normal University, at Lebanon, Ohio, where he pre- 
pared for teaching, but, becoming imbued with the desire to make the practice 
of medicine his life work, he began study under the direction of his father and 
subsequently matriculated in the Starling Medical College, of Columbus, in 

which he was graduated in the class of 1808. When the course was com- 
55 



874 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pleted he became house physician in St. Francis Hospital and acceptably served 
in that capacity for two years. He then began private practice and is now w^ell 
established in a good business. An earnest and determined purpose — without 
which there is' no success in life — is the keynote of his advancement, and a 
laudable ambition prompts him to advance steadily until he is now occupying 
a very creditable position, being ranked as the equal of many men in the profes- 
sion who have much longer been connected with it. 

In 1899 Dr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Florence M. Clark, a 
daughter of John P. Clark. Socially the Doctor is connected with the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Knights of Pythias fraternity. 
His social quahties render him popular, and by the profession and the laity he 



MOSES COSGRAY. 

\ 

Among the highly esteemed residents of Washington township. Franklin 
county, Ohio, is Moses Cosgray, the subject of this sketch, who resides upon 
a finely cultivated and improved farm near Dublin. He was a son of Jeremiah 
and a grandson of James Cosgray, whose sketches appear in another part of 
this history. 

Our subject was born near Waynesburg, Greene county, Pennsylvania, 
September 11, 1848, and was reared upon a farm. His educatonal advan- 
tages were very meagre, as at that time the sessions of the district school 
were limited to four winter months, and he was never able to attend for more 
than two of these. At the age of seventeen he came w'ith his parents to Ohio, 
endeavoring after locating in this state to pursue his studies, but with no great 
amount of success. Mr. Cosgray grew up a fine, sturdy specimen of farmer 
boy, and at the time of his marriage was well acquainted with all of the details 
necessary for the management of the farm. At the age of fifteen he first began 
earning his own money, his wages being fifteen dollars a month, including 
board. He assisted his family until he was twenty-five years old, at which 
time he began his own happy domestic life. 

Mr. Cosgray was married October 23, 1873, ^o Miss Janet Postle, the 
estimable daughter of John and Rebecca (Bridges) Postle. She was born near 
Columbus. Ohio, June 15, 1850, and received a part of her education at Olen- 
tangy, Ohio, passing the years between sixteen and nineteen at Richwood. 
Her parents died died when she was but six yars old and she was reared by her 
cousin. Emory Bridges. 

Our subject located on his present place after marriage, renting it of 
his father for two years, later purchasing it. The farm comprises fifty-five 
acres, which he has improved to a high degree, having erected commodious 
and comfortable buildings, put in tiling and planted orchards. He now owns 
one of the most attractive and productive places in the neighborhood. His 
means were very limited at the time of his marriage, but he possessed energy 
and perseverance and was ably assisted and supported by his capable wife. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 875 

He has engaged in general farming and stock-raising and has been very suc- 
cessful in both lines. 

The children born to ]Mr. and Mrs. Cosgray are Rella, who was educated 
for a teacher at Worthington; Ada, who is Mrs. Joseph Baker, of White 
county, Indiana; Carrie, who died at the age of three; Lela, and Michal. 
The family is connected with the Christian church of Dublin, where they en- 
joy the esteem of every one. Mr. Cosgray has long been an active member 
of the Democratic party and has served his township on the school board. 

HUGH E. JOXES. 

The subject of this sketch has the unique distinction of having been 
born on the high sea, and for the first time saw the light of day on a vessel 
which belonged to his father, off the English coast, March 11, 1826, and is 
the son of Evan and Elkn (Jenkins) Jones, natives of Wales. His father, 
who was the owner of a small vessel which plied between Liverpool and other 
ports, died wiien Hugh was eleven months old, and when he was four years 
old his mother married John Jones. She lived' to a good old age and 
died in Wales, and was the mother of two daughters and four sons, all of 
whom were the children of her first husband. Hugh E. Jones, the youngest 
of her six children, remained with his mother in Wales until he was ten years 
old, when he became a cabin boy on board a vessel sailed by his uncle, Harry 
Jones, and was thus employed until, he was seventeen years old, during 
which time he sailed around the cape and visited Africa and China and many 
other parts of the world. In 1843 in the vicissitudes of his sea-faring life, 
he was made a prisoner and sent to Hong Kong, China, from which port 
lie escaped on a British ship, commanded by one Captain Jackson, and Tie 
was landed in Mexico, whence he made his way by way of the Gulf of 
Mexico and the great American rivers to Cincinnati, Ohio, starting with 
twelve men under his supervision, only three of whom lived to reach their 
destination. He spent a year in Cincinnati, working in a distillery and on 
river boats. From Cincinnati he came to Franklin county, Ohio, where he 
Vv'as employed for about six years in the distillery of Amor Rees. After that 
he worked about seven years in Marion county. Ohio, for a distiller named 
Jacob Stoutzenberger. While in Franklin county he had secured a farm to 
which he now returned and which he improved and lived on until the present 
time. It consists of one hundred and fifty-six and a half acres and is 
regarded as good property, and under Mr. Jones's management has afforded 
him a good living and yielded him material profit. In 1888 he sold his 
stock at auction and visited Great Britain and Europe, stopping in London, 
Paris and other great cities, his itinerary covering a period of five months. 
Returning to Franklin county, he resumed farming and met with success 
until his recent retirement. 

In 1849, -l^^^- Jones was married in ^Marion county. Ohio, to ]\Iiss Mary 
Miller, and has two sons and three daughters. Their daughter, Dorliska, 



8/6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

is the wife of James Evans, of Missouri, and their son. Parley, lives in 
Nodaway county, that state. Theron is a well known real estate man of 
Columbus, Ohio. Flora married James Simpson and Rosa married William 
Simpson and they live at Lima, Ohio. Politically Mt. Jones is a Democrat 
and he has always taken an active interest in the affairs of his township, 
which he served for twelve years as trustee and many years as school director. 
His public spirit is such that he has been in every way a useful and helpful 
citizen. His life has been a busy and industrious one and more eventful than 
the lives of most men in Franklin county, and it is to be regretted that he 
could not be induced to go more fully into details concerning his younger 
days and his experiences as a sailor on many seas and in many ports. 



MICHAEL DERRER. 

A beautiful farm of one hundred and ninety-three acres of land near the 
city of Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin township, is owned by the subject of 
this sketch ; and here he and his family 'reside in comfort, wath every sign of 
prosperity around them. 

Michael Derrer was born in Bavaria, Germany, September 20, 1836, 
where he lived until he was sixteen years of age. At that time he joined the 
number of young men who came to this country to better their fortunes, 
bringing with him no wealth but health, energy and honesty of purpose. 
After a short time spent in New York he came to Columbus and here engaged 
in anything tliat promised remuneration, but asserts that he saved no money 
until after his ma-rriage. This took place in 1859, when Miss Elizabeth B. 
Wolleben, a native of Saxony, Germany, became his wife. He then located 
upon land which is now embraced in Camp Chase, raised a crop of corn and 
sold it to the government. He remained on that tract until 1865, which was 
owned by John G. Holloway, of Henderson, Kentucky, and he bought a farm 
five miles east of Columbus, where the family lived until the spring of 1869^ 
when he sold and soon bought fifty acres on his present location. Being very 
successful in both farming and dairying, the time came when he was able to 
add four hundred and forty acres to the fifty and now he has a tract of land 
that is very valuable. He freely gives credit to Mrs. Derrer for her industry 
and capable management of the affairs of the household. 

A large and intelligent family has grown up about Mr. and Mrs. Derrer, 
— Minnie, Annie, Lizzie, George, Frances, Jonas, Nettie, Franklin and Lydia, 
deceased, and Nellie, now twenty years old. The youngest son of Mr. Derrer 
married Leila Roberts and lives at home. 

Mr. Derrer is a member of no political party, reserving the right, free 
from the party whip, to cast his vote for the men he conscientiously believes 
will be the best for the country, and in this position he is upheld by his sons, 
they relying upon his judgment. The family is a pleasant one, much es- 
teemed in the neighborhood. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. %n 

ERNST REIXKEXS. 

One of the prominent old residents of Franklin township, Franklin county. 
Ohio, is the subject of the present sketch. He was born in Prussia, September 
17, 1833, and was the son of Louis and iMar}- (Wulner) Reinkens, both of them 
being natives of the same place. They came to America in 1856, locating 
at Schenectady, in the state of New York, where ;\lr. Reinkens died at the 
age of seventy-six years. 

Onr subject, Ernst Reinkens, left home at the age of nineteen years and 
learned the brushmaker's trade, serving his time at the same. In 1857 ]Mr. 
Reinkens came to Franklin county, Ohio, and here rented a farm which he cul- 
tivated for seven years, and then bought the land upon which he now resides. 
This place was without buildings of any kind, Mr. Reinkens erecting all of the 
commodious structures, houses, barns and outbuildings, also fencing the 
whole tract, until now there is no more conveniently appointed place in the 
locality. Mr. Reinkens has successfully cultivated his land and it shows his 
care. 

In 1857 Mr. Reinkens married Carrie Shwenkeur, a native of Germany, 
who had come to New York previous to 1864, which was the date of her 
arrival in Franklin county. Eight children have been born to Mr. and ]\Irs. 
Reinkens : Edward, who married Sarah Rubensburg and has two children, — 
Herbert and Mabel; Frank; Henry, deceased; William, who married Louisa 
Reinkens; Charles, who married Effie Lanerd and has three children, — Helen, 
Esther and Efiie; Carrie, who married Frank ]\Ieeker and has one son, Ed- 
ward; and Emma and Hattie. 

Mr. Reinkens is a stanch Republican in his political faith, and takes an 
intense interest in the important issues of the day. He has always been a 
strong advocate of all educational laws looking toward the betterment of all 
classes, and is particularly interested in the common schools. He is one of 
the old, tried and true members of the Methodist church, valued and respected. 
His help was freely given toward the erection of the Livingston avenue church 
edifice. IMrs. Reinkens was removed by death, in 1887, since which time 
Mr. Reinkens has been much comforted by his estimable children. 

AUGUSTUS S. RITTER. M. D. 

The unostentatious routine of private life, although of vast importance 
to the welfare of the community, has not figured to any great extent in the 
pages of history. But the names of men who ha\-e distinguished themselves 
by the possession of those qualities of character which mainly contribute to 
the succesis of private life and to the public stability, and who have enjoyed 
the respect and confidence of those around them should not be permitted' to 
perish. Their example is more valuable to the majority of readers than that 
of heroes, statesmen and writers, as they furnish means of subsistence for the 
multitude whom they in their usteful careers have emploved. 



878 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Such are the thoughts that involuntarily come to our minds when we 
consider the life of him whose name initiates this sketch. He was born in 
Pickerington, Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 5th of December, 1865. His 
parents, Ira and Elizabeth J. (Doty) Ritter, are both natives of Ohio', and 
the former is a farmer by occupation. They became the parents of ten chil- 
dren, nine of whom are yet living. The Doctor's early youth was passed 
upon a farm, while in the district schools of the neighborhood he obtained his 
elementary education. Subsequently he attended Reynoldsburg Academy, 
where he studied for more than two years, thus fitting himself to teach. 
For four years he followed that professic-n in Fairfield and Franklin counties 
and was a successful and popular educator. On abandoning his efforts in that 
direction, however, he began reading medicine under the supervisiion of Dr. 
J. E. Berry, a well known physician of Pickerington. Later he continued 
his studies under Dr. O. P. Driver, of Basil, Ohio, those two gentlemen being 
his preceptors for three years. Fie then matriculated in the Starling Medical 
College, of Columbus, where he pursued the full course prescribed by the 
statutes of the state and wasi graduated on the 5th of March, 1891. He was 
also graduated in surgery at the same time he received his diploma in medi- 
cine. Immediately thereafter he established an office in the suburban town of 
JMilo, which was just then springing into existence on the outskirts of Colum- 
bus, the Doctor being the firsit physician in the place. Here he has since re- 
mained and by the strictest attention to the discharge of his professional 
duties he has iDuilt up a practice which has steadily increased with the pass- 
ing years and is now very lucrative. His business extends into the rural 
regions north and south and he is now recognized as one of the leading mem- 
bers of the medical fraternity. 

Dr. Ritter was united in marriage to Miss Allie j\I. Stoltz, of Perry, Ohio. 
He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, of which 
he is a liberal supporter. He also belongs to Olentangy Lodge, I. O. R. ]\I., 
also to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and to Ohio Camp, No. 3735, 
M. W. A. While well known and highly respected in social circles, the Doctor 
gives the greater part of his time and attention to the practice of medicine. 
He is a close student of materia medica and therapeutics and keeps in touch 
with the best professional tboiight of the day. 

DANIEL F. ROBERTS. 

The history of an industrious, useful life is always interesiing and it 
always contains lessons of value to those who would get on in the world. 
Such a life has been that of Daniel F. Roberts, a prominent farmer and 
leading citizen of Brown township, Franklin county, Ohio, some adequate 
account of which it will be attempted to place before the readers of this 
work. 

Daniel F. Roberts was born July 12, 1851, a son of Lewis and Rachel 
(Richards) Roberts. His father was a native of Wales, born July 4, 1818, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 879 

a son of Ellis and Catharine (Pugh) Roberts, who came to New York city 
in 1824, bringing their family with them. There Ellis Roberts died and in 
1835 his widow brought her children to Ohio, and settled on one hundred 
acres of land in Brown township, Franklin county, which her husband had 
owned at the time of his death. Mrs. Roberts died on that little Ohio farm 
in 1846. Catherine, the eldest of the family, was twice married, first to 
Thomas Thomas, later to Thomas Evans, and died in New York city. 
Lewis, next in order of birth, was the father of the subject of this sketch. 
David left Ohio and is supposed to have died in some remote part of the 
country. Ellis died in Brown township. Susanna, who became Mrs. Arthur 
Arnold, died in New York. John P. ended his days in Franklin county, 
Ohio. Lewis Roberts, who was born in Wales, in 18 18, was four years old 
when his parents came to America and was educated in New York, where he 
lived until, in his eighteenth year, he came with his mother to Brown town- 
ship. The woman who became his wife was Rachel Richards, whose par- 
ents, William and Mary (Williams) Richards, married in their native Wales. 
Mr. Roberts conducted a hotel at Rome, Ohio, for five years, and except for 
that brief interval, passed his whole life after his marriage on the home 
farm of his family in Franklin county, where he was prominent as a Demo- 
crat, a Baptist and a citizen and filled with great credit several responsible 
local offices. His wife, who died June 16, 1889, bore him children as follows: 
David William, of Columbus, Ohio, married Rebecca Drake and after her 
death Minerva Hemrod became his second wife. John Ellis died when only 
nine years old. Mary Catharine married John Samuel Daugherty, of Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, a biographical sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this 
work. Lewis died when twenty-six years old. Daniel F. is the immediate 
subject of this sketch. Richard died when sixteen years old. Susan died 
when in her nineteenth year. John died at the age of twenty-six years. 
Margaret died when twenty years old. Sophia and ilannah, who were twins, 
died in infancy; and another child, named Margaret, died when two years 
old. 

In the spring of 1852, when the subject of this sketch was not yet a year 
old. his parents removed to their home farm in Brown township, from Rome, 
Ohio, where the father had been keeping a hotel for five years and vrhere the 
boy had first seen the light of day. Young Roberts grew to manhood there 
and attended school at the Welsh school house until he was eighteen years 
old, working on his father's farm, mornings and evenings, Saturdays and 
during vacations. He helped to clear up a large part of the farm on which 
he remained until two years after his father's death, making a clearing of 
twenfv-five acres after that event. Then Mr. Roberts and his brother John 
began working one hundred and thirty acres of the home farm and they were 
partners until the death of John in 1882. By an agreement between the two 
sons and their mother, she left them her interest in the farm, of which Mr. 
Roberts became sole owner in consequence of his brother's death. He located 
at his present home in 1883, where he has a large red brick house anl ade- 



88o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

quate barns and outbuildings, and is making a substantial success as a farmer 
and stock raiser. In politics he is a Democrat, and he is influential in local 
affairs, and for three years has ably filled the office of township trustee. He 
is a member of the Grange, of West Jefferson, Ohio, is a Knight of Pythias 
and a Mason, blue lodge and Eastern Star degrees, and is a consistent and 
helpful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was married August 
24, 1882, to Miss Angeline Carter, a daughter of George Carter, of Jeff'erson 
township, JMadison county, Ohio, and has four children, — named Asa David, 
Henry Raymond, Elsie and Laura Mabel. 

ANTON WITTELER. 

Independence, self-reliance, industry and integrity and good business 
judgment have all been factors in the success of Anton W'itteler, a native of 
Prussia, who came to Columbus, Ohio, respectably attired and with fifty dol- 
lars in cash, refusing money which was offered him by relatives in his native 
land and, overcoming many obstacles, made a good name for himself at Colum- 
bus, in Marion township and throughout Franklin county^ where he is known 
as a man of property and a citizen of high standing and absolute reliability. 

Mr. Witteler was born July 7, 1830, and received a good education and 
was taught farming. It was in 1857, when he was twenty-seven years old, 
that, declining money which might have been his and assuring his' friends 
that he was amply able to make his own way in the world, he sailed away to 
the United States and after landing on American isoil came at once to Franklin 
county, Ohio. For three years he worked by the month for "Sim" Lindsey, 
in Hamilton township, and after that he rented a farm and operated it on his 
own account. In 1865, while he was still farming rented land, he bought 
some city property on Main street, Columbus. In 1878 he bought a farm in 
Marion township onto which he removed in 1879 and which he still owns. 
In 1890 he bought thirty-eight acres where he has lived since 1900. He sold 
off much of thi'Si property, but retains four acres on Parsons avenue in Colum- 
bus, where he erected a fine residence, costing five thousand dollars or more, 
which he fitted up in modern style at considerable expense and furnished in 
a way to correspond to the outlay mentioned. He owns a farm of eighty-five 
acres in Marion township and another of one hundred acres in Pickaway 
county. These two farms he rents, giving his, attention to building and other 
business interests. He has' from the start been wdiat is termed a successful 
man, but his prosperity has not been without some setbacks, for he has at 
different times signed his name to help others and has had to pay thousands 
of dollars in consequence. His interests in Columlnis have grown gradually 
until he now owns property in nearly every part of the city. 

Mr. Witteler has never married. He is a Democrat well known 
throughout Franklin county and his influence in local politics is recognized". 
\\ hile he is not an office seeker, he has been prevailed upon by his fellow citi- 
zens to accept some township offices and he filled several in Hamilton town- 






1 




ANTOH WITTELER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 88 r 

ship and was for eleven years treasurer of Marion township. A man of 
much pubHc spirit, he has been helpful to all measures which in his good judg- 
ment have tended to the general good' and he is consiilted whenever sound 
advice is sought as to the conduct of township affairs and to the development 
of important local interests. 

GEORGE MICHAEL KARRER. 

Much has been written and spoken concerning the value of the sturdy, 
industrious, thrifty and reliable German element in our population, but the 
best proof of its excellence is afforded by its representatives, who, like the 
subject of this sketch, dev^elop into self-made men of the best type who may 
be depended upon by the country of their adoption in any emergency that may 
arise. George Michael Karrer, a prominent farmer of Washington township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, is a son of John George Karrer, and a grandson of 
John Karrer, both of whom were born in Germany, the latter in Hoffenheim, 
province of Baden, in April, 1793. 

John George Karrer attended school until he was fourteen years old and 
after that he was employed at farm work. At the age of nineteen he was con- 
scripted into the German army in which he fought against Napoleon. He 
married Catharine Horch, an aunt of John F. Horch, a biographical sketch of 
whom appears in this work, and became a farmer. He died in 1871, his 
vvife in 1868. They had children named as follows: Susan, who married 
John Waibel, and lives on her father's old homestead in Germany; Jacob, 
who died in Germany; John, who came to the United States with his brother 
George Michael, married Miss Becker and became a farmer in Clay county, 
Illinois, where he died in the spring of 1900; and George Michael, who is the 
immediate subject of this sketch. 

George Michael Karrer was born on his father's farm in Hoffenheim, 
province of Baden, Germany, October 25, 1833. As soon as he was old 
enough he was put, in school, where he remained until he was fourteen years 
old. During the succeeding six years he worked on his father's farm. 
When he was twenty years old, he was drafted into the German army, but 
managed to secure a release from military service and in the folhving spring, 
with his brother John and four other young men, he sailed from Havre, 
France, for the United States, on the sail vessel. Southern Johnnie, com- 
manded by Captain Small, and arrived at New York after a voyage of thirty- 
seven days with little money left after having paid his passage. From New 
lYork city he went to Buffalo, New York, and for a week visited in the family 
of his Uncle Peter Horch, who was a ship builder in that city. From Buft'alo 
he came on west to his uncle Abraham Horch's place in Washington town- 
ship, Franklin county, Ohio. Soon afterward he began to learn the black- 
smith's trade with Charles Fogelsang. at Dublin, Franklin county, with 
whom he remained two years. After that he was for one year a partner with 
John Steinbower in a blacksmithing enterprise and later worked two years in a 



882 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

blacksmith shop in Cohimbus, until he located at Dublin, where bought prop- 
erty, built a shop and did business successfully as a blacksmith for eighteen 
years, until 1876, when he bought his present farm of eighty-seven acres in 
Washington township, Franklin county, on which he located in March, 1877. 
I-Ie also owns another farm of sixty-seven acres. His residence was erected 
in 1897. 

Mr. Karrer is a member of the German Lutheran church at Sandy 
Corners and in politics is strongly Republican. He was married in October, 
1858, to Miss Mary Fahrbach, who was born in Baden, Germany, December 
4, 1840, and when eight years old came to the United States with his parents, 
Jacob and Eva (Ruck) Fahrbach, landing at New York, and coming thence 
to Columbus, where her father died and her mother still lives. Mr. and Mrs. 
Karrer have had children as follows: John, who died young; Kate, who 
married Lewis Rings, of Washington township, Franklin county; Jacob, 
who died when a year and a half old ; Mary, who married Godfrey Hurst, 
of Norwich township, Franklin county; George M., who married Barbara 
Ring and lives in Washington township, Franklin county; Lena Caroline, 
Henry, and Carl, who are members of their father's household; and Louisa, 
who is deceased. 

FRANK A. ZIMMER. 

The subject of this) sketch, a prominent citizen of Washington township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, is one of the leading fanners' and dairymen in that 
part of the state. He was born on Scioto street, Columbus, October 16, 1849, 
a son of John F. and Christina (Widner) Zimmer. His grandfather in the 
paternal Hue visited many parts of the world as a sailor and eventually located 
in Brazil, wdiere he owned a large plantation and many slaves and where he 
died. His widow, w4i05ie maiden name had been Margaret Zimmer, after his 
death married, in South America, a man named Schlumberger. who also died 
in Brazil. By her first marriage she had one child, John F. Zimmer, father 
of the subject of this sketch. By her second marriage she had two children, 
Adeline and Margaret Schlumberger, who are now Mrs. Jacob Lang and Mrs. 
Paul Lenhert, respectively. 

John F. Zimmer was born in Brazil September 16, 181 7, and was about 
nine years old when, after the death of his stepfather, his mother brought 
her three children to Cleveland, Ohio. He was obliged early to take up the 
battle of life and was able tO' attend school only two months, but he had a 
desire for knowledge and studied with good results during his spare time. 
He became a foreman in canal construction in Ohio, and was so employed 
for some years. Eventually he located in Columbus, where for twenty years 
he was engaged in draying with such financial success that the business gave 
him a good start in life. Meantime he formed the acquaintance of Ebenezer 
Barcus, of Columbus, and as partners they were for eight yearsi engaged in pre- 
paring sugar-cured hams for the market. After that Air. Zimmer continued 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 883 

the same business successfully for twelve years. After that he was for five 
years a partner in the lumber busine,Sis of Clark Monnette & Company, at the 
expiration of which time he retired from active life. He lived on Mound 
street between High and Third streets for forty-three years, and his residence 
at 66 East Mound street became one of the landmarks in that part of the town. 

John F. Zimmer was married, at Cleveland, Ohio, tO' Miss Christina Wid- 
ner, a native of Germany, whose father died in her native land, and who 
came to the United States with her mother and sflsters. Mrs. Zimmer, who 
died in May, 1900, in her eighty-seventh year, bore her husband children a^ 
follows : Mary married Adam Scheringer and died at Columbus, Ohio. 
Christina A. is an inmate of St. Mary's convent at Columbus. John William 
died at the age of sixteen years. Henry A. is a farmer of Franklin county, 
Ohio. Frank A. Zimmer, subject of this sketch, was the next in ordfer of 
birth. Loui^ja died quite young. Joseph B. is a well known citizen of Colum- 
bus. Katie G. married Joseph B. Ruhl, of St. Louis, Missouri. 

Frank A. Zimmer was early put in a parochial schoo'l in Columbus, and 
attended the public schools from the time he was thirteen until he was six- 
teen. After leaving school he was for a year a clerk in the wholesale dvy- 
goods house of Green, Joyce & Company, of Columbus, and after that he 
was for seven years a salesman for the Ohio Furniture Conipan}-, of that 
city. December i, 1875, he located on his present farm, which now embraces 
two hundred and sixty-two acres of well improved and highly productive 
land. On this place he built a creamery, which is conceded to be one of the 
best equipped in Ohio, and he has a large number of fine Jersey cattle. He 
has built two ailos on his farm for feeding his stock, the dimensions of each 
of which are sixteen by thirty feet, and each of which has a capacity of one 
hundred and twenty tons, and he feeds the corn raised on forty acres. He 
is building a barn exclusively for his cows' which covers a ground space of 
forty-eight by eighty feet, and has a cow shed covering a space of fifty-six 
by one hundred and .seventy feet, and' will soon erect another of the same 
dimensions. He has forty red Jersey cows of the purest blood. He is the 
owner of three other creameries besides the one on his farm — one at ^Milfcrd, 
Ohio, one at Plain City, Ohio, and one at Woodstock, Ohio — and they are 
connected with each other and with his home by telephone. He is a helpful, 
public-spirited citizen, an unswerving Republican and a memlier of the Hi ly 
Cros5i Catholic church, of Columbus, Ohio. He has seven children. The 
eldest, John William, manages his Alilford creamery. Josepha, Estella, Henry 
A., Francis George, Sylvester and Edward are members of their parents' 
household. 

ADA^I LEXHARDT. 

Among the worthy citizens that the fatherland has furnished to the new 
world is Adam Lenhardt. a practical and enterprising farmer living on sec- 
tion 2, Hamilton township, Franklin county. He is a native of Bavaria, 



884 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Germany, born August iS, 183 1. There he spent the first twenty-three years 
of his Hfe, and in the common schools' acquired his education. His father 
died when the son was but fourteen years of age, after which he continued 
to Hve with his mother until he came to the United States in 1854. Cross- 
ing tlie Atlantic, he landed at New York, and subsequently removed to Mont- 
gomery county, Pennsylvania, where he was employed for about a year, 
receiving four dollars per month in compensation for his services'. He then 
came to Franklin county, and in Hamilton township again worked by the 
m-onth as a farm hand, being thus employed until 1861, when he entered upon 
an independent business career by farming upon his own account on rented 
land. When seven years had thug passed he removed to Shelby county, Illi- 
nois, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, continuing its 
operation for about three years, wdien he traded that property for the farm 
upon which he now resides. He then returned to Franklin county, and has 
since been engaged in agricultural pursuits in Hamilton township. He owns 
one hundred and ten acres of valuable land, all of wliich i,;i under a high state 
of cultivation, and the well-tilled fields bring to him an excellent financial 
return. He is well-known over the county, and is accorded a place among 
its substantial farmers. Diligence, energy and determined purpose have been 
the salient features in his prosperity and are qualities that all might cultivate. 
In his poHtical views Mr. Lenhardt is a Democrat, and ha,;i served as 
committeeman in his township, but has never sought nor desired ofiice, pre- 
ferring to give his' entire time and attention to his business affairs. In the 
spring of 1900 he crossed the Atlantic to hig native land, spending part of 
the summer in revisiting his old home and renewing many of the acquaint- 
ances of early life. For many years he has been a member of the Grange, 
and in his adopted county Mr. Lenhardt is widely and favorably known. 

CLARK HARRIS. 

One of the several honored citizens of Marion township. Franklin county, 
Ohio, who, natives of the township, had pioneer experiences within it-i bor- 
ders, is' Clark Harris, who was born September 30, 1839, in the house in 
which he now lives. His father was Origen Harris and his grandfather was 
James Harris and both of them were born in the state of New York. James 
Harris came with his family to Columbus, Ohio, early in the century just 
closed and for some time busied himself at hauling goods between Columbus 
and Zanesville with an O'x team, but he eventually settled on land' in Alarion 
township, Franklin county, which he cleared and improved. Origen Harris 
was only a boy when his father came to Franklin county, and he attended the 
primitive school taught near his home in a log school house. Lie married a 
Miss Ferguson, of Columbus, wdiO' died leaving three children, all of whcm 
are dead. His second wife waa Lydia Sellers, a native of Virginia and a 
daughter of Henry Sellers, an early settler in Franklin county. After his 
second marriage he settled on the farm on which his son, Clark Harris, now 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 885 

lives, where he died at the age of seventy-three years, and his wife passed 
away at the age of eighty-six. Thig worthy couple had eight children, seven 
of whom were born on that farm and seven of whom are living at this time. 
Morris H. Harris, one of these, lives at Westerville, Franklin county; Lucinda 
lives with her brother Clark. Origen D. lives near Groveport, Franklin 
county. Lydia Ann married Wesley Lawrence and lives in Franklin county. 
Sarah is the wife of Jacob Boeshanz, of Columbus, Ohio. Julia is the wife 
of Jacob Strohmire, of Columbus. 

Clark Harris) was the third child and second son of his parents and was 
reared on the farm on which he now lives, and received his primary educa- 
tion in an interesting old school house which stood near his home, one of the 
first of its kind built in the county. He assisted his father in his farming 
until the latter 's death. October 6, 1868, lie married Emma Young, a native 
of Fairfield county, Ohio, and she died on the old Harris homestead Septem- 
ber 6, 1882, after having borne him tw^o children, one of whom, Edna, died 
at the age of eighteen years. His daughter Delia, who' is a member of his 
household, acquired a good education and has been successful as a teacher. 

Air. Harris owns forty-two and a half acres and devotes himself to 
general farming, while giving a good deal of attention to Atock. He is a 
Republican politically and has served his fellow citizens as a member of the 
township school board, in which capacity he exerted a recognized influence 
for the improvement of local educational facilities. While an active worker 
for the success of the party of his choice, he does not hesitate to vote for a 
member of another party for a local office if he believes that such a candidate 
will administer it more efficiently and honestly than the Republican nominee. 
His public spirit has been many times tried and has never been found want- 
ing, and he aids to the extent of his ability every measure which in his good 
judgment promises to benefit his township and county. 

OUI\XY A. WATKIXS. 

Among the prominent retired farmers li^•ing in and about Columbus, 
Ohio, there is not one who is' better or more favorably known than Ouincy 
A. Watkins. who was born where he now lives, on section 2, Marion town- 
ship, Franklin county, October 4, 1827. a son of Aldrich and Clarissa K, 
(Torrey) Watkins, both natives of the state of New York. 

Aldrich Watkins, one of the first settlers in Franklin ccimty, Ohio, 
located in the woods in Alarion township, where he made a farm and died 
at the age of fifty-eight years. In religion he was a Presbyterian and in 
politics he developed from a Whig to a Republican. A man of high char- 
acter and good ability, he was prominent in the county. His wife sun-ived! 
him until in her eighty-seventh year. They had two children whoi died in 
infancy and two daughters and three sons who grew to manhood and woman- 
hood, and Ouincy A. Watkins was their third child and second son in order 
of birth, and is the only one of their children living at this; time. 



886 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Ouincy A. W'atkins was reared on his father's farm and his lot did not 
differ materially from that of other sons of farmers in his locality at that 
time. His home was as gx3od as the average home there and he cherishes 
recollections of his* parents who made life as attractive to him as was possible 
under the circumstances and amid his environments ; but he knew what hard 
work meant and did not shirk his responsibility. After the death of his father, 
whom he had assisted since his childhood, he took up farming- for himself 
on the old homestead and continued with good .success until 1898, when he 
retired from active life, the owner of two hundred and thirty-four acres well 
located and well cultivated. 

February 23, i860, Mr. Watkins married Amanda S. Corbin, a native 
of Amanda township, Wyandot county, Ohio, born August 10, 1841, a daugh- 
ter of William and Amanda (Sallee) Corbin, who were the parents of two 
daughters and a son. Their daughter, Matilda, is dead. Their son, Sam- 
uel, lives in Wood county, Ohio. Mrs. Watkins was' only four days old 
when her mother died. For his second wife her father married Susan Archi- 
bald, who has borne him ten children. Mrs. Watkins was taken by her 
grandparents into their household and was in their care during her child- 
hood. At the age of twelve she returned to her father and remained with 
him until her marriage. She has borne Mr. Watkins three children, named 
Clinton, Grant and Virgie Amanda. Clinton married Effie Hendren and 
lives in Madison township, and they have sons named Grant and Pearl and a 
daughter named Grace. Grant married Nellie Long and died at the age of 
twenty-,siix. He had two sons, Philo E., who is dead, and Quincy Grant. 
Virgie Amanda married John Helsel and they have a son named Lehman 
Ersel. Mr. Helsel lives with Mr. Watkins and has the management of his 
farm. 

Mr. Watkins is one of the old and reliable farmers of Franklin county, 
and he has been known to its leading citizens for many years and was brought 
up as a companion of some of the older of them. A man of much public 
spirit, he has always taken the lead in matters affecting the welfare of his 
township. Formerly a A\'hig, he has been a Republican since the days of 
F'remont and Lincoln. Mrs. Watkins is a member of the Lutheran church, 
as is also her daughter, Mrs. Helsel. 

PERRY A. ROACH. 

One of the prominent and influential business men of Columbus, Ohio, 
who have held public office for a number of years, is Perry A. Roach, the 
subject of this sketch. He was born in Gallipolis. Gallia county, Ohio, 
November 27, 1863, a son of Reuben W. and Mary V. (Workman) Roach, 
both of whom were natives of Ohio. The father of our subject was a farmer 
in early life, becoming a merchant later, and subsequently was interested in 
the flour-and-feed business in Gallia county. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject, Sidney Roach, was a native of Maryland and was one of the pioneer set- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ^^7 

tiers of Gallia county. He married a member of the Koontz family, of Ciil- 
peper Court House, \lrginia, a well-known German- American family of that 
locality. 

Our subject passed hisi early days in his native county, removmg to a 
small village, where he attended schoo'l, remaining there until he was eighteen 
years old, when the family removed to Ross county, and it was then that the 
father of our subject opened his flour-and-feed business, locating in Chilli- 
cothe. Our subject taught school in that city during the following winter, 
but he had decided upon adopting the law as; a profession and was eager to 
begin its study. His first reading was done in the office of jMayo & Free- 
man, in Chillicothe; subsequently he entered the law school in Cincinnati, at 
which he graduated in 1889. 

Prepared by years of studious w^ork, our subject now returned to Chilli- 
cothe and entered upon the practice of his profession, becoming associated 
with John C. Entrekin. This partnership continued until Mr. Entrekin was 
appointed United States revenue collector, when it was necessarily dissolved. 
Mr. Reach came to Columbus in 1890 and opened up an office here, and in 
1895 he was nominated by the Republican party, in wdiich he has always been 
active, as a candidate for justice of the peace, resulting in his election for a 
term of three years, and a re-election in 1898, which office he still holds. 

In 1858 Mr. Roach married Miss Thalia Groninger, of Chillicothe, who 
was a teacher in the schools' there for several years, and w^as a daughter of 
Abram and Amanda (Munger) Groninger. Fcnr children have been born 
to them,— Rupert Darst, Merle M., Walter Reuben and Sage. The great- 
grandfather of these children is Louis D. Workman, who married Narcissa 
Worly and both are still living, at an advanced age, the great-great-grand- 
father Worly having attained the unusual age of one hundred and two. 

Socially Mr. Roach is a member of the K. of P., and I. O. O. P.. Lodge 
474. He is a successful and influential politician, as well as an admirable 
business man, and is considered one of the representative men of his section 
of the city. 

FRANK S. MILLER. 

Industry, integrity and perseverance are the words which supply the key- 
note to the success of men like the .subject of this sketch and a reason for 
their popularity with their fellow citizens. Frank S. Miller, who lives on the 
Groveport pike, a mile and a quarter beyond the corporation line O'f the city 
of Columbus, and is one of the w-ell known farmers and business men of Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, w^as born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, a son of 
Amos and Catharine (Stoufifer) Miller. His father was a native of Lan- 
caster county, Pennsylvania, and lived there until 1885, since when he has 
been a member of his son's household. His mother w^as a native of Franklin 
county, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. ]\Iiller had two sons and two daughters. 



888 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

E. J. is a resident of Columbus, Ohio; Emma married A. R. Geist, of Colum- 
bus; and Eannie lives with her father and brother. 

Frank S. Miller \&) the second child of his parents and was reared in 
Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, and was educated in the public schools 
near his home. Ele engaged in fruit-growing in his native state and was 
ably instructed in it by his father. After he came to Ohio he continued in 
the same line of enterprise and his success has been marked. He raises all 
kinds of small fruits common to his latitude and employs eight or ten mtn 
from time to time and seven the year around. He married Mary E. Thomp- 
son, a native of London, England, who came to Springfield, Illinois, at the 
age of about eighteen months, and who has borne him two sions, Amos G. and 
Thomas' R. Mr. Miller is a Republican oi influence, and was elected clerk 
of Marion township in 1900. He is a modest, unpretentious, industrious and 
honorable citizen, whose influence has always been exerted for the good of 
his fellow townsmen, and who has alwaytf been found on the side of progress 
and up-to-date enterprise in the discussion of means to the public good, — an 
active man of strict integrity, who has been helpful and useful in all the rela- 
tions of life and who has the respect and good wishes of his townsmen because 
they know he truly merits them. 

HENRY M. TAYLOR. 

For eighteen years Dr. Henry M. Taylor has been engaged in the prac- 
tice of medicine and surgery, and as a representative of a profession wherein 
advancement depends solely upon individual merit he hasi gained a creditable 
position. He has' not been without that laudable ambition which is the sphere 
of all effort, and his labors have been discerningly directed along lines that 
have led to his advancement and won him a name and' place in medical circles 
of Columbus that are both enviable and creditable. 

Dr. Taylor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 29, 1854, 
and is a 'Son of Dr. William and Hannah (Lowe) Taylor. His grandfather, 
Henry Taylor, Sr., was also a physician and for many years' practiced his 
profession successfully in Philadelphia. He married Martha Metcalf, a 
daughter of William Metcalf, a physician and a minister. The father of our 
subject was born in Philadelphia, in 183 1, and was a graduate of the Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania. He afterward pursued a course of study in the 
homeopathic college in his native city. After successfully practicing medi- 
cine foi some time he entered the ministry and devoted his attention to the 
spiritual needs of his fellow men, continuing to j^reach the gospel until his 
death, which occurred in Troy, New York, in 1884. He wedded Hannah 
Lowe, who was born at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1831, and was a 
daughter of Charles and Sarah (Clark) Lowe, who emigrated from England 
to the new world. 

In the state of hi-s nativity Dr. Henry M. Taylor of this review remained 
until 1 86 1, and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Gettysburg, 




HEHRY M, TAYLOR. M. D. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 889 

Pennsylvania, where he entered the schools, acquiring a good practical edu- 
cation. His father located at Gettysburg, and there the Doctor remained 
until he had attained his majority, completing his literary education in the 
high school of the town. He entered upon his business career in the line of 
merchandising and afterward learned the trade of foundryman, but, finding 
that an uncongenial occupation, in 1877 he began the study of medicine, under 
the direction of his father. He pursued his first course of lectures in the 
Jefferson Medical College and subsequently came to Columbus, Ohio, where 
he entered the Columbus Medical College, of this city, in which institution he 
was graduated in 1882, with the degree of M. D. S(jon afterward he began 
practice and has since been a worthy follower of his profession, which certainly 
ranks among the highest to which men devote their energies. In 1885 he 
was appointed assistant surgeon at the Ohio Penitentiary, serving until 1889. 
He then returned to Philadelphia and took a special course, being graduated 
in the Jefferson Medical College. When his work there was completed he 
resumed practice in Columbus, and in 1893 he was appointed assistant super- 
intendent of health in the city, and was also a surgeon to the police and fire 
department until 1895. 

In 1885 occurred the marriage of Dr. Taylor and Miss Ella M. Grove, 
of Columbus, a daughter of Jacob B. and Charlotte Grove. They now have: 
two children, — Marie Isabell and Marguerite Grove. The Doctor and his 
wife enjoy the warm regard of a large circle of friends, and their own home is 
noted for its hospitality. In 1884 he became actively engaged in military- 
affairs, becoming a member of the Governor's' Guard, O. N. G., as a private., 
advancing through the grades of lieutenant and captain, then regimental 
quartermaster, thence to the medical department as a captain and assistant 
surgeon, major and surgeon. He accompanied his regiment, the Fourth 
Ohio, through the Spanish-American war, being sent to Porto Rico with Gen- 
eral Miles. In 1899 the Doctor was appointed major and surgeon of the 
Second Brigade of the Ohio National Guard, which position he is acceptably 
filhng. In his political associations he is a Republican and takes great inter- 
est in the success of his party, doing all in his power to promote its growth and 
secure the adoption of its principles. During his term he has' been called 
to active duty in several riots, among the most noted being the recent riot at 
Akron, Ohio. His professional ability is widely recognized and is indicated 
by the liberal support which is accorded him, his patronage steadily increas- 
ing both in volume and importance. 

HOWARD B. WESTERVELT. 

The Rev. Howard Bailey Westervelt was born at Blendon. Franklin 
county, January 4, 1847, and was graduated from the Ohio AVesleyan Uni- 
versity at Delaware, Ohio, in 1869. and that year entered the ministrv of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. During the active vears of his labors' he was 
stationed at Royalton, Fairfield countv; Nelsonville," Athens county ; Zanesville 



890 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Muskingum county; Athens. Athens county; Portsmouth, Scioto county; Cir- 
cleville, Pickaway county; Mount Vernon avenue, Cohmibus. and at other 
places. He was for .some time until 1888 presiding elder of the Portsmouth 
ilistrict. He is now living with his' son, Charles E. Westervelt, having super- 
annuated in his conference some years since. He is a Knight Templar Mason 
and a member of Wells Post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Colum- 
bus!, Ohio, for he was a soldier in the w^ar of the Rebellion, having enlisted 
in 1864 in the Fifth Battalion, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Later, upon the 
expiration of his term of service, he enlisted, in 1865. in the One Hundred 
and Thirty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, where he saw active 
service in Virginia at Fort Powdiattan. 

The Rev. Alfred L. Westervelt, the father of the Rev. Howard Bailey 
Westervelt, was born in Franklin county, Ohic, and his life covered the period 
from 1820 to 1849, when he died at the early age of twenty-nine years, after 
having been for some years a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
He was married, April i, 1846, to Missi Sophia Bull, a daughter of Dr. 
Thompson Bull, of Clintonville. Dr. Bull was a pioneer in Franklin county, 
and three of his daughters married in the Westervelt family. The wadow 
of the Rev. Alfred L. Westervelt married Johnson Ogih'ie and is now 
living at Lorain, Ohio. She bore her first husband two children, — the Rev. 
Howard Bailey Westervelt, subject of this sketch, and Charles A. Westervelt, 
of Lorain, Ohio. 

VALVERDA A. P. WARE. 

Maryland ancestors have given to Ohio some of its best citizens. The 
old families of Maryland have taken a place in our national history as people 
of patriotism and progressiveness and their descendants in all parts of the 
country have ably maintained the reputation of their names. Among the 
most prominent citizens of Franklin county, Ohio, of Maryland nativity, is' 
Valverda A. P. Ware, a prominent farmer of Truro township, wdio w'as born 
in Baltimore county July 30, 1833, a son of Nathan Ware and a grandson 
of Robert Prescott Ware. 

Robert Ware was born in Maryland and was a captain in the Maryland 
state militia, with which he was in active service in the war of 18 12- 14. In 
1820 he brought his family to Ohio, and located at Steubenville, Jefferson 
county, where he lived until the end of hisi life. His wife, Eleanor Gladman, 
who was also a native oi Maryland, lived to the age of ninety years. Their 
son, Nathan Ware, father of the subject of this sketch, Avas born in Balti- 
more county, Maryland, November 9, 1801, and received a good education 
there, which he completed at his own expense, paying for it money which he 
earned teaching school, a labor upon which he entered when he was nineteen 
years old. He was married, about 1830, to Eliza C. Barron, and they were 
the parents of fifteen children, of wdiom the following named ten g^rew to 
manhood and womanhood: Cornelia L., Valverda A. P.. Evander T., lulia 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. S91 

B., Robert P., Nathan H., Randolph R., William B., Charles R. and Eleanor 
L. Cornelia L. is the wife of Aaron H. Green. Evander T. married Laura 
\'^. Coe. Julia B. is the widow of William H. Green, of Franklin county, 
Ohio. Robert P. married Mary Hanson, of Franklin county, Ohio. Nathan 
H. married Mary Price, and after her death Ellen Williams, of Licking county, 
Ohio. Randolph R. married Lannie Owings, of Baltimore county, Mary- 
land, where he lives. Eleanor L. married Samuel Pinkerton and they also 
live in Baltimore county, Maryland. William B. married Ida Ridgley and 
lives at Savannah, Georgia. Charles R. has married' twice. His first wife 
was Mary Brain, of Frederick county, Maryland, and his present wife was a 
Miss Flanagan. 

Valverda A. P. Ware married Mary Belinda Green May 29, i860. ■Misa 
Green was a daughter of Gilbert Green, one of the early settlers of Franklin 
county, Ohio. That pioneer was born in Sussex county. New York, Novem- 
ber 27, 1804. He was married, October 3, 1826, in New Jersey, where his 
earlier years were spent, to Miss Melinda Harrison, and they had three chil- 
dren, named Aaron Harrison Green, William Henry Green and Mary Olivia 
Green. He moved to Ohio in 1831 and bought one hundred and eighteen 
acres of land in Truro townsihip, Franklin county, and not long afterward 
bought one hundred and sixty acres more. His wife died about a year after 
their settlement in Ohio, and he was married, July 9, 1833, to Susan Taylor, 
who was born at Chillicothe, Ohio, September 21, 1808, a daughter of Robert 
Taylor, who was a pioneer in Truro township, Franklin county, about 1809. 
Gilbert and Susan (Taylor) Green had children as follows: Robert, Gilbert 
M., Sarah (who died in infancy), John Covert, Elizabeth J. and ]\lary 
Belinda. Gilbert M. married Elizabeth Marshall and lives at Columbus, Ohio. 
Elizabeth J. is the wife of A. D. Schoonover, of Newark, New Jer^iey. John 
Covert, who married Sarah J. Parkinson, is represented by a biographical 
sketch in this work. 

Belinda Green, daug'hter of Gilbert and Susan (Taylor) Green and 
wife of Valverda A. P. Ware, received her early education in the district 
schools of Franklin county, Ohio, in log school houses with puncheon floors, 
split-oiit slabs for seats and slab desks supported on pins driven into auger 
holes into the walls. The school house where she attended school most was 
three-quarters of a mile from her father's house and she has a distinct remem- 
brance that during the winter months the walking along the wood road which 
led from the one to the other was anything but good. She finished her studies 
at the college at Reynoldsburg, Ohio, where she was a student for a year. 
After leaving school she taught school in Franklin county, "boarding around" 
with the parents of her pupils and receiving two dollars a week in addition 
to her meals and lodging, and as a teacher she wasi often compelled to walk 
further than was necessary when she was a pupil. She has proved herself 
a model wife and mother and has watched the development of the county 
from a primitive condition to its present admirable state of cultivation and 
advancemient. Valverda A. P. and Belinda (Green) Ware have had eight 



892 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

sons and one daughter, named as followa in the order of their birth : Gilbert 
Green, Prescott Barron, Vinton Taylor, Eliza Catharine, Valverda A., one 
son who died in infancy, William E., Oliver Morton and Charles Homer. 
Their eldest son, Gilbert Green, married a Miss Alice Mock, of St. Louis, 
]\Iissouri, and they have children named Alice Eliza and Harold Homer, (j. G. 
Ware is a shoe-manufacturer of Chicago, Illinois. Prescott Barron, a farmer 
of Truro townsihip, Franklin county, married Zella Hanson, a daughter of 
Parson Hanson, and they have two children named Hugh Pearl and Blanche 
Elizabeth. Vinton Taylor, who is a farmer in Madison township, Franklin 
county, married Ella Stubbs, a native of Delaware and a daughter of Frank 
Stubbs, who was also born in that state. Eliza Catharine married John C. 
Oldham, a druggist at Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Valverda A. assists his father 
in the management of the homestead. ■ William E. is' acquiring a knowledge 
of the drug business under the instruction of his brother-in-law at Reynolds- 
burg, Ohio. Oliver Morton and Charles Homer are members of their father's 
household. 

Mr. Ware came to Ohio in 1858 and after his marriage, in i860, went 
back to Maryland, where he remained two years. In 1862 he returned to 
Truro township, Franklin county, where he worked rented land until 1888. 
He had early learned the carpenter's trade and he divided his time between 
the occupations of carpenter and farmer and was' employed much of the time 
during the Civil war in building bridges for the United States government. 
In 1 888 he moved with his family to the old homestead of Gilbert Green, Mrs. 
AVare's father, which has been improved until it is one of the most productive 
and valuable farms in the township, its acreage considered. Mr. Ware, while 
not a practical politician, has very decid'ed views on all political questions' 
and is not without influence in his party. He hasi believed that the citizen 
who helps himself best helps his neigttors, and has devoted himself to his 
business rather than to office-seeking. He is deeply interested in public edu- 
cation, has) always done his share toward the maintenance of religious worship 
and has in many other ways demonstrated that he is a man of public spirit. 

MATHEW WESTERVELT. 

Elsewhere in these pages will be found some statements concerning the 
origin of the American family of Westervelt and biographical sketches of some 
of its prominent representatives'. The Ohio pioneer of the name was Mathew 
\\'estervelt, who came to Blendon, Franklin county, about 1818, with his 
brothers, Peter and William, and his sister, Catharine, who married Stephen 
BrinkerhofT. He had formerly lived at Poughkeepsie, New York, and' was 
a man of more than ordinary business ability and experience. He bought 
six hundred and forty acres of land and each O'f his two brothers bought a 
like amount, making an aggregate of one thousand, nine hundred and twenty 
acres. With others he laid out the town of Westervelt. which was named in 
honor of his family. He was prosperous as a farmer, was prominent in public 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 893 

affairs and manifested extraordinary public spirit, donating to the town a youncr 
men s semmary, now Otterbein University, and the grounds upon which th? 
col ege 13 located, and land at Westerville for a ^lethodist Episcopal church 
and a cemetery. He was an active member of the IMethodist church and 
one of Its most liberal supporters. 

After coming to Franklin county Mr. Westervelt married Miss IVIary 
Lennmgton, formerly of Poughkeepsie, New York, who died after havino- 
borne hmi five children. His second wife was Miss Abiah Leonard, a dauglf- 
ter of a pioneer family of the countv, who also bore him five children H-'s 
daughter Meli.sisa married Jacob Connelly, wlio was born near Harrisburg 
Pennsylvania, m 1810, and died in Franklin countv. Ohio, in 1881. She died 
m 1892 aged seventy-five, leaving four children: Emeline Frances, who 
married Dr. S. H. Stewart, of Columbus; Russell H. Connellv, of Columbus 
who is with the Coe & Spencer Companv; Alice, who' married John 
JDreese, of Columbus; Estelle G., the widow of A. H. Adams, of Columbu^r 
a son, James, died m 1857; Edgar \\'estervelt. a son cf Mathew and AFiv- 
(Lennmgton) Westervelt, died at Galena, Ohio. ^lary, daughter of Mathew 
and Abiah (Leonard) ^^^estervelt, married Captain Milton Wells, who was 
killed ill the Civil war at Chattanooga, ^^^ells Post, Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic, of Columbus', having been named in his honor. Edwin \\^estervelt a 
son of Mathew Westervelt by his second marriage, was three times married, 
hrst to Miss Minerva Goodspeed, then to Miss Sophronia Bull and afrerward 
to Miss Marcia F. Bull. Three of his sons. Frank C. Westervelt Howard 
Bailey Westervelt and Herbert L. Westervelt, live at Clintonville Franklin 
cc^unty. The children of Mathew Westervelt not here mentioned left Franklin 
county years ago and the record of their careers is not accessible. 

Mathew Westervelt died in 1849, aged seventv-seven vears, and was' 
buried at Greenlawn cemetery, at Columbus. Ohio. ' The reader is referred 
to other biographical sketches in this work for furtlier information concern- 
ing the Vv^estervelt family. 

CHARLES E. \\T.STERVELT. 

Among the young lawyers of Columbus, Ohio, none has made more 
noteworthy progress and none stands higher as a citizen than the subject of 
this sketch. 

Charles Ephraim; ^^'e£ltervelt. a son of Rev. Howard Bailev Wester\-elt, 
was born at Clintonville, Franklin countv, Ohio, October 24. 1871 His 
early education was received in the public' schools of Nelsonvil'le Zanesville 
and Portsmouth. In 1888 he entered the Ohio Universitv at Athens at which 
he graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1892. The following vear he spent 
m post-graduate work in history and literature, taking his ALi'sters' deo-ree 
in the ,«pring of 1893. The following vear he read law in the office of Tu'do-e 
Festus Walters, of Circleville, and in the fall of 1894 entered the senior clats 
of the Cincinnati Law Schcol, graduating with the class of 1895 at that 



894 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ■ ; 

institution. After g-radiiation he was admitted to the bar at Columbus, and 
has- since been located in that city. He has since devoted himself closely to 
the practice of hisi profession, in which he is achieving a distinct success. He 
is a strong Republican, but has taken no active part in politics. 

DANIEL BONEBRAKE. 

There is no man in Franklin county, Ohio, who has lived nearer to^ the 
hearts of his neighbors wdierever the vicissitudes of life have placed him than 
the Rev. Daniel Bonebrake, who has been a resident of this county since his 
twenty-fourth year, and isi now living in retirement at Westerville, twelve 
miles northeast of Columbus. He was born near Eaton, Preble county, Ohio, 
May 22^, 1829, a son of the Rev. Daniel Bonebrake, Sr., who was born in 
Somerset county, Pennsylvania, June 16, 1797, and was brought to Athens 
county by his parents in 1801. His father was DeWalt Bonebrake, a son of 
another Rev. Daniel Bonebrake, who was the progenitor of the family in 
America. He was a Prussian by birth and tradition has it that he incurred 
imperial displeasure by slaying one of the king's deer and fled from his native 
land to America to avoid trouble that might have ensued had he remained. 
His son, DeWalt Bonebrake, was a blacksmith and farmer o'f Germantown, 
Pennsylvania, and served as a soldier under General Washington in military 
operations between New York and Philadelphia. He lived in Athens county, 
Ohio, from 1801 to 1808 and in 1809 removed to Montgomery county, Ohio. 
He tarried there but a year, however, before he went tO' Preble county in 
1824. He had ten ^ons' and two daughters, all of whom grew to mature 
years, and of whom Daniel Bonebrake, Sr., the father of the Rev. Daniel 
Bonebrake, was the seventh in order of nativity. 

Daniel Bonebrake, Sr., became a local and traveling minister cf the United 
Brethren church in 1821, and was employed in the duties of his consecrated 
office about half the time from his twenty-second year to his forty-ninth 
year, when he died. He devoted himself to farming during most of his life, 
but in 1853 he engaged in the grocery trade in Lewisburg, Preble county, 
Ohio, where his life ended in July, 1856. Five of his' brothersi served under 
General Harrison in the w^ar of 181 2, in northwestern Ohio, — Frederick, a 
fifer, Adam, John, Jacob and Peter, — and Daniel also would have served had 
he not been too young. He married Elizabeth, a daughter of Jeremiah Mills, 
and a native of Warren county, Ohio. Jeremiah Mills, who was born 
in the state of New Jersey, saw three years' 'service as a dragoon on the 
Allegheny and Monongehala at an early day and went to a point near Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio, where he bougiit considerable land, which he soon afterward 
sold to advantage at three dollars per acre. He then went to Warren county,. 
Ohio, on the Forth Ancient, and .secured some Virginia military land, where 
he made a farm and where he died in September, i860, at the advanced age 
of ninety-three years. He was of English extraction. His daughter, the 
mother of the Rev. Daniel Bonebrake, died in Preble county, Ohio, ]\Iay 6, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 895 

1830, at the age of twenty-four, when her son was about a year old. The 
boy grew up amid the disadvantages of a new country, without the aid of 
fortune and with only limited opportunities for education, but in the common 
schools and by studying at spare hours he fitted himself to teach school, and 
thus earned money to maintain himself at home in Preble county and to 
secure instruction for himself at Otterbein College, where he was a student 
in 1 85 1 and 1852. When he entered the school in March, 1851, the only 
teachers were Professor John Haywood and the lady whom, in 1852, he made 
his wife. There was an attendance of only fifty-seven scholars at first, but 
the next year there were seventy-three. After his education he married and 
settled in Westerville in March, 1853, and there he taught school during the 
\vinter months and w'orked at farm labor in the summer until October, i860, 
^vhen at the conference of the United Brethren church he was appointed to 
preach as a traveling minister in Franklin and Fairfield counties, having twelve 
appointments in what w^as known as Winchester circuit. He performed the 
duties' of thisi appointment for three years, until 1863, when he was ordained. 
Then for nineteen years he was the secretary of the conference and during 
a portion of that time was the mission treasurer, and the duties of these offices 
and his ministerial work kept him traveling fo^r twenty-nine years. During 
two years of that time he was presiding elder. He was then obliged to retire 
on account of failing health. He had long before this, in August, 1857, bought 
six acres of land in Westerville, where he has since made his home. It is 
probable that he has married more couples and attended more funerals than 
any other minister in this part of the county. 

On the 7tb of March, 1853, were married Mr. Bonebrake and Hester 
Ann Bishop, a native of Blendo-n township, Franklin county, and the youngest 
daughter of Captain John Bishop, who was a settler there in 18 18. She was 
educated in Worthington Seminary and soon after her marriage she became 
a member of the United Brethren church. She died November i, 1889, hav- 
ing borne her husband six children : Albert died at the age of eighteen years; 
IMary, at the age of twelve years ; Frank was educated in Otterbein University 
and engaged in the grocery trade at Woosterville, but w^as killed by a fall from 
a tree July 6, 1895, when he was about thirty-three years old; Lewis Davi3 
is a commissioner of schools for the state of Ohio and his brother, Charles E., 
is' a clerk in his office ; and William is prominent in building and loan circles. 
Mr. Bonebrake's present wife was) Mrs. Eliza (Waagy) Dovel, of Preble 
county, Ohio. They were married in Franklin county' May 21, 1891, and 
she is a lady who possesses many estimable qualities wdiich have gained for 
her high regard. 

Mr. Bonebrake has been a member of the United Brethren church since 
his eighteenth year. He was made assistant class-leader in his nineteenth 
year and in 1853 he became class-leader, acting in that capacity until his 
membership in and ordination to the ministry, in November, 1863. He is an 
outspoken temperance man and has done considerable public work for the 
temperance cause. Politically he was formerly a Whig and has been a Repub- 



896 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lican since the organization of the party. Many years ago he filled the office 
of constable and he was' appraiser for Blendon township in 1890, giving 
excellent satisfaction in the ofiice. He paid one thousand dollars for his 
small farm at Westerville and has improved it greatly, giving much attention 
to fruit-culture for a number of years past. 



HORACE W. WHAYMAN. 

Horace W. Whayman is a representative of that rare element of modern 
life, a valuable part of which yet rests upon a basis of something ideal and 
philosophical. He is a student with profound learning and deep insight into 
the great, fundamental principles of science ; yet his humanitarianism is broad 
and deep, bringing him into^ close touch with the representatives of the race. 
The evolution of the human race from barbarism to the present advanced 
civilization has been slow; and the man who in his day and generation has 
helped to elevate the tastes of those with whom he comes in contact does a 
work the results; of which w-ill be cumulative in generations to come. 

We are led to the above train of reflections by contemplating the life work 
of one of the citizens of Columbus, Horace W. Whayman, a well known 
personage in the circles where intellectual activity is predominant and is 
accompanied by an accurate realization of man's duty to his fellow man. He 
is a native of Suffolk county, England, born November i, 1869, His father, 
Horace William Field Sancroft Whayman, Esq., was also a native of that 
county. Largely as' a pastime he took up the study of bibliography and 
archaeology, and was widely recognized as an authority on these subjects. 
The Whayman family is one of the most honored and distinguished of the 
old families of England, it having been established in Suffolk (East Anglia) 
before William the Norman crossed the channel, conquering the Anglo- 
Saxons, thus infusing the Norman blood into the English race. History tells 
us that Wimar was a sheriff and county justiciar in 1172, and from him our 
subject is a direct descendant. During the succeeding centuries the Whay- 
mans have become allied through marriage with other prominent families, 
including the Walpoles, Wingfields, Nuns, Maynards and Billings — all East 
Anglian families. The name has been variously spelled, as Wimar, Wymar, 
W}'man, Weyman, Wayman and Whayman. 

The mother of our subject prior to her marriage was Ellen Jane Bur- 
Avood Billing, of Gressen Hall, county of Norfolk, and of Oxford Suffolk, 
a daughter of Robert Billing, Esq., and a representative of the Billing family, 
anciently of the counties of Oxford and Cornwall. The Billings were of the 
same family as the Rt. Rev. Bishop Robert Claudius Billing, D. D., and were 
also allied wdth the Beusley Derehaugh, Cobb, Coke, Copeman and Loftus 
families. The Coke family numbered among its members the earl of 
Leicester. 

Mr. Whayman, whose name introduces this record, received excellent 




H. W. WHAYMAH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 897 

educational privileges under private instructors in Colchester and Oxford, 
and later continued his studies in the theological seminary at Gambier, Ohio. 
Ill health in his early manhood led^ him to travel throughout Europe in the 
hope of improving his physical condition. A man of strong mentality, with 
a love of scientific research and deep study, he began to acquaint himself with 
ecclesiology and heraldry, becoming a pupil of Sir Arthur Bloomfield, now 
deceased. Bloomfield and Dr. George Marshall are considered the standard 
authorities on those subjects. In England Mr. Whayman was interested in 
slum work in the parishes of St. Alphege, Southwark and St. Agnes, Kenning- 
ton Park. 

In 1890 Mr. Whayman came to the United States, and, after residing 
for some time in New York city and in Cincinnati, Ohio, located permanently 
in Columbus, in 1895. During his residence here he has taken an active part 
in all that pertains to the welfare and progress of Columbus in material, 
esthetic, intellectual and moral lines. He is a very active and interested mem- 
ber of the Old Northwest Genealogical Society, having been one of its' 
founders. He also aided in the organization, and became one of the first 
members, of the Neighborhood Guild. He is greatly interested in library- 
extension work and in the collection and preservation of the archives of the 
state. Also he is especially interested in the work of church decoration. He 
is a corresponding member of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of 
Montreal, also a life member of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and of 
the Norfolk Archaeological Society. He was the founder of the Guild at 
St. James in this country, a society which is doing a great work in church 
decoration along Anglican lines. An example of the work of the Guild 
in Ohio was seen in the decoration of St. Stephen at East Liverpool, and at 
Calvary, in Sandusky. 

He holds membership in the church of the Good Shepherd, and is the 
author of a work entitled Emblems of the Saints, — a manual of instruction 
and reference for artists^ and architects. He edited Imago Regia, Thoughts, 
a philosophical work, and has contributed many articles of merit to historical 
and genealogical societies. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Antiqua- 
ries of Ireland and is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 
He belongs to the IMasonic fraternity and is also a member of the Humboldt 
Verein. He is also president of the Columbus' Choral Association, an organi- 
zation founded in a great degree by him, for the purposes of fostering a love 
of oratorio and larger works of the great masters. 

At this point it would be almost tautological to enter into and series 
of statements showing that Mr. Whayman is a man of broad intelligence and 
genuine public spirit ; for these have been shadowed forth between the lines 
of this review. Strong in his individuality, he never lacks the courage of his 
convictions; but there are as dominating elements in this individuality a lively 
human sympathy and an abiding charity which, as taken in connecticm \\ith 
the sterling integrity and honor of his character, have naturally gained to him 
the respect and confidence of men. 



898 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

JOHN WILLIAM JONES. 

Wales has furnisihed to Brown township, Frankhn county, Ohio, some 
of its best citizens in present and past generations. Prominent among these 
is the subject of this sketch. He is a son of John and Bridget (Hughes) 
Jones and a grandsion of Wihiam Jones, who was born and married and 
passed his Hfe in Anglesea. Following is some pertinent information con- 
cerning the children of John and Bridget (Hughes) Jones: Their eldest son, 
Hugh, lives in Liverpool, England. The subject of this sketch was the 
second in order of birth. Richard, who was a steward on an English vessel, 
died at Valparaiso, South America. William is a molder and lives at Liver- 
pool, England. Elizabeth married William Lewis and died in Wales. Ann, 
of Liverpool, England, is the wife of Charles Shrine, who is captain of a 
merchant vessel. Catharine married Philip Jones and also lives at Liverpool. 

John William Jones was born at Bangor, Carenarvonshire, in northern 
Wales; September 28, 1842, and attended school until he was eleven years 
old. His father having died, he was an apprentice for seven years to a ship 
carpenter at Port Norwick, Carenarvonshire. At the expiration of that time 
he went as a ship carpenter on board a merchant vessel from Cardiiff, South 
Wales, on a voyage to South American points, which consumed eighteen 
months. On his return he reshipped at Bristol, England, on board the same 
vessel for Quebec, Canada. The craft returned to Bristol laden with lumber, 
and Mr. Jones made another voyage with it to Quebec, and returning to Liver- 
pool worked for three years in a ship yard at that city. He then shipped for 
Bombay, India, and returned to London, but almost immediately sailed again 
for Bombay on board another ship. From Bombay he went to Cochin, China, 
thence to Callao, South America, by way of Australia, thence to Rotterdam, 
Holland, next to- Shields, England, where he was employed on land for a time. 
Later he made a voyage to New York city, returning to Liverpool, w'hich 
wasi followed by another voyage from Liverpool to New York and return, 
on board the American liner, Canada. 

Mr. Jones' was married, in Liverpool, England, to ]\lis& Jane Evans, 
a sister of* Edward Evans, a biographical sketch of wdiom appears in this 
W'Ork. After his marriage he worked at his trade in Liverpool until 1882, 
when with his wife he took passage at Liverpool for New York on a steamer 
of the White Star line. From New York he came direct to Columbus, Ohio, 
where he was for eighteen monthsi employed as a house carpenter. His 
wife died at Columbus, and, going to Brown township, he settled there on 
a farm, where he married Sarah Jerman, who is now deceased. His present 
wife was Miss Mary Matthews, a daughter of William ]\Iatthews, of Colum- 
bus, Ohio. His first wife left a daughter named Winifred, born April 10, 
1880. He is now the owner of eighty-one and a half acresi of well improved 
land, on which there is a fine brick residence and other good buildings. 

In politics Mr. Jones is a Republican, and he has proved himself a citi- 
zen of much enterprise and public spirit. He is a member of the Methodist 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. §99 

Episcopal church at Cohvell and is a liberal supporter of all its interests. He 
is genial and companionable and fond of reminiscence, especially of the days 
when sailing on many vessels he visited many ports, and he sometimes recalls 
an incident of a voyage from Callao to Antwerp when his vessel encountered 
a severe storm off Cape Horn and would have swamped had he not constructed 
a windmill, which served as a motor power to keep the pumps in action. 

ARTHUR A. THOMAX, ^l. D. 

Among the physicians and surgeons of Columbus is Arthur A. Thoman. 
The Doctor was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, December 27, 1859. and is 
the son of Dr. B. K. and Mary (Weist) Thoman. His paternal grandpar- 
ents were Martin M. and Fanny (Keller) Thoman, the former a native of 
Switzerland, while the maternal grandparents were Benjamin and Elizabeth 
(Bowser) Weist, and were early settlers of Pennsylvania. 

The Doctor spent his early fife and school days at Baltimore. Ohio, where 
l;is parents still reside and where his/ father has been engaged for nearly a 
half-century in the practice of medicine. Entering Fairfield Union Academy, 
he graduated there at the age of sixteen, and after a few years teaching school 
while still pursuing his studies he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University. He 
did not finish his course there, but graduated at the Ohio :Medical College, 
with the clasis of 1881. After two years with his father in his native town 
he removed to Columbus and has been engaged in his profession. also_ man- 
aging extensive business' interests, being identified with the foremost citizens 
in all public interests. 

Among the many patients who were constantly coming under the Doctor's 
care were hundreds who needed rest and quiet more than medicines, and, 
with the idea of providing a proper place where these could be secured Dr. 
Thoman purchased Mac-6-Chee Castle, the famous home and estate of the 
late Don Piatt, located in Logan county, Ohio, improving this historic and 
romantic place with conservatories, bath houses and modern offices', embellish- 
ing the already beautiful grounds with fountains that flowed night and day, 
flowers' and plants from every clime. There were gathered from all the west- 
ern states both patients and people who were wooed to health and strength 
without the thought of medicine or treatment, as is ordinarily prescribed. 
The fame of the^sianitarium extended far and wide and it became a noted 
resort for those seeking recreation with rest and quiet as a cure for mental 
troubles. Finally the Doctor exchanged the sanitarium for a half interest in 
the Dennison Hotel, of Columbus: This building is a fine structure, advan- 
tageously located near the car lines on Dennison avenue, and receives the 
patronage of tho,je seeking a comfortable home removed from the dust and 
noise of a more busy thoroughfare. It has handsome apartments, is supplied 
with every modern convenience, and in addition has a roof garden beautifully 
fitted up with tropical plants. 

Dr. Thoman has the entire building situated at },}, Xorth Third street, 



900 CENTENNIAL BIOX^RAPHICAL HISTORY. 

for offices and an eniergencv hospital, equipped with electric baths as well 
as all other modern appliances in electricity for the treatment of rheumatism 
and nervous diseases. Particular attention is also given to treatment of the 
nose and throat. Treatment of the diseases of women is' most successfully 
accomplished without operations!. Nurses carefully trained are constantly in 
attendance treating and instructing the patients in self-treatment, that has 
proved a w-onderful success over the old lines of practice. 

While the Doctor is' a firm believer in depending as much as possible on 
the forces of nature in the cure of disease, he i,g also a most skillful operator 
and does not hesitate a moment when the knife will bring the best results. 
He has been one of the first of his profession in this country to use "sug- 
gestive therapeutica" in nervous diseases. An earnest student, he has fol- 
lowed the teachings of the most advanced thinkers of Europe, and, being 
wonderfully gifted, has' reached a point in the use of this most wonderful 
science that places him second to none. His cases have been telegraphed to 
the New York Journal, and in full column wuth glaring head lines have been 
sent out over the w'hole world as the mosit remarkable phenomena of the 
times. The letters from patients and the many new\spaper notices which the 
Doctor has received would certainly make almost any other man vain. How^- 
ever, the Doctor does' not seem to think anything about it and looks after his 
large practice, manages the Dennison, and at the same time attends as care- 
fully to his many beautiful plants and flowers as though his living depended 
upon them. 

CHARLES B. GALBREATH. 

The apprenhension and subsequent development of the subjective potential 
must ever figure as the delineation of the maximum cf personal success and 
usefulness in any field of endeavor, and the failure to discover this potential — 
or line along w^hich lay the greatest possibilities for development in any 
specific case — can but militate against the ultimate precedence and absolute 
accomplisihments' of the subject. To a greater extent than is usually con- 
jectured does personal success abide in this element, and thus in the study of 
biography there is ever a valuable lesson to be gained. To the subject of 
this review there has come the attainment of a distinguished position in con- 
nection with the great educational interests of our country — the schools, the 
press and the public writings — and his efforts have been so discriminatingly 
directed along well defined lines that he seems' to have reached at any one point 
of progress the full measure of his capabilities of accomplishment in that line. 
A man of distinctive and forceful individuality, of broad mentality and most 
mature judgment, he has left his impress upon the intellectual world. He 
has been an educator of ability, a writer of profound thought, and to-day is 
exerting an important influence in mental development through his labors as 
state librarian. 

Charles Burleigh Galbreath is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 901 

birth having occurred in Fairfield town,bihip, Columbiana county, on the 25th 
of February, 1858. He manifested in his life many of the sterling charac- 
teristics of his Scotch ancestry. The Galbreaths resided for some time in 
Ireland and on leaving that country for the new world took up their abode 
in North Carolina, but the liberty-loving spirit of the family was strongly in 
opposition to the practice of slavery and their free expression of their opniionsi 
on the subject soon aroused the antagonism of the people among whom they 
resided, and they were forced to seek a home in the north. It was thus that 
in the pioneer days of Ohio the Galbreath family was founded in the eastern 
portion of the state, their home in Columbiana county being near the birth- 
place of Edwin Coppock, who was actively concerned in the historic incidents 
which centered about Harper's Ferry at the breaking out of the Civil war. 

At the usual age when mental discipline begins in the schoolroom Charles 
B. Galbreath entered the primitive district schools near his home, continuing his' 
studies there until thirteen years of age, when on account of the serious ill- 
ness of his father, he was obliged to- put aside his text-books and give his 
entire attention to the work of the home farm. Endowed by nature w4th a 
strong mentality, he, however, mastered all the branches of learning taught 
m the neighborhood schools, which he found opportunity to attend during the 
winter months. He w^as ambitious for intellectual advancement and prepared 
for further educational privileges by working in a sawmill, and thus obtained 
the money with which to meet the expenses of a course in the high school of 
New Lisbon, Ohio. At the age of seventeen he began teaching and later com- 
pleted the high school course, afterward pursuing a four-years course in 
Mount Union College, being graduated from that institution with the degree 
of Master of Arts. The manner in which he obtained his education in the 
face of obstacles and difficulties shows forth his remarkable strength of char- 
acter and ability to cope with the difiiculties he would meet in the great school 
of experience. He continued his work as an educator, being elected principal of 
the schools of ^\'ilmot, Stark county, Ohio, where he remained until 1886, when 
he resigned to accept the superintendency of the schools of East Palestine, 
Ohio, where he continued for eight consecutive years. The work which he 
there accomplished cannot be overestimated. He has particular ability as an 
organizer and disciplinarian, in addition to his skill of imparting clearlv. con- 
cisely and forcibly to others the knowledge wdiich he has acquired With a 
full and correct realization of the importance of the public school system of 
the land, which is one of the strong foundation stones of our national com- 
monwealth, he labored untiringly and earnestly to advance the work of the 
schools with which he was personally connected, and it was with the deepest 
regret on the part of the citizens of Palestine that his association with its 
educational interests wa,s terminated. 

In the year 1893 Professor Galbreath became a member of the faculty 
of Mount Hope College and three years later was called to the presidency of 
that institution. During his residence in East Palestine he served for two 
>ears as editor of the Republican Reveille and during that period strongly 



902 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

advocated the night-school bih introduced into the state legislature by Hon. 
T. 1. Brittain, and now a law. His educational labors have included con- 
siderable institute work, in which he is particularly successful. He has occu- 
pied his present position as state librarian since 1896, having been appointed 
by the library commissiion, created by the seventy-second general assembly. 
On the 29th of July, 1882, was celebrated the marriage of Charles Bur- 
lei oh Galbreath and Ida A. Kelly, of Columbiana county, and their home has 
been blessed with one son, Albert W., born October 29, 1883. Socially Mr. 
Galbreath is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has 
served as district deputy grand master. He is in close touch with the most 
advanced thought and invention and hasi been an interested student of the 
political situation of the country, believing firmly in the principles of the 
Republican party, and gives his aid and influence toward its work in his locality, 
and from 1893 until 1896 served in the state conventions as a delegate from 
his district. When the condition of affairs in Cuba was a leading question 
before the country he organized the Columbus branch of the Cuban League of 
America, under the direction of Colonel Ethan Allen, of New York, and 
became its siecretary. He has held no public office outside the line of his life 
work, but for eight years was' county school examiner of Columbiana county. 
On the lecture platform he is well known and his writings have commanded 
attention throughout the country. He displays all the graces of literary style, 
and under the adornment of rhetoric there is a sub-stratum of thought and 
feeling that never fails to move the reader and awaken deep interest in the 
subject of which he treats;. He has acted his part so well in both public and 
private life that Columbus and his state have been enriched by his example, 
his character and his labors. 

ISAAC LONGSHORE. 

Isaac Longshore, who resides in Blendon township, was born in Zanes- 
ville, Muskingum county, Ohio, October 17, 1844, his parentsi being Thomas 
and Mary A. (Evans) Longshore, whose family numbered six children, all 
yet living, namely: William H., a farmer of Pawnee Station, Kansas; George 
'W., a fruit raiser of Grand Junction, Colorado; Isaac; Charles, a resident 
farmer of Missouri; Thomas H., who is in businejis in Kansas City, Missouri; 
and Margaret A., the wife of Martin Brown, of Fort Scott. Kansas. The 
father of this family was born in Pennsylvania in 181 1, and wns' a son of 
Amos Longshore, who came to Ohio during the early boyhood of his son 
Thomas, .settling upon a farm in Hocking county, where Thomas was reared 
to manhood. In IMuskingum county he married IMiss Mary A. Evans, w^ho 
was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in 181 7, and was a daughter of David Evans. 
They took up their abode in that city and Mr. Longshore engaged in the 
operation of a sawmill and the sale of lumber, carrying on business along those 
lines until the latter part of the '50S', \Vhen he purchased a farm in Perry county, 
Ohio, six miles east of New Lexington; locating upon his land, he there 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 903 

engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1884, when he sold his farm and went 
to Kansas, making his home with his children, where he is still residing in 
the eighty-ninth year of his age and is a well preserved old gentleman, 
retaining all of his faculties unimpaired. In his political affiliations he is a 
stanch Republican, and for several years he served as justice of the peace and 
as township trustee. He has long held membership in the Baptist church and 
for some time was one of its deacons. In 1892 he was called upon to mourn 
the loss of his wife, who died at the age of seventy-five years. 

Isaac Longshore remained with his parents throughout the period of his 
minority and in the meantime became familiar with the common-school Eng- 
lish branches of learning in the public schools of the neighborhood. At the 
age of twenty years he began his career as a farm hand, but soon afterward 
he married and purchased of his father the old family homestead of one hun- 
dred and twenty acres in Perry county. It was in 1867 that he married ^liss 
Elizabeth Driggs, a native of Perry county, and a daughter of Jeremiah and 
Barbara (McKeefer) Driggs. Her father was a native of Connecticut and 
there learned the hatter's trade, which he followed for a number of years in 
the east. When he came to Ohio he located upon a farm, in Perry county and 
there spent his remaining days. Mr. and Mrs. Longshore began their domestic 
life upon the old family homestead, where they resided for three years. On 
the expiration of that period our subject sold his farm and removed'to Morgan 
county, purchasing a tract of eighty acres near Beavertown. For eight years 
he operated that farm and on selling out came to his present home in Ble'ndon 
to\ynship, Franklin county. Here he has since owned and occupied a tract 
of land of one hundred and three and a half acres. It is well improved with 
good buildings, fencesi and all modern accessories and the fields yield to him 
a good return. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Longshore have been born five children : Jeremiah 
W., of Cincinnati, Ohio, is in the railway mail service. He married Grace 
G. Gantz and they have a son and daughter. Archie A. is an agriculturist 
and broom manufacturer of Blendon township. He married Minnie Buck. 
Josephine M. is the wife of the Rev. R. W. Kohr, a Presbyterian minister, of 
Larue, Ohio, and they have a son and daughter. Edward married Lulu 
Buck and resides in Blendon township. Cora M. is at home. The three 
sons are all members of the Masonic fraternity. In his political views ^Mr. 
Longshore is a Republican and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, 
always supports the party, yet has never been an office seeker, preferring to 
give his entire attention to his business, and is accounted one of the m^ n enter- 
prising and progressive agriculturists in the community. 

MARION T. BRIXKER. 

For seven years an active member of the bar of Columbus, within that 
period jMarion T. Brinker has gained a good clientage and a representative 
position among the members of the profession in the capital citv. He was 



904 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

born in Pickaway county, Ohio, October 28, i860, and is a member of one 
of the pioneer famihes of that county, for his grandfather, George Drinker, 
located there during the early epoch of its development and materially assisted 
in its upbuilding and progress. Barnabas Brinker, the father of our subject, 
was born in that county in 1798, and died in the year 1887, ^^ the very 
advanced age of eighty-nine years. Throughout his life he carried on agri- 
cultural pursuits and became a very successful farmer and much respected 
citizen. He married Miss Elizabeth Knight, who was at that time a resident 
of Pickaway county, but was a native of Virginia, whence she removed to 
Ohio with her parents during her early girlhood. She was a daughter of 
John and Maria Knight, and they became early settlersi of this state. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads Marion T. Brinker spent his youth, 
early becoming familiar with all the work and duties that fall to the lot of 
the agriculturist. His elementary education, acquired in the district schools, 
was supplemented by study in the National Normal School in Lebanon, Ohio,, 
where he remained as a student for three years. He then entered the Ohio 
Wesleyan University, at Delaware, where he also continued his studies for 
three years, after which he matriculated in the Western Normal School, at 
Ada, Ohio. 

With broad general knowledge to fit him for the practical and responsible 
duties of life he then entered upon his' business career in the capacity of 
clerk, spending five years as a salesman in different stores in Pickaway county, 
but, determining to enter professiional life, he began reading law with Judge 
Festus Walters as his preceptor. Subsequently he entered the Cincinnati Law 
School, and immediately after his graduation, in 1894, he began practice in 
Columbus. He now practices in all the courts, having a large clientage and 
handling many important litigated interests. 

In 1884 Mr. Brinker married Miss Libbie Weaver, of Nebraska, Ohio, 
a daughter of D. F. Weaver. She died in 1891, leaving two children, — 
Arthur E. and Amy G. Mr. Brinker belongs to Palmetto Lodge, No. 513, 
K. P., of Asihville, Ohio, but is not active in lodge or political work, pre- 
ferring that his energies shall be devoted to his business affairs. His devo- 
tion to his' clients' interests is proverbial, and with a good knowledge of the 
principles of jurisprudence, with earnest purpose and laudable ambition one 
may surely predict for Mr. Brinker a successful future. 

JOHN F. McNAMEE. 

Life is' meaningless unless it is universal and coherent. It is the help- 
ful spirit of our times that has been the foundation of all organized efifort for 
the good of mankind. Never before have the people of the country realized 
as now th.e truth of the old adage "in union there is strength." and to-day 
this finds exemplification in the organized efforts which are being put forth 
along all lines. It is this which has led to the establishment of many societies 
formed for the purpose of mutual helpfulness; and protection. Permeated by 




JOHH F. McNAMEE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9^5 

this spirit the great army of American workers have combined forces in order 
to be of assistance to one another, to protect their rights against the infringe- 
ment of the power of capital and to aid in bringing about conditions that will 
be alike just and profitable to employer and employee. In labor circles John 
F. McNamee is a well known figure, his name in. this connection lieing a 
familiar one throughout the country. 

A native of the Emerald isle, Mr. McNamee was born in Stamullen 
county Meath, Ireland, October 29, 1867, a son of Patrick McNamee, one of 
the most eminent educators of Ireland,, who filled the important position of 
district inspector of the national or public schools of his native land. After 
half a century's service in behalf of the educational department of his country 
he was retired on a government life pension. The members of his family are 
as follows : Thomas J., who resides in Portland, Oregon, where he is engaged 
in the dry-goods business ; Patrick J., a credit man in the large wholesale 
house of D. Kelly, of Columbus; Mrs. George G. Pope, of Petersborough, 
Ontario ; Mary J., of Versailles', France, a sister of the Order of the Congre- 
gation of the Infant Jesus, her name in religious circles: being Sister Edmund ; 
Mrs. Donnellan, the wife of Dr. Donnellan, government physician of Castle- 
reagh, county Roscommon, Ireland; and Agnes, Martha and Gertrude, also 
residing in the Emerald isle. 

John F. McNamee, the subject of this review, spent the first sixteen years 
of his life in the land of his birth, and in 1884, when yet a mere boy, bade 
adieu to home and friends and crossed the Atlantic to the United States alone, 
preferring to fight life's battles as a free American citizen than remain the sub- 
ject of a monarchical government, thereby sacrificing many excellent oppor- 
tunities, which through his father's influence he possessed, to his instinctive 
love of the stars and stripes and the glorious principles they represent. In 
1890 he entered the service of the Panhandle Railroad Company as a locomo- 
tive fireman, being engaged in that capacity for about nine years, and in 1891 he 
joined the order of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, which ranks first 
among the great conservative and wealthy labor organizations of the world, 
his membership at that time being in Franklin Lodge, No. 9. He soon won 
the friendship and regard of his brethren in the fraternity and for four years 
served as receiver or financier of his lodge. In 1896 he was elected a delegate 
to the Brotherhood's Galveston convention, ^^'hile in the service of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad Company he devoted continual effort and untiring 
energy to the complete organization of that great railway 'system as a result 
of which many new lodges sprang up along said lines, one of them being 
Abraham Lincoln Lodge, No. 445, of Columbus. Ohio, to Avhich he trans- 
ferred his membership and which he served for two consecutive terms as 
master. He has represented his lodge as a delegate to all national conven- 
tions; of the order since 1896. At the convention held in Toronto. Canada, 
in 1898, he was chosen as a member of the grand (international) executive 
board, being re-elected at the convention in Des ]\Ioines. Iowa, in 1900. He 
has great influence in the councils of the fraternity, being recognized as a 



9o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lader in thought and action not only among the members of the Brotherhood 
of Locomotive Firemen but in the ranks of trades unions all over the country. 
He is a member of the Trades and Labor Assembly, of Columbus, Ohio, and 
has: often been called upon by both employers and employees to adjust matters 
in dispute, being recognized as a fair, concervative and impartial arbiter. 

in 1897 Mr. McNamee was united in marriage to Miss Caroline B. 
Welch, a daughter of Sergeant Major Thomas S. D. Welch, a highly re- 
spected citizen of Colum'bus and a Union veteran of the Civil war, who took 
part in many of the most hotly contested engagements of that terrible struggle, 
the last in which he participated being the fearful conflict at Gettysburg. 
Unto J\L-. and Mrs. McNamee has been born a daughter. Miss Mary Louise, 
whose birth occurred August 6, 1890, and who is now a brilliant student, her 
ability attracting general attention and admiration. They also have a son, 
]\Iaster Th'omas S. C. McNamee, born November 3, 1892, a bright and in- 
telligent lad of nine years. 

Mr. McNamee is an active Democrat, and on the 8th of June. 1901, his 
fellow Democrats of Franklin county, recognizing his worth and ability, 
nominated him^ to represent their county in the istate legislature. Mr. and 
Mrs. McNamee are active and influential members of the Catholic church, 
being prominent in St. Patrick's congregation. He has long been a close, 
earnest and discriminating student of the ethical and sociological questions 
which aft'ect the welfare and happiness of mankind, and his thorough under- 
standing thereof has led him to enter heartily into the work of organized labor 
movements. By his success as a salesman in the employ of the Day & Night 
Tobacco Company, of Cincinnati, he has demonstrated his aptitude in com- 
mercial affairs. 

WILLL\M S. CARLISLE. 

Prominent in business circles in Columbus is William Smith Carlisle, wlio 
was born in the city which is now his' home in 1863. Hisi father, Henry 
Carlisle, came to the capital city when a young man from Columbiana county, 
Ohio, where he was born in 1825. The year of his arrival here was 1850, 
and throughout his remaining days he was identified with the interests of 
Franklin county, his death occurring here in 1897, at the age of seventy-two 
years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Charlotte Lang, was a native 
of Pennsylvania. Her father resided in Columbus for many years. 

In the city of his birth Mr. Carlisle, of this review, was reared and edu- 
cated, and throughout his business career he has been connected with import- 
ant industrial and commercial concerns. For five years he was with the 
Columbus Sewer Pipe Works, and from 1885 until 1890 he was a member of 
the fire department, and engaged in business for some time as a member of 
the firm of the Barnhart & Carlisle Oil Company. He is in the service of the 
Taylor Williams Ice Company, occupying the important position of manager. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 907 

He is a man of keen discrimination in bnsiness affairs, of sound judgment, 
and is thoroughly rehable at all tunes. 

In politics Mr. Carlisle has taken a deep and active interest in Repub- 
licanism of Colum'bus. For some years he has served on city and county 
committees, and was the vice chairman of the county central committee for 
the year 1899. On the 6th of November, 1900, he was elected to the office of 
county commissioner on the Republican ticket. Socially he is a Ivlaster 
Mason. 

Mr. Carlisle was married, July 10, 1889, to Miss Jennie Shelling, a 
daughter of Daniel Shelling, who was born in Franklin county August 31, 
1830. Prior to her marriage Mrs. Carlisle successfully engaged in teaching 
in the public schools and is a lady of superior education and culture. Our 
subject and his wife are both prominent and highly respected people in the 
capital city, occupying a leading position in social circles where true worth 
and intelligence are received as passports into good society. He is a man of 
strong individuality and marked characteristics with a well-rounded char- 
acter. He looks at the world from a practical standpoint, and his sound com- 
mon sense — a quality too often lacking — has proved an important factor in 
his business career and his political work. 

THOMAS J. ALEXANDER. 

This is a utilitarian age, in which rapid progress has been made along 
all lines of invention, and no country has given to the world as many useful 
improvements in mechanical devices as has America. Her prominence in 
this regard is' widely acknowledged and all nations recognize their indebtedness 
to the republic. Mr. Alexander is among those whose inventive genius has 
created labor-saving devices that have proved of great benefit and value in 
the industrial world. He is now living retired, enjoying the fruits of his 
former toil, and his rest is certainly well merited. 

Mr. Alexander was born in Granville, Licking county, Ohio, August 
31, 1824, and is one of the two surviving members of the family of seven 
children born unto James and Delilah (Clark) Alexander, his sister being 
Jane, widow of William R. Clemens, of Storm Lake, Iowa. The Alexander 
family is of Scotch-Irish lineage, and the grandfather of our subject was 
Joseph Alexander, who came from the new world from the Emerald isle 
and was numbered among the heroes of the war of the Revolution. After 
the establishment of American independence he located near West Alexander, 
Pennsylvania, upon a farm, and acquired extensive landed possessions, his 
property reaching the town limits. Later he took up his abode in the town, 
where he also owned considerable realty. For many years he was a justice 
of the peace and held other offices, discharging his duties with promptness 
and fidelity. He was a man of wide influence, and his labors proved of great 
benefit to the community which he represented. He was three times mar- 



9o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ried, his first two wives being natives of Ireland, and James Alexander was 
born of the first marriage. The grandfather lived and died in West Alexander, 
passing away at the age of eighty years, and his third wife died at the age of 
eighty-two years. 

The father of our subject was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, 
jiear West Alexander, where they had located soon after the close of the 
Revolutionary war. He married Delilah Clark, a native of Granville, Massa- 
chusetts, whose people, with several families, formed a colony that in 1806 
came to the Buckeye state and founded and named the town of Granville. 
Her parents, Samuel and Miriam Clark, were both natives of Massachusetts 
and spent then* last days in Granville, the former dying in the prime of life, 
while his wife reached her eighty-seventh year. He was a blacksmith by 
trade. In early life James Alexander, the father of our subject, learned the 
trade of a millwright, and just prior to the war of 1812 he came to this state, 
locating in Granville. His first work there was the construction of the Gran- 
ville Alills, which have long since fallen into decay. When the country be- 
came involved in war with England for the second time he joined a company 
commanded by Captain Rose, and was present at Hull's surrender. Late 
in the '20s he came to Franklin county, Ohio, erected a mill on Rocky Fork 
and removed his family to this county, but after two years returned to Lick- 
ing county and built the Linas Thalls Mills, near Alexandria. His eyesight 
failed him and he was forced to abandon work along that line, removing 
to a farm near Johnstown, where he resided until 1839, when he again came 
to Franklin county, settling on what is known as the Cutler farm. It was 
his place of residence until within two years of his death, when he removed 
to Westerville, there passing away in 1854, in his seventy-fourth year. His 
wife survived him for nineteen years, and died in her eighty-third year. The 
father was an old-line Whig, and was one of the well-known and highly 
esteemed men of his day. 

Thomas J. Alexander acquired his education as the common schools of 
the day afforded and remained at home with his parents through the days 
of his childhood and youth. In early life he entered upon an apprenticeship 
to the carpenter's trade, and on attaining his majority he was married. Fie 
then abandoned carpentering and established a turning factory in Westerville, 
also conducting a machine shop. He early displayed superior mechanical 
ability and ingenuity, and his thought and investigation of mechanical prin- 
ciples and properties enabled him to invent and place upon the' market a ma- 
chine for cutting the sticks directly from the log ready for the lathe. This 
was in 1S53, and he secured a patent on his invention. Immediately follow- 
ing this he retired from the manufacturing business, but in 1862 he again 
entered the field as a manufacturer and foundryman. carrying on operations 
along those lines until 1888. During that period of twenty-six years he 
took out some eight other patents on various contrivances, which have con- 
tributed much to the benefit of mankind, being very useful and important labor- 
saving devices. Since 1888 he has been living a retired life, for in the years 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 909 

of an active business career and as the result of his inventive genius he ac- 
cjuired a handsome competence, sufficient for all iiis needs through the remain- 
der of his days. 

It was on the 24th of September, 1845, that Mt. Alexander was juined 
m wedlock to Aliss Charlotte E. Parke, a native of New Jersey, and a daugh- 
ter of Abner and Sarah (Pennell) Parke, who were also natives of that state. 
The father was of English lineage, while the mother was of German and 
Irish descent. The grandfather, Abner Parke, served as a soldier boy in the 
Revolutionary war, and John Nickson, the maternal great-great-grandfather 
of Mrs. Alexander, was the first reader to the public of the Declaration of 
Independence. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander has been blessed 
with four children: James W., a millwright of Westerville ; John F., a car- 
penter and budder of the same place; David M., who deals in slating and 
1 inning materials and also carries a line of furnaces in Westerville; and Inez 
I., wife of A. G. Grouse, a commercial traveler residing in the town where 
the other members of the family make their home. ^Irs. Alexander died 
on the i8th of January, 1901. 

In his early manhood ]Mr. Alexander gave his political support to the 
Whig party, and on its dissolution he joined the Tanks of the Republican 
party, but in recent years he has been active in promoting the interests of the 
Prohibition party. His views upon questions of public policy are very pro- 
nounced, and his influence may always be counted upon in behalf of good gov- 
ernment and the advancement of the welfare of the whole people. He is a 
strict temperance man, and as such opposed saloon domination, and in every 
way exerted himself to hasten the era of advanced temperance sentiment 
which wdll reduce the rum traffic to a minimum by the rule of reason and 
sobriety among the people at large. He belongs to Blendon Lodge, No. 
339, F". & A. M. Long years ago he was elected mayor of Westerville, and 
subsequently served for six more years in that office, doing all within his 
power to secure needed 'reforms and improvements in the city. He was also 
for four years justice of the peace, and is one of the well-known and highly 
esteemed men of the county, whose career, public and private, is worthy of 
emulation. 

JOSEPH W. WICKHAM. 

Joseph W. Wickham, of Columbus, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, 
in 1865. He is descended from good old Revolutionary stock, the family 
being represented in the colonial army by Joseph Welsh, who held the rank 
of captain. The paternal grandfather, Asa Wickham, married a Miss Wis- 
well, who belonged to a prominent family of the east and was a cousin of 
Benedict Arnold. Judge Wickham, of the common pleas court, was a cousm 
of our subject. Joseph Welsh Wickham, Sr., his father, was born in the 
Empire state, and during the Civil war he became a member of the Thirty- 
first Ohio Volunteer Infantrv. in which he served for three vears. He escaped 



910 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

wounds or capture, and in 1S64 received an honorable discharge. After his 
return to Ohio he removed with his family to Westerville, where he died in 
1889. His wife, Phoebe Thompson, was a native of New Jersey. 

During his early boyhood Mr. Wickham, of this review, accompanied his 
parents to Westerville, where he acquired his education, being graduated at 
the high school with the honors of the class of 1886. Previous to that time 
he had worked on a farm, and he also engaged in teaching, both before and 
after his graduation. He has been a resident of Columbus for some years, 
and is recognized as a very active and efficient worker in political circles. 
Though he was reared a Democrat, and all of his family are connected with 
that party, he is a stanch Republican. His study of political issues has led 
him to the belief that Republican principles contain the best elements of good 
government. He has recently retiired from two years' service as chief assist- 
ant to the clerk of the courts of Franklin county, and is now the candidate 
on the Republican ticket for the position of county recorder. 

j\Ir. Wickham was united in marriage to Miss Grace McKane, a daugh- 
ter of Louis and Mary (Caldwell) McKane, of Norwich township, Franklin 
county, where her father carries on farming. They now have two children. 
Mr. Wickham is an active member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, and 
is also identified with the Knights of the Mystic Circle. His success and 
advancement in life he owes entirely to his own efforts. He has improved 
his opportunities and his talents, natural and acquired, enabled him to work 
his way steadily upward. 

NATHAN MUNSHOWER. 

A man of varied experiences and of prominence in different w^ays has 
a career always interesting even though it be written briefly and in a sense 
incompletely. Such a life story is that of Nathan Munshower, of Columbus. 
Ohio. His great-grandfather in the paternal line came to the United States 
from Germany. His son, Jacob Munshower, grandfather of the subject of 
this sketch, was a soldier in the war of 1812. Jacob Munshower, Jr., father 
of Nathan, was born and reared in Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he 
became a farmer and where he married Anna Clancey, a native of Chester 
county. The wife of Jacob Munshower, Sr., also of Pennsylvanian nativity, 
was a relative of Hon. John Wanamaker, of Philadelphia, ex-postmaster gen- 
eral of the United States. 

Nathan Munshower was born in Chester county. Pennsylvania, in 1844. 
In 1 86 1 he enlisted in the Thirty-first Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer 
Infantry, and after the expiration of his term of service re-enlisted in the 
Eighty-second Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, with which he 
served until the close of the war. He participated in all the fighting of the 
Army of the Potomac and took part in the battles at Manassas, Antietam, 
the Wilderness. Summit Mountain and Gettysburg, and in many minor en- 
gagements, receiving two bayonet wounds and one gunshot wound. He was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9i i 

promoted and given charge of the quartermaster's department, First Division, 
Sixth Army Corps, and was detailed as quartermaster sergeant. In 1868 
he removed from Chester, Chester county, Pennsylvania, to Ironton, Ohio, 
Avhere he was connected with rolling mills for ten years. He filled the offices 
of chief of police and marshal at Ironton from 1872 to 1883, and during that 
period from time to time was brought successfully into conflict with criminal 
classes, and as deputy United States marshal under United States Marshal 
Wright was active in suppressing the historic riot in Cincinnati in 1882. 

In 1887 Mr. Munshower came from Ironton to Columbus, and was 
superintendent of subsistence at the Ohio State Penitentiary from 1887 to 
1895, under the administrations of Governors Foraker and McKinley. Since 
1895 he has been general agent for the Born brewery for Ohio and other 
states, with headquarters at Columbus. As a Republican he has taken a deep 
and active interest in politics, and for the past two years he has been chairman 
of the Franklin county Republican central committee. He was influential 
in securing the election of Hon. D. K. Watson, a Republican, to congress and 
in overcoming a Democratic majority in his district of over thirty-six hundred.^ 
He is a Knight Templar and a thirty-second degree Mason, and is a member of 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He organized Lambert Post, 
Grand Army of the Republic, at Ironton, and was foremost in the building of 
Grand Army hall of that city; was senior vice commander of the Grand Army 
of the state of Ohio in 1883, and is past commander in the Union Veteran 
Legion. 

Mr. Munshower was married at Ironton, Ohio, to Miss Jennie Hopkms, 
daughter of Mark Hopkins, a prominent pioneer and merchant of that part 
of the state, who died about 1862. Mr. Hopkins was a descendant of old 
Scotch families and his parents came to the United States from Scotland. 
Mr. and Mrs. Munshower have a son and a daughter: Harry Munshower 
learned steam and gas fitting and plumbing, and is a successfuf manufacturer 
at Wheeling, West Virginia; Mabel Edna was graduated at the W^estern 
School of Oratory, at Evanston, Illinois, and at the Ohio State University, 
and became well known as an elocutionist and as a teacher of elocution and 
physical culture. She married Dr. August Sulzer, of Portsmouth, Ohio. 

JAMES DENNY OSBORN. 

Among the prominent families of Columbus, one of its foremost, is that 
which was established by Hon. Ralph Osborn, and of which James Denny 
Osborn is a worthy representative. James Denny Osborn, Sr., son of Hon. 
Ralph Osborn and father of our subject, was born near Circleville. Pickaway 
county, Ohio, in 1814, the second in order of birth of the fifteen children 
of his parents. 

Hon. Ralph Osborn was a member of the state senate of Ohio, and was 
for eighteen years auditor of the state. He broke down under stress of hard 
work, and died in 1835, after an all too brief career of usefulness and honor, 



912 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

which made him well known throughout the country. He was an unswerving 
Whig. He married Catherine Renick. of Pickaway county, Ohio. In 
1816, when his son, James Denny Osborn, was two years old, he took up his 
residence in Columbus. About 1827, at the age of about thirteen years, 
the son became a clerk in the dry-goods and general store of Francis Stewart, 
and after 1840 the firm was known as Stewart & Osborn. Mr. Osborn was 
an active business man until he died. May 5, 1865, aged fifty-two years, 
lie was not only a prominent merchant, but was in a sense a banker to most 
of the farmers in Franklin county, and he was faithful to every trust reposed 
in him. His life was a busy and a successful one, and he left an ample estate. 
His wife was Emeline Lathrop, daughter of Dr. Horace Lathrop, who came 
to Columbus from Waynesville, Warren county, and practiced medicine there 
for many years. Not only was he a prominent private practitioner, but he 
long held the office of physician to the state penitentiary, and the fact that 
when cholera broke out in that institution he remained at his post of duty 
and did everything that he could for these criminal but unfortunate patients, 
is a fact in local medical history. Born in the year 1800, he was educated 
in the state of New York, and died in 1848. Mrs. Osborn is still living in 
Columbus, in good health and in the possession of all her faculties, and takes 
a deep interest in everything pertaining to the advancement of the city and of 
Franklin county. 

James Denny Osborn and Emeline (Lathrop) Osborn had children as 
follows : Charles Lathrop Osborn is a retired business man of Columbus. 
He married Miss Mary Galloway, a daughter of the Hon. Samuel Galloway 
and a sister of Hon. Tod B. Galloway. Frank Stewart Osborn, of New 
York city, married Margaret Andrews, a daughter of the late Dr. A. L. An- 
drews, who was president of the Ohio State Bank. Jennie L. Osborn mar- 
ried the late William Faxon, who was graduated from Yale College, was a 
major of artillery in the Union service of the Civil war, and rose to promi- 
nence as a banker in Columbus. Mary Osborn married Edwin A. Dawson, 
of Chicago, who is connected with the Pennsylvania Railway. James Denny 
Osborn, Jr., is the immediate subject of this sketch. Susan Osborn mar- 
ried Professor Nathan Lord, of Cincinnati, now of the Ohio State Univer- 
sity, at Columbus. 

James Denny Osborn, Jr., was born at Columbus in 1862, and was edu- 
cated in the high school of that city. He has for many years been connected 
with coal interests. He is a Republican, and a Knight Templar and a thirty- 
second-degree Mason, and is well known as a prominent and influential citizen 
of much enterprise and public spirit. 

John Osborn, lawyer of Toledo, Ohio, who died about ten years ago, 
was the eldest son of Hon. Ralph Osborn, and left a large family. William 
Osborn, a well-known lawyer of Ashland, Ohio, is also a son of Hon. Ralph 
Osborn. Charles Lathrop Osborn has two son'? : Frank, who is court-house 
reporter at Columbus for the Ohio State Journal : and Samuel Galloway, who 
was graduated from the law department of the Ohio State L^niversity and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9 1 3 

admitted to the bar in 1S97, and has since practiced his profession siiccess- 
lully, and is promment as an Elk, a Mason, and a member of the Olentangy 
Club. Josiah Smith is a grandson of Hon. Ralph Osborn. Frank Stewart 
Osborn has three sons, Ralph, who is second officer on the American liner 
St. Paul and who was educated at Philadelphia; Abner, a graduate of the 
Ohio State University, who is now taking a post-graduate course in civil 
engineering and mining; and Eliphalet, who is a student at the Ohio State 
University. 

FREDERICK W. C. WIECHERS. 

To the substantial upbuilding of Columbus Frederick William Christian 
"\\'iechers has contributed in a large degree, for his efforts have been instru- 
mental in securing for the city many of its leading and extensive industries. 
The history of a country is no longer a record of wars and conquests, but 
is an account of business activity, of the work of men in agricultural, indus- 
trial, commercial and professional life, and of their development and use of 
the natural resources which nature has so bountifully supplied. Therefore 
in preparing history of the present time it is not meet that mention should be 
made of those whose efforts have Led to an increase in business activity and 
thereby promoted the growth, prosperity and progress of the community. 
In this iregard Mr. Wiechers is certainly deserving of creditable mention. 

Born in Hanover, Germany, in 1854, he is a son of Louis Wiechers, who 
when a young man had removed to Hanover. The father died in 1871. and 
two years later his son Frederick came to America, making his w'ay direct 
to Columbus. For five years he was a student in Capital College, and gradu- 
ated in that institution in 1878. He entered the Lutheran ministry at Pat- 
ricksburg, Indiana, and in 1882 returned to Ohio to accept the pastorate of 
a church in Morrow county, w^here he remained until January, 1891. Thence 
he went to Covington, Ohio, where he continued for three years, and later 
spent two and a half years in Marysville, Ohio. In 1895, owing to impaired 
health caused by la grippe, he resigned the ministry in the latter place and 
located permanently in Columbus. He had taken an active part in educa- 
tional matters in Covington, and was an efficient member of the school board 
there. 

On coming to Columbus Mr. Wiechers engaged in the coal business at 
Parsons avenue and the Toledo & Ohio Central Railroad crossing. Since 
then Parsons avenue has been paved with brick, and the street railway has 
been extended. This section of the city has enjoyed marvelous growth and 
prosperity, largely owing to the efforts of Mr. ' Wiechers. He induced '^Ir. 
Craiglow to locate the Ashville Bent Wood ^Vorks here, secured the extension 
of the water system, lighting, paving and the street railway. In connection 
with the efforts of the board of trade;, he was instrumental in having the 
Columbus Iron & Steel Company locate its extensive works in this portion 
ct the city in 1899, ^^'e hundred men being employed in their foundrv. 



914 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Through his labors other enterprises have been secured, including the mallea- 
ble iron works on the same street, where they purchased thirty-one acres of 
land and will erect a large plant, furnishing employment to between twelve 
and fifteen hundred men. The Handle Works Company has also erected a 
factory just west of Mr. Wiecher's coal yard, employing seventy-five men. 
The Federal Glass Company has built a factory just east of Parsons avenue, 
and will employ about five hundred men. It was Mr. Wiechers who induced 
the Federal Natural Gas Company to come into Columbus from Perry, Hock- 
ing and Pickaway counties by way of Parsons avenue and High street. All 
these concerns have proved of immense value and benefit to the city, and the 
subject of this review certainly deserves great credit for what he has accom- 
plished in the way of promoting the material welfare and consequent pros- 
perity of Columbus. 

He was united in marriage to Miss Katie Heintz, a daughter of Adam 
Heintz, who came to Columbus in 1835, and was for many years engaged in 
business at the corner of Fourth and Main streets. He died in 1878. Mr. 
and Mrs. Wiechers have two sons: Herbert Arthur, who is with his father 
in business; and Oscar Frederick, who is yet in school. The daughters are 
Mary Eleanora, the wife of Millard Craiglow, who is with the Ashville Bent 
Works, of Columbus; Clara Catherine and Flora Amelia, at home. Mr. 
Wiechers and his family are members of the Trinity Lutheran church, in which 
he is serving as a trustee. In 1898 he was elected on the Democratic ticket 
Ic the city council, and in 1900 was elected by a double majority. He has 
taken an active part in the affairs of the city as a membcT of the committees 
on parks, plats, engineering, railroads and viaducts. Although his residence 
in Columbus covers a comparatively brief period, few men are more promi- 
nent or more widely known than Mr. Wiechers. He has been an important 
factor in business circles, and his popularity is well deserved, as in him are 
embraced the characteristics of an unbending integrity, unabated energy and 
industry that never flags. He is public spirited and thoroughly interested 
in whatever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare 
of Columbus. 

FREDERICK SWICKARD. 

Frederick Swickard, who is following agricultural pursuits in Plain 
township, was born within that territorial division of the county February 
24, 1 83 1, and is one of the seven children whose parents were John and Eliza- 
beth (Baughman) Swickard. He represented one of the pioneer families of 
Franklin county, for at an early day in the development of this portion of 
the state his grandfather, Daniel Swickard, who was probably a native of 
Germany, came from Pennsylvania to Ohio and settled in Jefferson town- 
ship on Black Lick. After several years he removed his family to Plain 
township, where he purchased a farm, making his home there until his death. 
John Swickard, the father of our subject, was l^orn in Washington county, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9 1 5 

Pennsylvania, August 25, 1806. and with his parents came to Ohio about 
1822. Here he became an extensive land owner, his realty possessions aggre- 
gating about six hundred acres. For more than half a century he was an 
active member of the United Brethren church, and by precept and example 
he taught the truths of Christianity. In early life he was a stanch Republi- 
can, but in his last years his views on the temperance question led him to ally 
himself with the Prohibition party. He died September 10, 1898, and his 
wife passed away January 2, 1882. She was a native of Plain township, 
Franklin county, born September 6, 1804, probably the first white child born 
in the township. Her parents, Adam and Priscilla Baughman, were among 
the earliest white settlers of the neighborhood. 

Frederick Sw'ickard was (reared in the usual manner of farmer lads 
of the day, his time being devoted to the duties of the school room, to the 
cultivation of the fields and to the enjoyment of such pleasures as were indulged 
in by the young people of the period. When he was only eighteen years of 
age the work of the home farm largely devolved upon him, owing to the ill 
health of his father. After his marriage he located on a farm of fifty acres 
in Plain township, then the property of his father, who sold the land the 
following year, at wdiich time Frederick removed to w-hat w-as known as the 
Grove. It was a tract of one hundred and forty-seven and a half acres of 
land which his father had previously purchased. He bought of his father a 
half interest in this land and made his home thereon for seven years, when he 
gave a part of the land in payment for ninety-four acres of his present home. 
Upon this place he has since resided, and his farming operations have been 
crowned with a high degree of success. As his financial resources have in- 
creased he has added to this property from time to time until he now has one 
hundred and seventy acres, the greater part of which is under a high state 
of cultivation, show'ing his careful supervision and giving evidence of his 
industry and capable management. 

Mr. Swickard has been twice married. Fie first wedded ^liss Sarah 
A. Smith, a native of Plain township, and a daughter of Abraham P. Smith, 
who removed to Franklin county from Sussex county. New Jersey. Four 
children were born of this marriage, of whom three are yet living, namely : 
Robert A., who operates the home farm; Dora M., the wife of Harry B. 
Taylor, of Plain township; and Minnie A., wife of Willis Johnston, of IMifilin 
township, Franklin county. The wdfe and mother died March 22, 1890, 
and on the 22d of March, 1893, ^^^- Swickard was again married, his second 
union being with Mrs. Sarah M. Fravel, a native of Plain township, and a 
daughter of John Goodrich, one of the pioneer settlers of Lincoln county, 
Ohio, who came to this state from Connecticut. Subsequently he took up 
his abode in Franklin county. His father, Ezekiel Goodrich, was an old sea 
captain, and lived to the advanced age of ninety years. After attaining to 
womanbcod Sarah Goodrich gave her hand in marriage to David Fravel, 
and they became the parents of four children, of whom three are living, namely : 
Eveline, the wife of Geortre Beem, of Lickinc: countv ; Felix C, a farmer of 



9i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Plain township; and Joseph \V., who carries on agricuUiiral pursuits in Lick- 
ing county. There are no children by the second marriage of Mr. Swickard. 
This worthy couple are well known in the community and enjoy the warm 
regard of many friends. Mr. Swickard is a member and one of the trustees 
of the United Brethren church. He w^armly espouses Democratic principles, 
and for eight years has served as trustee of his township. In 1893 he was 
appointed as one of the commissioners for the building of the Gahanna & 
New Albany free turnpike, and was made trustee and treasurer of the pike, 
in both of which offices he is still serving. He is one of the highly esteemed 
men of the county, reliable and trustworthy in all public affairs and faithful 
to the duties of the home and of the country at all times. 

JAAIES D. POSTON. 

The existing strength and prosperity of the Democratic party in Ohio 
IS due to those men who have devoted to its interests their natural energies, 
intellectual endownments, loyalty and a marked executive ability in conduct- 
ing public affairs of vital importance to the country; and to such men, who 
have consigned the best portion of their lives to the faithful discharge of the 
trusts reposed in them, is tendered the grateful acknowledgment of an appre- 
ciative party. Conspicuous among those who have labored long and conscien- 
tiously for the success of that party, and whose active services have extended 
over a period of more than thirty years, is the gentleman whose name appears 
above, — a leading Democrat and citizen of this section of the state. He is 
especially prominent in connection with the work of the Columbus board of 
election, and w-hen entering upon his work as a member of that board he puts 
aside all partisan prejudices and feeling, and is extremely fair and impartial 
in his rulings. 

Colonel James D. Poston is a representative of two of the most promi- 
nent pioneer families of Ohio, and is descended from good old Revolutionary 
stock. The Poston family was represented in the war for independence by 
the great-great-grandfather of our subject and two of his brothers. The 
great-grandfather w^as a soldier in the war of 1812. Alex Poston, the grand- 
father of our subject, was the father of Wesley W. Poston, w'ho removed 
from Hampshire county, Virginia, to Athens county, Ohio, in the year 1835. 
He w^as a very successful merchant and became known as the richest man in 
the Hocking valley. The Postons were the largest mine owners in the valley 
and took a very active part in developing the resources of the state and thus 
promoting its material upbuilding. \\^esley Poston gave his attention strictly 
to his business affairs, and his efforts were attended with a high degree of 
prosperity. Be died in 1876, leaving to his family a comfortable compe- 
tence. In early manhood he married Elizabeth Dew, a daughter of Thomas 
and Elizabeth (Zane) Dew. The Dews were pioneer people of Athens county, 
Ohio, locating there on their removal from Virginia, and the grandfather 
of our subject was a wealthy farmer. 

Elizabeth Dew, afterward M'rs. Poston, aided the soldiers in the Revo- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9^7 

lutionary war. With many others her family had taken refuge in a block- 
house at Wheeling, West Virginia, where they were attacked by Simon Girty 
and a band of Indians. Although only nine years of age, she ran bullets 
which were used in repelling the attack. She lived to the very advanced age 
of ninety-four years, and frequently related to her grandson. Colonel James 
D. Poston, events which were connected with the Revolutionary and Indian 
wars and with the early history of the country. She was a cousin of Elizabeth 
Zane, whose story is familiar to all students of our early American annals. 
As related by the grandmother of the Colonel, the incident is as follows : On 
one occasion the settlers had sought refuge in a block-house and were ear- 
nestly endeavoring to keep back the band of Indians who threatened their 
destruction, when it was learned that their supply of powder was very low. 
Another keg of powder was in a building some distance away, and it was 
absolutely imperative that the men have it. Elizabeth Zane volunteered 
to secure it. The men objected to her attempting the errand, but she insisted 
that they were all needed in the block-house, — that not one could be spared. 
She had just returned from school in Philadelphia, and was then eighteen 
years of age. She made her way from the house, and as she passed quickly 
along the Indians were so surprised that they thought this meant surrender 
on the paTt of the whites and did not attack her. When she started to return 
with the keg of powder, however, they had sufficiently recovered from their 
surprise to understand her mission, and the bullets tlew thick and fast around 
her, but she escaped almost miraculously and in safety reached the house. 
To her fearlessness the entire band of people undoubtedly owed their lives. 
Colonel Poston, of this review, was born in Nelsonville, Athens county, 
Ohio, He attended college for several years, his educational privileges in- 
cluding a course in the Ohio University. He was afterward connected with 
business interests in Logan, Ohio, until 1878, when he came to Columbus as 
the chief mine inspector of the state, having been appointed to that position 
by Governor Bishop for a four years' term. After a year and a half, however, 
on account of ill health, he resigned. He is now a retired business man, resid- 
ing at No. 853 South Champion avenue. Since the age of fourteen years 
he has taken a very deep and active interest in political affairs, and is a stal- 
wart supporter of the Democracy. For twelve years he served as a mem- 
ber of the board of elections, and from 1887 to 1890 was its president. He 
was first appointed by Governor Foraker, a Republican, and after the power of 
appointment was vested in the mayor he was chosen for the position by ^Mayor 
Karb, and four years later by ]\Iayor Allen. There has been a wonderful 
improvement in the manner of conducting elections in Ohio in the past fifteen 
years, and the present splendid arrangement is the growth of the public senti- 
ment following the discovery of the election frauds in Cincinnati and else- 
where i!i the fall of 1885. The prostitution of the ballot was comparatively 
an easy thing prior to the law of 1887, providing for the registration of voters 
in the cities. Before that time there was a statute providing for the selec- 
tion of judges and clerks by the electors, but in the year mentioned, in pursu- 



91 8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ance to the law passed by the legislature, what are known a^' the city and county 
boards were created. Under that law the power of appointment by the city 
board was vested in the mayor of Columbus, and that of the county board 
in the secretary of state, and the term of the members is four years. In the 
year 1897 this was amended so that the board appointed by the mayor has 
charge of the entire county. This gives each incumbent of the .mayoralty 
the appointment of two members of the board, one a Democrat and one a Re- 
publican. The board is non-partisan, consisting of four members divided 
equally between the two leading parties. No election machinery has ever 
had the confidence of the people more than the existing board, and no organiza- 
tion has ever been so free from the supposed double dealing in the manage- 
ment of the suffrage. In campaigns where party spirit runs not the contention 
of partisanship stops at the door of the board of elections, and the decisions 
have been given with honesty and due consideration of the rights of all. The 
first president of the board was Colonel Poston, who served from 1887 until 
1890. Since his retirement he has served as a member of the Democratic 
city executive committee, the county executive committee, and is now the 
secretary of the Democratic county committee. 

Colonel Poston was married in Hocking county, Ohio, to Miss Sarah 
Clark, a daughter of George Clark, one of the pioneers of that locality. They 
attend the Presbyterian church and are prominent in the community, 
having a wide acquaintance and enjoying the high regard of many friends. 

DANIEL HEADLEY. 

Among the prominent pioneer families of Franklin county is that to 
which our subject belongs. Great changes have been wrought since the first 
representative_of the name came to Ohio, finding here large tracts of uncul- 
tivated land, forests which stood in their primeval strength and a few cabins 
to indicate the progress of civilization. Daniel Headley was born on the 
farm where he now resides April 20, 1838, his parents being William and 
Mary (Havens) Headley. The father w^as a native of Sussex county. New 
Jersey, born July 31, 1787, and in the east he was reared. His father was 
the first of the name to emigrate westward, and William Headley and five 
of his brothers afterward came to Ohio, the latter being Peter, Samuel, Lewis, 
Usual and Charles Headley. They made the journey from New Jersey by 
wagon. William Headley, however, rode on horseback, carrying with him 
a small willow switch, which he used as a riding whip. On his arrival he 
stuck the branch into the ground, where it took iroot, and to-day by the side 
of the residence stands a very large willow tree, which is a memento of his 
journey. Of the brothers, Peter and Lewis entered land in Licking county, 
near Jersey, while Usual located near Zanesville, and William and Samuel 
took up their abode in Jefferson township, Franklin county. In the follow- 
ing year they acquired land on the four corners isince known as Headley's 
Corners. For several years they also conducted a saw and gristmill in part- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9^9 

nership, but afcerward William Headley purchased the brothers' interest in 
the sawmill and lands, and Samuel then removed to Licking county. The 
old mill, did duty for many years, but was finally washed away in a tlood 
many years ago. As the years passed William Headley prospered in his busi- 
ness undertakings, and at the time of his death he owned five hundred acres 
of valuable land, all acquired through industry and good management. He 
was the first postmaster of Headley's Corners, and held the ofiice for many 
years, dispensing the mail from his residence. Throughout his entire life he 
was a stanch Democrat, and for several years he served as constable of his 
township. He was never a member of any church, but believed in the Univer- 
salist faith and contributed quite liberally to religious work. He died August 
I, 1862. His wife, who was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, March 10, 
1799, came with her parents to Franklin county when a child. By her mar- 
riage she had twelve children, of whom six are yet living, namely : William, 
who is now living retired in Columbus ; Ezekiel, a farmer of Holt county, 
Missouri; David and Daniel, twins, the former a retired resident of Colum- 
bus; Mary, the wife of H. J. Edgel, of South Haven, Michigan; and Electa, 
the wife of Thomas Hull, of Alaysville, DeKalb county, Missouri. 

Daniel Headley early became familiar wath the w^ork of the home farm 
as he followed the plow across the fields and planted and cultivated the crops. 
His education was obtained in the common schools. On reaching their twenty- 
first year he and his twin brother took charge of the home farm, which they 
operated on shares until the father's death, after which the estate was settled, 
Daniel Headley and his brother continuing their farm work in partnership. 
Their share of the estate was three hundred and fifty acres, and their business 
was conducted in common until 1876, when they dissolved partnership and 
our subject went to the west, where he engaged in farming and in buying 
and shipping stock. He was there in partnership with his brother Ezekiel, 
of DeKalb county, Missouri. They also purchased two or three tracts of 
grazing land, and for some years bought and shipped cattle on an extensive 
scale, meeting with good success, but in 1883 Daniel Headley returned to 
Eranklin county and took charge of his farm, w^hich he had rented while in 
Missouri. He has since resided upon this place, his attention being given to 
agricultural pursuits. Thoroughly familiar with the work in all its depart- 
ments from boyhood, he carries on his farm in a most progressive manner, 
and the highly cultivated fields yield to him a golden tribute. 

On the 23d of May, 1891, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Headley 
and Mrs. Lucinda J. Wagoner, widow of William Wagoner and a daughter 
of John Daily, one of the pioneers of Franklin county. By her former mar- 
riage Mrs. Headley had three children, of whom two are now^ living, namely : 
Ollie, the wife of George Strait, of Plain township; and Dora, wife of Stacey 
D. Trumbo, of Jefferson township. Although giving an unfaltering support 
to the Democracy, Daniel Headley has never been an office-seeker, his atten- 
tion being fully occupied by his business affairs. His religious belief is in 
harmony with the doctrines of the Universalist church, and he contributes 



920 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

freely to p'romote moral, intellectual and material interests in the community. 
He is widely known for his probity, his fidelity to duty, his upright principles 
and his o-enuinc worth of character. 



JAMES AlcCLOUD. 

A life of industry and of uprightness, a good name won by good methods 
in the business world, a memory of a kind husband and an indulgent parent 
— these are a part of the legacy left by James JNIcCloud at his death, which 
occurred December 4, 1898, and they are cherished by his children and his 
friends who remember him for what he was and did. The late James Mc- 
Cloud, of Columbus, Ohio, was born in 1840 where the old east graveyard 
was later laid out and where is now the east park, at the corner of Livingston 
and Eighteenth streets. His father, George McCloud, was brought to Colum- 
bus about 1809, from Pennsylvania, where he was born about two years before, 
and he died in this city in 1864. His mother, Elizabeth (Stombaugh) ]\Ic- 
Cloud, also a Pennsylvanian by birth, w^as brought to Columbus at about the 
age of two years by her father, James Stombaugh, in 181 2. and died in 1899, 
aged eighty-nine years. 

James McCloud was educated in the school near his father's farm and 
in schools in Columbus. In 1863 he married Tvliss Isabel McKelvey, of 
Columbus, who came from near Dublin, Ireland, where she was born. 
After his marriage he lived three years in Illinois, but returned to Columbus 
in 1866 and for some time was a traveling salesman. Subsequently he was 
for six years a farmer and then moved into Columbus and engaged in the 
grocery trade at Rich street and Grand a\-enue, where he did business twehe 
years or until his removal to High street, near Town, where he remained un- 
til 1888, when he closed out his grocery business and became a contractor of 
street paving. He put down the brick on Rich street and on a number of the 
other streets of Columbus and carried out successfully many contracts in 
New York and Pennsylvania, becoming well kn^wn in his line of business and 
amassing a considerable fortune. 

Mr. McCloud survived his first wife twenty-four years. She died in 
1874, leaving two daughters, Emma Belle and Charlotte May. The latter is 
the wife of Charles H. Bartow, of Columbu?. Mr. McCloud's second wife 
was Miss Angie Carroll, daughter of the Rev. Andrew Carroll, who died in 
1885, leaving a son, James McCloud, who is a well known coal and wood 
dealer at Columbus, with yards on the west side. Air. ]McCloud was fond 
of home and wife and children and was seldom absent except on business. 
He was a thorough man of affairs and his good judgment was apparent in 
every important change he made. He attended and was a liberal supporter 
of the Westminster Presbyterian church. Though having no taste for prac- 
tical polities', he had pronounced views upon every public question and was 
never at a loss to give a reason for his opinion. 




JAMES McCLOUD. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 921 

. GEORGE W. CONDIT. 

George W. Condit is now living a retired life in Westerville. He was 
for a long period connected with farming interests in Ohio, but in December, 
1900, he put aside business cares and took up his abode in the place where 
hQ now resides, enjoying a well-merited rest. His father, Isaac Condit, was 
born in Essex county, New Jersey, about 1798, was there reared to manhood 
and learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed in his native state until 
1836, when he came to Ohio, accompanied by his wife and their five children. 
In Harrison township. Licking county, he purchased a farm of one hundred 
and one acres. It was covered with timber, and in the midst of the forest 
he erected a log cabin, in which the family lived in true pioneer style, while 
he was engaged in clearing the place and preparing it for the plow. At inter- 
vals he also worked at the carpenter's trade, following it to a greater or less 
extent throughout his entire life. His sons, Mathias and William, took 
great delight m the use of tools in boyhood, and in later years the father worked 
with them along the line of that industry. He died in his eightieth year, 
his death being occasioned by an accident, a locomotive striking him as he 
was walking beside the track. He was at that time living on the farm of 
his son, Mathias. In early life he was a Jacksonian Democrat, but afterward 
he and all of his sons voted the Republican ticket, and he did everything 
in his power to advance the growth and secure the success of his party. He 
was one of the pioneer members of the Presbyterian church in his district, 
and often went eight miles to attend services. He established the first Sab- 
bath-school in his district, and was largely instrumental in securing the erec- 
tion of the first Presbyterian church in this vicinity. His noble Christian 
life and his upright example made him a man whom to know was to esteem 
and honor. He married Jane R. Dobbins, who was born in Essex county, 
New Jersey, about 1801. She was a woman of strong personality, and her 
influence did much in molding her husband's character and in making him the 
splendid specimen of manhood which he was known to be. Their example 
and precept also had much to do with shaping the lives of their children, 
none of whom ever used tobacco or licjuor in any form, and who have ever 
been a credit to an untarnished family name. The mother passed away in 
her seventy-sixth year, about a year prior to her husband's demise. Of their 
ten children, five are yet living, namely: Mary A,, deceased, the widow of 
Isaac Cain, of Licking county, Ohio; George W. ; Mathias C, who is also 
living in Licking county; Bertan J., of Logan county; and Sarah E., wife of 
Louis Mills, of Stella, Nebraska. 

George W. Condit spent the days of his youth upon his father's farm, 
and in the winter season and when his services were not needed in the fields 
he pursued his education in the common schools. His opportunities in that 
direction, however, were somewhat meager, but. realizing the need of edu- 
cation in the practical affairs of life, he spent three winter terms in school after 
attaining his majority, and also pursued his studies in the Granville high 

58 



922 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

school. He was then granted a certificate to teach, and throngh two winter 
seasons he devoted his time to following that profession and to study, in 
this way he gained a thorough comprehension and practical knowledge. Dur- 
ing the summer months until his thirty-first year he worked for his father 
upon the home farm. On the ist of October, 1857, Mr. Condit was united 
in marriage to Miss' Margaret Young, a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, and 
a daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (J-yle) Young. Her father was born in 
Pennsylvania, and with his parents went to Fairfield county, Ohio, when a 
youth of seventeen years, his father, John Young, being one of the first set- 
tlers in that locality. The mother was born in Kentucky, and wdien four 
years of age was brought to Franklin county, Ohio, by her father, John Lyle, 
who entered from the government a tract of land upon which the Ohio State 
University now stands. A portion of the farm is still in possession of the 
Lyle family. For three years after his marriage Mr. Condit continued the 
operation o^' the old family homestead, and also cultivated sixty-six and two- 
thirds acres of land which he had purchased in connection with his father. 
At the time of his marriage his father gave him a deed to that property. 
When three years had passed our subject sold his land to a younger brother 
and purchased a farm of. one hundred and seventy-five acres in Plain town- 
ship, Franklin county, where he spent three years. On the expiration of that 
period he once more disposed of his land and purchased a farm better improved, 
comprising one hundred and seventy acres in Jersey township, Licking county. 
Seventeen years were there passed, and he next became the owner of his 
present farm of one hundred and two acres in Blendon township, Franklin 
county, where be carried on agricultural pursuits until December, 1900, when 
he retired from active business life. He also retains possession of his farm 
in Licking county. He owns town property in Westerville, where he is now 
living. 

In his political views Mr. Condit is a stanch Republican, unswerving in 
support of the principles of his party. Since his fourteenth year he has been 
a member of the Presbyterian church, and is now serving as one of its elders, 
while for fourteen years he was a teacher in the Sunday-school. He does 
all in his power to promote the work of the church and its various branches, 
and withholds his support and co-operation from no movement or measure 
that is calculated to prove of general good. 



SYLVESTER M. SHERMAN, M. D. 

Among the representatives of the medical fraternity of Columluis who 
have attained prominence and prosperity by reason of superior skill and ability 
:s Dr. Sylvester Morrill Sherman. He is one of the native sons of the city, 
born on the 23d of December, 1842. The grandfather of our subject, Amos 
vSherman, was a drum majoT in the war of 1812, and on the expiration of his 
first term re-enlisted. He died of diphtheria at Fort INfeigs. His wife 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 923 

bore the maiden name of Aliss W'hitham. and was from the vicinity of Wheel- 
ing, West Virginia. 

Levi H. Sherman, the Doctor's father, was born near Wheehng. March 
I ,1809, and having arrived at years of maturity married Lydia G. Alorrill, 
a daughter of Moses and Millie (Merion) Morrill. The latter is a sister of 
William Merion. The mother of our subject is a native qf Ohio and is still 
living, at the age of eighty-two years. About 1838 Levi H. Sherman arrived 
in Columbus, where, in connection with his twin brother, William, he estab- 
lished a comb factoiry, which became one of the leading industries of the city. 
He manufactured high and side combs on an extensive scale, his business 
assuming large proportions. In 1849 ^^ joined a company of Columbus men, 
under the leadership of John W^alton, and went to California. His death 
occurred near Stockton, that state, in 1850. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sherman 
were born three children : Cynthia A. is the wife of Oliver Merion, a son oi 
William Merion and a resident of Chicago, Illinois; Levi William married 
Pauline Rickle and is living in Columbus. 

Sylvester M. Sherman, the subject of this review, and the other member 
of the family, acquired his literary education in the public schools of Colum- 
bus, and his professional training was received in the Eclectic Medical Insti- 
tute at Cincinnati. However, in the meantime, upon the field of battle he 
had demonstrated his loyalty to the Union, having enlisted in 1864 in the One 
Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Infantry for one hundred days' service. He 
was an orderly sergeant under the command of Captain Fisher and Colonel 
Innis. Our subject published a history of his ^regiment in 1896. 

After his return from the war the Doctor engaged in teaching school in 
Franklin county for nine years; but, abandoning educational work, he turned 
his attention to the medical profession, and in 1875 was graduated at the 
Eclectic Medical College, of. Cincinnati. He then began practice at Garrett, 
Indiana, where he remained for nine years, intimately associated with Wash- 
ington Cowan, who laid out the town for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad 
Company. While living there the Doctor took an active part in politics as 
a supporter of the Republican party, and served as a member of the school 
board. In 1883 he returned to Columbus, and with excellent equipment 
gained in a thorough college course and through broad and varied experience 
he began practice in his native city, establishing an office at the corner of 
Mount Vernon and Twentieth streets, where he has since been located. He 
has given his attention^ strictly to his professional duties, and has secured a 
large and constantly growing practice. 

In 1865 the Doctor married Miss Lemira Ann Shoemaker, a dauglUer of 
Christopher and Sarah Ann (Belknap) Shoemaker. In connection with 
Theodore Leonard and Mr. Atcheson, Mr. Shoemaker was engaged in the 
manufacture of brick in Columbus from 1840 until 1870. carrying on an exten- 
sive business. He was a well-known and prominent citizen, and. his loss was 
mourned throughout the entire community when he passed away in 1891, 
at the age of seventy-one years. His widow died April zy, 1901. Unto 



924 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the Doctor and his wife have been born the following children : Rose E. is 
the eldest and is the wife of Isaac Humphrey, an attorney at Zanesville, Ohio. 
Christopher Elias, who married Miss Eleanora Bruning, a daughter of H. 
Bruning, of Columbus, is a graduate of the Ohio State University in the class 
of 1894, and is now associate professor of civil engineering in that institu- 
tion. Edward Charles, who married Miss Ada Hance, a daug'hter of John 
W. Hance, of Columbus, is a graduate of the Ohio Dental, Colkge, of Cin- 
cinnati, and is now practicing in this city. Oliver Clinton is a graduate of 
a business college of Columbus. Cynthia Ellen, better known as Nellie, 
is a graduate of an art academy in Cincinnati. Lydia Grace is a 
graduate of the high school and normal school of Columbus. John King 
graduated in civil engineering at the State University in 1901. James Gar- 
field is a graduate of the high school of Columbus, and is now attending medi- 
cal college. Sylvester Morrill and Sarah Ruth are both attending the high 
school, and Lemira Ann is a student in the grammar school. 

The Doctor has provided his children with excellent educational privileges, 
thus preparing them to fill important positions in life. He is a member of 
Wells Post, G. A. R., and is a Royal Arch and Knight Templar and thirty- 
second-degree Mason, belonging to Mount Vernon Commandery, No. i. 
Pie holds membership in the Congregational church, and is active in his co- 
operation in all movements tending to promote the intellectual, social, material 
and moral welfare of the community. In his profession he has gained a posi- 
tion of due relative precedence, and an excellent business now rewards his 
ability and close application. 

FRANK B. CAMERON. 

Frank Bedford Cameron, of Columbus, Ohio, the subject of this sketch, 
comes of a family of editors and printers. His grandfather Cameron pub- 
lished a newspaper in Butler county, Ohio, in 1826. Hisi father was a pioneer 
editor and printer in Iowa, and he has himself edited and published several 
newspapers, and several of his' uncles, and cousins in both branches of his 
family are editors and publishers^ of newspapers in Nebraska, South Carolina 
and Iowa and in other states. 

Mr. Cameron has two bound volumes of the old paper published by his 
grandfather in Butler county, Ohio, in 1826 and later, and often refers to 
them with great interest. His father, Anderson Chenault Cameron, was born 
in Butler county, Ohio, and removed to Lucas county, Iowa, in 1848, and 
there Frank Bedford Cameron was born, November 30, 1855. In 1853 x\nder- 
son C. Cameron established the first newspaper at Osceola, Iowa, which was 
also one of the earliest in that part of the state. From there he went to 
Sheridan, Iowa, where he was interested with S. D. Ingersoll in the publica- 
tion of the Sheridan Patriot, a Democratic paper which supported Stephen 
A. Douglas for the presidency, and it should be added that Mr. Cameron 
established the first bookbindery in all the northwest part of the United States 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 925 

west of Burlington, Iowa. In 1861 he enlisted as a lieutenant in Company 

B, Third Regiment, Iowa \'olunteer Infantry, with which he saw two years' 
service in the war of the Rebellion. In 1864 he was appointed to a clerkship 
in the postoffice department at Washington, D. C, and held the position until 
his death in 1872. He established the Postal Directory, now the Postal 
Guide, to which he had more than six thousand subscribers at the time of 
his death. 

Frank B. Cameron's grandfather in the paternal line married Miss Maria 
Ingersoll, a sister of the father of the late famous orator, Colonel Robert G. 
Ingersoll. Anderson C. Cameron, the father of the subject of this sketch, 
married Emily C. Van Booft. a daughter of Francis V. Van Boost, who came 
with his family from near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and settled in Indiana, 
w^hence he removed to Iowa. At the time she met Mr. Cameron she was a 
student at Howe Academy at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Her mother was a 
Coryell of the old Pennsylvania family of that name. 

Frank B. Cameron began his experience as a ]jrinter in Washington. D. 

C, and in 1876 joined the typographical union in that city and has since been 
an active member of that organization, having been a member of its executive 
committee, a delegate in 1892 to the international convention at Philadelphia 
and a delegate to the Ohio Federation. In January, 1900, and again in 
July, the same year, he was elected president of the Columbus Trades and 
Labor Assembly, which is composed of seven delegates from each labor organ- 
ization in the city and represents about eight thousand local workers' at dif- 
ferent trades and is a practical affiliation of organizations for the purpose of 
bringing different kinds of labor together to make common cause against 
oppoising interests. 

Mr. Cameron came to Columbus in 1884. From 1885 to 18S7 he pub- 
lished and edited the Urbana Sun and the Trade Ledger, a daily labor paper 
at Columbus. From 1893 to 1896 he filled the office of justice of the peace, 
to which he was' elected by a larger majority than was ever given to any other 
candidate for that responsible position in Columbus. He was a Knight of 
Pythias, and has filled all chairs in the local organization of Red Men. He 
married Miss Sarah E. Crabill, of Champaign county, Ohio, who was a teacher 
in the public isthools there. Mrs. Cameron has borne her husband two daugh- 
ters, named Lula ]May and Hazel C. 

JOHX H. KOEHL. 

John H. Koehl, who occupied the position of secretary of the Democratic 
county central committee in the year 1900, was born in Columbus in 1876, 
and is a son of Charles' Koehl, a native of Bavaria, Germany, who on crossing 
the Atlantic to the new world in 1854 came direct to Columbus. Soon he 
began farming in Hamilton township, following agricultural pursuits until 
1872, when he returned to the city and engaged in business here for about 
twenty-four years. He was very successful in his undertakings and in 1896 



926 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

retired with a very comfortable competence. His wife, who bore the maiden 
name of Jacotina Rieselt. is also a native of Germany. 

John Henry Koehl, of this review, is indebted to the public-school system 
of Columbus for his literary education, and in Knox Business College he was! 
fitted for the practical experiences of the business world. When fifteen years 
of age he began learning the printer's trade, and after mastering the busi- 
ness in its older methods he learned the machine-printing business. He is 
now one of the most expert operators in the United States, having taken part 
in se^'eral contests of speed, in which he has carried off the honors. He is 
now with the A. C. Berlin Publishing Company, of Columbus, in charge of a 
linotype machine. As a representative of this business he has traveled 
throughout the United States. 

Since his boyhood political questions have had deep interest for Mr. Koehl 
and he has labored earnestly in behalf of Democracy. He wais elected a com- 
mitteeman from the thirteenth ward in 1900, and on the organization of the 
committee he was chosen as its secretary for the present year. His labors 
are now being given untiringly toward the advancement of his' party's growth 
and success, and his work is highly commended by party leaders. 

Mr. Koehl is a member of Typographical Union No. 5, and is a trustee 
of the Trades and Labor Assembly. He is very active in . union trade 
circles and his opinions carry weight in trade councils. He has made a 
close study of the questions of capital and labor, and is in hearty sympathy 
with the unions in their efiforts to secure justice and fair compensation for 
work. In his religious affiliations Mr. Koehl is connected with the German 
Independent Protestant church. 

WILLIAM MERION. 

The family of Merion is one of historical importance in Franklin county, 
Ohio, and it is distinguished as having given its name to one of the townships 
of that county, which was called Merion in honor of William Merion, Sr., 
the father of William Merion, the subject of this sketch, who was. a well 
known citizen of Columbus'. The township of Merion referred to was organ- 
ized in 1880 from territory taken from the old townships of Hamilton and 
Montgomery. 

William Merion, the father of William ]\Ierion, Sr., and the grandfather 
of William Merion, of Columbus, came from ]\Ias'sachusetts in 1804, and he 
and his brother Elijah and his brother-in-law Morrill took up three sections 
of land, wdiich at this time would be bounded as follow^s : On the north by 
Rinehart avenue, on the south by the Toledo & Ohio Central Railroad, and 
on the two other sides by the river and the Lockburn road. Mr. Merion was" 
a prominent early citizen of the county, a large land-owner and an extensive 
farmer, and died at his homestead in 1837. His ison, ^^'illiam Merion, Sr., 
was born in 181 1 in a cabin that stood on South High street, just south of 
Mohler street. At that time there were onlv about four houses west of the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9^7 

river. He attended school at the Sells school house, at the corner of Coshatt 
and High istreets, and once while coming home from spelling-school, killed 
a bear — the last ever slain within the city limits — with a horse pistol at 
Deshler and High streets. He gave his life to farming, was successful and 
became a well known and respected citizen, and when Alerion township was 
organized w'as its oldest citizen who was born within its limits. He died in 
1894, aged eighty-three. William Merion, the original settler, was' married, 
in Massachusetts, to Sarah Morrill, and his brother-in-law, who came with 
him to Ohio, had two daughters, one of whom became the wife of Colonel 
Innis, a biographical sketch of whom appears in this work, the oth.er being 
Mrs. Lydia Cookman, of Columbus. William Merion, Sr., married twice, 
— first, Mrs. Catherine (Clinckenger) Johnson, a daughter of Jacob Clincken- 
ger, a pioneer in Ohio, who came from New Jersey. His second wife was 
Mrs. Martha Sheldon, w^ho was the daughter of James Uncles, an early settler 
in Ohio from New England. Besides W'illiam Merion, the subject of this 
sketch, William Merion, Sr., had four other sons : Charles Merion, of Colum- 
bus, a well known farmer, now living on Scuth High street, whose son, Hon. 
Charles Merion, was elected to the general assembly of Ohio in 1894, and again 
in 1898; Oliver Merion, a wholesale flour and grain merchant of Chicago, Illi- 
nois; Levi Merion, living retired at Columbus; and Edward Merion (born of 
the second marriage), who is the chief clerk in the Columbus offices of the 
Shawnee & Hocking Railroad Company. 

William Merion was educated in ColumbuS', principally during the war 
of the Rebellion ; and it is not strange that he was often kept from school 
to do farm work, as two of his brothers were in the south fighting for the 
Union,- — George in Colonel Innes' cavalry, with which he hepled to^ capture 
Morgan, and Oliver as a lieutenant in the Ninety-fifth Regiment Ohio \^olun- 
teer Infantry. Until after his father's death he lived on the Merion home- 
stead, but in a short time subsequent to that event he moved into the city of 
Columbus, where he has since given his attention to contracting. He married 
Miss Anna Stimmel, a daughter of the late Samuel Stimmel, a wealthy and 
prominent farmer of Franklin township, Franklin county, and has two chil- 
dren : Mary, a student at the high school ; and George Edgar, also at school. 
With his family, Mr. Merion attends the Congregational church. In politics 
he is a Republican, and, though he isi not an office-seeker or even an active 
politician in the ordinary sense of the term, he is not without influence in his 
party and is a man of recognized patriotism and public spirit. 

WILLIAM L. TOWNS. ^I. D. 

The family of Towns is a distinguished one in England, where several 
of its members have been prominent in public affairs and others liave won 
distinction in the army and navy, and one of Dr. Town's uncles of that name 
was a member of parliament, a? was also his uncle, George Hickman. Dr. 
Towns, of No. 521 Main street. Columbus, Ohio, was born at Alount Ver- 



928 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

noil avenue and St. Clair street, in this city, in 1869, a son of William Towns, 
who came to Columbus from Guilford in Surrey, England, in 1861, and became 
prominent as a surveyor and contractor for street work, doing a large business 
and achieving a distinct success financially. In 1872 William Towns removed 
to a fine farm of one hundred acres in Franklin township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, where he lived until 1897, when he returned to Columbus and embarked 
in business as a feed merchant. 

W'illiam Towns married Miss Josephine \\'alton, of Worthington, Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, a daughter of Flenry Clay Walton, who is a native of Frank- 
lin county, but whose father came from England and was a direct descendant 
of Colonel William Henry Clay, a man of prominence and influence in his 
time. \\\\\\ such antecedents, it is not strange that Dr. Towns early showed 
that he was of the stuff of which successful men are made. He received his 
primary education in the public schools of Franklin township, where he passed 
his childhood after he was four years old, and was a graduate at the old 
Capital City Commercial School, of Columbus, in 1883. After that he was 
employed for two years by the Columbus Buggy Company and for eight 
years by he Ohio Buggy Company, of Columbus, and during that time had 
a valuable business experience and an opportunity to study men of affairs 
and their methods which has an important bearing on his pro-fessional success. 
He was graduated from Starling Medical College, Columbus, with the class 
of 1896, and at once thereafter entered upon the practice of his profession 
with offices at 521 East Main street, Columbus. He has devoted himself to 
general practice and has built up a large and increasing patronage. 

Dr. Towns has been a Republican since before he was a voter and was 
at one time active and prominent in local politics in Franklin township. He 
was married, at Circleville, Ohio, to Miss Margaret C. Boysell, a daughter 
of Jacob Boysell and a .member of a family old and well known in that part 
of the state. Dr. Towns is an up-to-date physician who makes a special 
study of every case in which he is called, and keeps up with the literature of 
]]is profession; and as a man he is straightforward and unassuming, with a 
capacity to make and retain friends ; and his success thus far, flattering as it 
is, is regarded by those who know him best as only an earnest of greater 
achievements to come. 

MICHAEL J. OATES. 

Michael J. Oates', an enterprising and wide-awake business man of Colum- 
bus, is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his birth having occurred in 
Lancaster, in i860. His father, Patrick Oates, was born in Ireland, and on 
leaving the Green isle of Erin he crossed the Atlantic to the new world' in 
1850, taking up his abode in the Buckeye state. Throughout his: entire life 
lie followed the tanner's trade and his death occurred in 1873, when he was 
forty-five years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Annie Britt, 
was a native of county Roscommon, Ireland. 




MICHAEL J. OATES. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 929 

Michael Joseph Gates spent his boyhood and youth in tb.e county of his 
nativity, attended the parochial schools there, and after puttin- aside his text- 
books learned the trade of merchant tailor. He was also employed in a drug 
store for three years. In 1880 he came to Columbus and embarked in busi- 
ness on his; ovvn account. For twenty years he has conducted a merchant 
tailoring establishment, which is one of the leading enterprises in its line in 
the city. He carries a large and well selected stock of goods and one may al- 
ways be sure, of securing the advance styles there. His: Inisiness methods 
are thoroughly reliable and commend him to the confidence and patronage 
of the public. 

. Mr. Gates was married in Columbus, to Miss Elizabeth Straub. who was 
born m this city in i860, and is a daughter of Andrew and Catherine Straub, 
who came from Germany and took up their residence in Ghio's capital many 
years ago, the father being here engaged in the shoe business. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Gates have been born five children, namely : Carl, Edward, Marie and 
Helen, aged respectively thirteen, nine, seven and five years, and Joseph, 
who is now in the second year of his age. The parents are members of the 
Sacred Heart church. In 1898 Mr. Gates was elected a member of the citv 
council from the seventeenth ward and ^erved for two years. He is a prom'- 
ment member of the Knights' of St. John, of which society he has been the 
treasurer. He is also the treasurer of the Hibernian Knights of Columbus 
and IS a charter member of the Catholic Grder of Foresters. He is a man of 
keen discrimination and sound judgment, and his executive ability and excel- 
lent management have brought to the concern which he controls a large de- 
gree of success. The safe, conservative policy which he inaugurated com- 
mends itself to the judgment of all and has secured to him a large patronage. 

LEWIS J. BRGGKS. 

"Agriculture is the most useful as well as the most honorable occupation 
to which man devotes his energies." Such was, the utterance of George 
Washington more than a century ago, but the truth stands to-day. Agricultut-e 
IS the foundation of the world's prosperity, and upon it depends all activity in 
every line of life. Mr. Brooks is a worthy representative of the calling, beino- 
numbered among the leading farmers of Plain township, Franklin county. He 
was born in Newark, Licking county, Ghio, on the i6th of August, 1855, and 
is one of the four children of Hiram and Sarah (Park) Brooks, although he 
has but one brother now living, Samuel D., who is a carpenter and Imikfer of 
Newark. The father is numbered among the native sons of the Empire state, 
his birth having occurred in Syracuse county, New York. Gctober i, 18^4' 
The grandparents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Wade) Brooks, were both natives'of 
Canada, but soon after their marriage removed to New York, wliere the o-rand- 
father became a prominent farmer, there spending his remaining days. Hiram 
Brooks was reared upon the homestead there and in earlv life learned the trade 
of a carpenter and builder. Gn leaving the east he took up his abode in Eliza- 



930 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bethtown, Ohio, and after a short time went to Newark, Licking county, where 
he resided until 1859. In that year he settled near Jersey, in the same county, 
and continued to follow his chosen occupation until 1864, when, in response 
to the country's call for troops, he served for one hundred days, enlisting in the 
Union army as a member of Company D, Seventeenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 
The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, and he remained 
at the front until after the expiration of his term. Returning to his home, 
Mr. Brooks then engaged in business as a manufacturer of tile, and early in the 
'7osremoved to New Albany, where he erected tile works, continuing the opera- 
tion of the Jersey Tile Works for three years in connection with the factory at 
New Albany. He then sold the former in order to give his entire attention 
to the conduct of the latter enterprise, following the business until the early 
■'80s, when he removed to Worth ington, Franklin county. Here he erected 
an extensive plant for the manufacture of tile, its motive power being steam, 
and for five or six years he carried on business here, but on the expiration of 
that period disposed of the plant and has' since enjoyed a well earned rest. 
Great activity in industrial affairs brought to him a handsome competence, his 
capital being now sufficient to supply him with all the needs through his remain- 
ing days. He votes with the Republican party, earnestly advocating its prin- 
ciples, yet has never been an office seeker. A member of the Worthington 
Lodge, F. & A. M., he is' now^ serving as one of its officers and is a faithful 
and "loyal follower of the fraternity. His wife was born in Blendon township, 
Franklin county, in March, 1835, and is a daughter of Samuel Park, one of the 
early pioneer settlers here, who died a few weeks prior to the birth of his 
daughter. 

Lewis J. Brooks attended' the common schools until fourteen years of 
age, when he began w^orking in his father's tile factory, continuing his con- 
nection with that pursuit until his' twenty-fifth year, but after his marriage 
he abandoned that industry for farm life, taking up his. abode on a tract of 
land joining his present farm upon the south. It comprises one hundred and 
a half acres belonging to his father-in-law. After five years, in connection with 
Mr. Strait, his father-in-law, he purchased his present home farm of ninety- 
one acres' and removed thereto. He has proved a capable manager, and as a 
result of his industry and business ability, supplemented by the labors of his 
wife, he has acquired some three hundred and forty acres of land. He pos- 
sesses unabating industry and ability in the conduct of his farm, and his labors 
have been crowned wnth a high degree of success. 

On the 13th of June. 1880, Mr. Brooks was joined in wedlock to Anna 
Eliza Strait, a daughter of Dennis B. Strait, and they now have tw^o children, 
Ina Maud and Gladys B. The elder is a graduate of the district school, while 
the younger daughter is still a student. In his political views Mr. Brooks 
is a Republican and is recognized as one of the leaders in the local ranks of 
his party. Twice he has been a candidate on its ticket for the office of 
trustee, an:l though the township is strongly Democratic, he polled a large 
vote, receiving the largest support that has ever b.een given to a Republican 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 93 ^ 

candidate for the office for many years. In the spring of 1900 he was nominated 
for justice of the peace, and again his defeat amounted ahiiost to a victory, 
for he ran far ahead of his ticket, a fact which indicates his personal popu- 
larity and the high regard reposed in him. The Brooks household is cele- 
biated for its gracious and generous hospitality, and our subject and his 
wife have many warm friends throughout the county, being recognized as 
people of sterling worth. 

ELMER J. MILLER, 

Elmer Jacob ]\Iiller is one of the leading citizens of Columbus whose 
advancement has resulted from his individual efforts, ancl who to-day occupies 
a prominent position in business and political circles in the capital city.^ He 
Vx'as born in Carlisle, Cumberland county. Pennsylvania, on the 30th of De- 
cember, 1862, and is a son of Amos :viiller, a native of Lancaster countj-, 
Pennsylvania. The father is now living in Columbus, at the age of sixty- 
nine years, having come to this place from Carlisle, where he had charge of 
the agricultural department of the Carisle Indian Training School for eight 
years, — from 1882 to 1890. 

In taking up the personal history of Elmer J. Miller we present to our 
readers the record of one who is widely and favorably known in Columbus 
m connection with business and political interests; and his career is one which 
is in many respects well worthy of emulation. He acquired his education in 
the public schools near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and at the age of sixteen he 
entered upon a five-years apprenticeship at the machinist's trade, to the Frick 
Company, at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Subsequently he came to Col- 
umbus, -and with practical experience gained through association with his 
father's business he established the Miller Fruit & Vegetable Company, 
which enterprise was attended with success from the beginning, his trade 
steadily increasing until it assumed extensive proportions. He continued its 
conduct until 1899, and then retired from that enterprise, but maintained 
his active connection with many other important business concerns of which 
he had become a member in the meantime. 

Mr. Miller in the interval had become deeply interested in politics and was 
well known as a worker in Republican ranks. He was first made the secre- 
tary of the county central committee and for two terms he was the secretary of 
;he Republican State League. During the campaign of 1896 he was a member 
of the Republican national league committee and in 1898 was a vice president 
of -the national league. He is not only well informed on political subjects 
but has the business ability and executive power so necessary to the succes-^ful 
management of a campaign, and his efforts have been very effective in promot- 
ing the party's interests. On the 2d of June, 1897. ^^ was appinted surveyor of 
customs at Columbus, and is still filling that position. Aside from this he is 
connected with several other important financial undertakings which have 



932 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

not only advanced his individual prosperity but have contributed in a large 
measure to the business activity and consequent success of the city. 

Air. Miller was married in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, in 1887, to Miss 
Ida S. Geist, the eldest daughter of Jacob and Sarah Geist, who were promi- 
nent settlers of Baltimore county, Maryland, and are now deceased. They 
have three sons: Tolbert C., Raymond p. and Frank G., aged respectively 
twelve, ten and six years, and all now in school. 

While possessing the qualities of a successful business man and a desir- 
able social companion, perhaps Mr. Miller's most strongly marked character- 
istic is his unswerving fidelity to duty. His private interests have eve'r been 
subordinated to the public good, and thus he has become honored and esteemed 
by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance or v>-ho have met him in a 
business way. 

GEORGE OTSTOT McDONALD. 

Among the useful and highly respected citizens of Columbus, Ohio, now 
living in retirement from active business none in mose deserving of a place in 
this work than George Otstot McDonald, who is descended from an old and 
respectable Scottish family. His great-grandfather, John McDonald, was 
born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1713, came to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 
1773, and died in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1822. His son Mordecai 
was born in 1770, came with his father to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1773, 
emigrated to Belmont county, Ohio, in 1798 and died at Zanesville, Mus- 
kingum county, Ohio, in 1810. Ebenezer McDonald, a son of Mordecai Mc- 
Donald, and the father of George Otstot McDonald, was born in Belmont 
county, Ohio, in 18 10. His mother was Elizabeth nee Byers, a native of Wash- 
ington county, Pennsylvania. He came to Columbus in 1832 with John Huff- 
man and Daniel Heavey from Newark, Ohio, and secured a position at the state 
penitentiary not long afterward, and was' connected with that institution until 
after his retirement in 1888. For more than forty years he was the superinten- 
dent under the Hayden contract, for the manufacture of coach and saddlery 
hardware by convict labor, which long necessitated the employment of many 
hundred convicts under seven foremen. Mr. McDonald accumulated consider- 
able property and died in 1892. He married Sarah Otstot, a native of Lan- 
caster county, Pennsylvania, whose father, a native of Germany, came from 
Pennsylvania to Franklin county, Ohio, in 183 1. and located on land which is 
now the northwest part of the city of Columbus. 

George Otstot McDonald was born in 1835 in a house which stood on 
High street near Long, Columbus, Ohio, on the site of the People's House 
Furnishing store, a son of Ebenezer and Sarah (Otstot) McDonald, and 
was educated in the public schools of his native city. After serving an ap- 
prenticeship at the machinist's trade at the old Eagle foundry, which has 
developed into the shops of. the Columbus Machine company, he turned his 
attention to work in railway machine shops. From a railroad machinist he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 933 

developed into a locomotive engineer and for most of the time during thirty- 
three years ran trains of the Pennsylvania company out of Columbus and 
when not so employed was a foreman in the local shops of that corporation, 
1866-73. He retired from active life in 1897. 

In April,, 1861, Mr. McDonald enlisted in Company B, Third Regiment, 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served in the Civil war until August 
28, 1865, in the Army of West Virginia and later in the Army of the Cumber- 
land, participating in the historic fighting of those two important bodies 
of troops; and at Rome, Georgia, May, 4, 1863, he was, with Colonel Straight, 
made a prisoner of war and confined for a time at Belle Island. He is a mem- 
ber of Wells Post, No. 581, Grand Army of the Republic, of Columbus, and 
of the Association of the Prisoners of War, and is a Knight of Pytliias and 
an Odd Fellow. His only brother, Adam S. McDonald, also served in the 
Civil war in the Second Regiment, Ohio V^olunteer Infantry, for three months, 
and later in Hoffman's battery, the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Ohio, 
in which he was promoted to the captaincy of Company B. He died in 1871. 

Mr. McDonald was married at Piqua, Miami county, Ohio, to Miss Mary 
Shannon Cox, the adopted daughter of the Rev. William Cox, a clergyman of 
the Presbyterian church, and he and his wife are members of the Broad Street 
Presbyterian church, of Columbus, where his father also was active in church 
work and for many years an elder in the Second Presbyterian church. 

JOXAS M. McCUXE. 

The gentleman whose name appears above is an old and prominent re- 
tired business man of Columbus, Ohio. He was born in Vermont in 1822. 
His grandfather, William McCune, was a prominent citizen of Brattleboro, 
Vermont, and commanded a company of patriotic soldiers in the Revolution- 
ary war. John McCune, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a leader 
in the town affairs of Brattleboro, in his day and generation, and ably filled 
many local offices, including those of selectman and member of the school 
board. He married Sarah Harris, a daughter of Nathaniel Harris, of Brat- 
tleboro, and a descendant of a Mayflower pilgrim. The American ancestor 
of the family of McCune came from Scotland and the ]\IcCunes have in all 
generations been stanch Presbyterians and patriotic lovers of liberty. 

Jonas M. McCune was educated in a district school which was con- 
ducted on his father's farm. In 1841, at the age of nineteen years, he came 
to Columbus and until 1848 was a clerk in the hardware store of Grear & 
Abbott. In the year last mentioned he became a partner in the concern, 
which was then styled Grear, Abbott & Company. In 1856 he established 
the wholesale and retail hardware firm of J. M. McCune & Company on North 
High street, the name of which was afterward changed to jMcCune, Loomis & 
Griswold and which erected a new and larger store at the corner of Spring and 
Front streets. Mr. McCune retired in 1895, after an active and successful 
business career 'of forty-eight years, and his old enterprise is now carried 



934 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

on by the Griswold & Sohl Company, under the personal management of 
Charles C. Gri.^Avold, who was formerly a clerk in Mr. McCune's employ. 
During its entire history this concern has been known in all parts of the state 
as the largest wholesale and retail hardware store at Columbus. 

In 1850 Mr. McCune married Miss Catharine Lumley, of Columbus, a 
daughter of Edward Lumley, who came from Wales, about 1832, and located 
at Granville, Ohio. Mrs. McCune died in 1859, leaving several children. 
Their son, Edward Lumley McCune, was ejlucated at the University of Ten- 
nessee and was admitted to the bar in 1877, since when he has practiced his 
profession in the city of' Columbus, with much success. He was elected a 
member of the city board of education in 1900 and is a prominent Mason. 
John Prouty McCune, their second son, was graduated at Yale College in 
1878 and was connected with his father's business until 1895, and is now the 
president of the Newark Machine Company, of Newark, Ohio. He is a 
thirty-third-degree Mason and a past grand commander of the Knights Tem- 
plar of the state of Ohio, Another son, William Pitt McCune, formerly in 
business at Columbus with his father, died in Dakota in 1888. Mr. McCune's 
sons are men of first-class abilitv who are making a mo're than creditable suc- 
cess in life. 

In 1889 Mr. McCune married for his second wife Mrs. Eveline M. Mills, 
of Columbus, a daughter of Edward Gares, a merchant of Groveport, Frank- 
lin county, who has borne him two children, named Evaline and Jonas Ferson 
McCune. 

Mr. McCune was reared politically as an old-line Whig and has been a 
member of the Republican party since its organization, but his tastes have 
ruled against his taking an active part in public affairs. He has for many 
years been a helpful member of the Second Presbyterian church. He passed 
the greater part of the year 1886 in European travel and since his retirement 
from active business has spent most of his time at his beautiful home on 
Woodland avenue.. 

DANIEL CLOTTS, M. D. 

Among the younger representatives of the medical and legal fraternities 
in Franklin county ia Dr. Daniel Clotts, of Jefferson township, whose pro- 
fessional skill and ability have gained him prestige, winning him the promi- 
nence which comes only from merit. He was born in this township. Novem- 
ber 25, 1865, his parents being Daniel and Barbara A. ( Souder) Clotts. 
His father, a native of Shaferstown, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, was 
born December 26, 1821, and is one of the eight children of Joseph and 
Barbara (Boyer) Clotts. Only two of the number are now living,— Daniel 
and Susanna, the latter the widow of Samuel Louder, of Franklin county. 
The grandfather was born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in 1790, and in 
his childhood days his father died. His mother afterward married again, 
and Joseph Clotts was reared by a family of the name of Benedict. On at- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 935 

taining his manhood he learned the shoemaker's trade, wliich he foHowed 
up to the time of his death. After his marriage to Aiiss Boyer he resided 
with his family in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, until 1831, when he came 
to Ohio and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land, upon which his 
son, Daniel Clotts, Sr., now resides. Some years afterward he bought an 
additional tract of sixty acres. Upon his arrival in the county he took up 
his abode in a log cabin which had been built by the former owner, but the 
land was wild and unbroken, and while the grandfather followed his trade of 
shoe-making his sons, then old enough to work on the farm, cleared the land 
and cultivated the crops. His death occurred November 30, 1845. ^^^ V^^~ 
itics he was a stalwart Democrat, giving an unswerving support to the prin- 
ciples of his party. He was also a faithful member of the Lutheran church 
and did all in his power to promote its growth, and for many years served as 
treasurer and elder. His wife was born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, 
about 1790, and was a daughter of John Boyer, of the old Pennsylvania 
Dutch Gtock. Her death occurred in May, 1863. This worthy couple were 
honored pioneer settlers of Franklin county. They walked the entire dis- 
tance, three weeks being required to make the trip, from their home in 
Shaferstown, Pennsylvania, to Franklin county. Their household goods were 
loaded upon a wagon, and thus in a primitive manner they journeyed west- 
ward and became the founders of what is now one of the prosperous and val- 
uable families of this section of the state. 

Daniel Clotts, Sr., the Doctor's father, was reared at home and in 
early life attended the German school, but when he was quite young the Ger- 
man school was abolished and an English school was established in its 
place. He did not attend after that time but gave his attention to the work 
of the farm, of which he took charge at the age of twenty-two years, operat- 
ing the place on the shares, receiving one-third of the crops. After his father's 
death the will called for a division of the property and each of the three sons 
received sixty acres of land, while the mother was to receive one-third of 
the crops during her lifetime. She made her home with her son Daniel. 
In September, 1863, he was united in marriage to Miss Ba-rbara A. Souder, 
a native of Jefferson township and a daughter of Jacob Souder, wHo came 
from Virginia to Franklin county, Ohio, with his parents at an early day. 
Mr. and ]\Irs. Clotts became the parents of four children, namely : Daniel ; 
Emma, the wife of George B. Schott, who is operating her father's farm; 
Chambers L, deceased; and Linda M., at home. The father of this family 
is a worthy representative of the sturdy pioneers of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, 
and his perseverance, combined with his good business judgment, has enabled 
him to win prosperity. He has at various times added to his home place 
until his farming lands now comprise four hundred and sixty-five and a half 
acres, and he is accounted one of the successful agricul.tuists of his com- 
munity. In politics he is a stanch Democrat, but has never been an office 
seeker. 

Dr. Clotts remained under the parental roof through the period of his 



936 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

minority, attending the common schools and the Gahanna high school, being 
graduated in the latter with the class of 1883. The following year he began 
his career as a teacher, following that profession through the winter seasons, 
while in the summer months he carried on agricultural pursuits. In the winter 
of 1884-5 l^s t*^^^ ^^P t^^^ study of medicine and the following spring again 
taught a term of school. Through the succeeding winter he was a student 
in the Eclectic Medical Institute, of Cincinnati, and through the winter of 
1886-7 he was again connected with educational interests as. an instructor. 
In the winter of 1887-8 he once more attended lectures and was graduated 
with the class of 1888. 

Not long afterward Dr. Clotts located in Newark, Ohio, and began the 
practice of his chosen profession, there remaining for three and a half years. 
In the fall of 1891 he removed to Columbus, Ohio, with the intention of taking 
up the study of law, to which he had devoted considerable time for one year, 
but after a month spent in the capital city he moved to the farm upon which 
he is now located, although he had been admitted to the senior class. He 
then continued the reading of , law at home until October 14, 1897, when he 
was admitted to the bar, and for some time thereafter his attention was 
divided between the practice of law and. medicine, but at a more recent date 
he put aside the latter to some extent and now devotes the greater part of his 
time to the law, having a large and constantly growing clientage. He also 
superintends his farm. 

While residing in Newark Dr. Clotts was united in marriage, on the 
1 2th of March, 1890, to Miss Hattie A. Brown, a daughter of Edward C. 
Brown, a prominent farmer of Marion township. They new have two children, 
— Daniel Leon and Edward Carlisle. Mrs. Clotts belongs to the Lutheran 
church. He is associated with the Ohio Central Eclectic Medical Association 
and the National Eclectic Medical Association. In politics he is a Republican. 
One of the rising young professional men of the county, his ambition, deter- 
mination and energy are such as to win for him gratifying success in either 
branch of professional life which he' chooses to follow. 

GEORGE J. KARB. 

Among the prominent business men of Columbus none are more closely 
identified with the growth and best interests of the city than George J. Karb, 
Avho has made his home here for forty-two years, — the entire period of his 
life, — a period in which the growth of Columbus has been continuous and 
along reliable and substantial lines. For many years he has been known for 
his sterling qualities, his fearless loyalty to his honest convictions, his sturdy 
support of municipal progress and his clear-headedness, discretion and tact 
as a manager and leader. His business connection is that of president and 
manager of the Central Ohio Oil Company. 

Mr. Karb was born in 1858, a son of George Karb, who was a native of 
Germany and came direct to Columbus from the fatherland in the year 1844. 




GBORG-E J. KARB. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 937 

He was then a young man, who had enjoyed good educational privileges in 
Germany ; and in this city he established a brokerage business, which he con- 
ducted throughout the remainder of his life, dying here in 1893, at the age ■ 
of_ eighty-two years. He maintained his active connection with business 
affairs until called to the home beyond. In the Lutheran church he held 
membership. In early manhood he married Elizabeth Bauer, who was also 
a native of Germany, and died in 1896, at the age of seventy-four. 

George J. Karb acquired his education in the grammar schools of this 
city and in a business college. He then entered a drug store and ultimately 
qualified as a pharmacist before the state board. In 1874 he became asso- 
ciated in the drug business with Fred William Swartz, at the corner of Fifth 
and Main streets, where he remained for -ten years, when he established a 
store of his own on the corner of Fourth and Main streets. At that place 
he carried on business successfully for fourteen years, or until 1898, when he 
sold out and took charge of the business of the Central Ohio O-l Company 
as president and manager, having in the meantime been a stockholder in the 
enterprise. This company owns and controls extensive works in Columbus, 
employs a large force of men, and its business extends into manv sections 
of the state. Air. Karb is also a member of the board of trade, is a director 
of the Ohio Savings & Loan Association, and a stockholder in the Ohio 
National Bank and the Market Exchange Bank. 

In fraternal circles Mr. Karb is prominent and widely known. He is a 
Knight Templar Mason, has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish 
Rite, and also belongs to the Mystic Shrine. He is likewise a member of the 
Knights of Pythias fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the 
Red Men and several other fraternal societies, and is identified witli the 
Olentangy Club. He has long been recognized as a leading and influential ' 
supporter of the Democratic party, and takes a very active imerest in politics. 
Alany official honors have been conferred upon him. He Avas elected a 
member of the city council from the Fifth ward in 1887 i" a Republican 
district of the city, and in 1889 was elected a police commissioner, in which 
capacity he served so acceptably that in 1891 he was nominated and elected 
mayor, being continued in that office by being re-elected in 1893. He was 
very popular during his administration, and his appointments were unusually 
satisfactory. During his terms many needed municipal improvements were 
secured, principally the electric street railways, the intersecting sewer, the 
viaduct and the workhouse. As mayor of the city it devolved upon him to 
entertain the Duke of Veragua on his visit to Columbus, and he certainly 
highly sustained the honor of Ohio in the way in which he performed this 
service. 

In 1886 Air. Karb was united in marriage to Aliss Kate Van Dine, of 
Columbus, a daughter of Jacob Van Dine and a niece of the celebrated Dr. 
Seltzer. In church relationship they are Lutherans. They occupy an envia- 
ble social position, the hospitalitv of manv of the best homes of Columbus 
being extended to them. The career of A[r. Karb has ever been such as to 



938 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

warrant the trust and confidence of the business world, for he has ever con- 
ducted all transactions on the strictest principles of honor and integrity. He 
owes his success alone to his own efforts, and his career i)roves that prosperity 
depends not alone upon circumstances, but upon the man. 

WHITNEY STRAIT. 

Whitney Strait is a very successful business man of Franklin county, and 
fine property in the capital city as well as in Plain township is the substantial 
evidence of' his enterprise and unflagging- industry. Although many would, 
claim that success results from chance, from fate or from inheritance, the life 
record of such men as Mr. Strait proves conclusively that prosperity may be 
acquired through individual effort and that it will come as the direct result of 
labor when guided by sound business judgment. 

Upon the farm where he now resides Mr. Strait was burn, February 20. 
1853, his parents' being Dennis B. and Ann (Farber) Strait. His grand- 
fatlier, Abraham Strait, was born in Sussex county. New Jersey, March 5, 
1 79 1, and was there reared. Although he never learned the trade, he possessed 
superior mechanical ability and ingenuity and for a number of years worked 
at the forge in his native county. In 1839 he came to Ohio wdth his family, 
settling one mile south of Albany, and in 1855 purchased the eld David Smith 
farm in Plain township. The house, which was recently destroyed, was the 
oldest in that portion of the county, and in it he made his home up to the time 
of his demise, which occurred in 1861. His ballot supported the men and meas- 
ures of the Democracy. He took an active interest in educational affairs and 
was a warm friend of the public schools. His penmanship was particularly 
fine and brought him considerable renown. Throughout the community where 
he lived he w-as greatly esteemed by all who knew him. 

Dennis Strait, the father of cur subject, was born in Sussex county. New 
Jersey, ]\Iay 20, 1824, and after attaining his majority he located upon the old 
family homestead, having purchased one hundred acres of land here a year 
prior to his marriage. As time passed he made judicious investments of his 
capital and became the owner of eleven hundred acres of land. His success was 
due largely to his sheep and cattle raising business, for he was nn excellent 
judge of stock, thoroughly understanding the best methods of caring for them 
and his results were attended wdth a high degree of prosperity. He voted wath 
the Democratic party and in i860 was elected on its ticket to the office of county 
commissioner, serving for a term of three years, after which he was re-electecl. 
in 1863, and again in 1876. In 1866 he was appointed county auditor and 
served out an unexpired term. He also filled various township offices and at 
the time of his death w-as serving his second term as justice of the peace. His 
official record was entirely irreproachable, for he was most loyal to duty 
and was prompt and efficient in discharging the trusts reposed in him. He 
belonged to the Masonic fraternity and was one of the well known and prom- 
inent men of the countv. His death occurred April 2, 1891. His wife, who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 



939 



was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, September 22, 1832, was a daughter of 
Caleb and Eliza (Larue) Farber. She came to Ohio with her brother Samuel 
who is now deceased. The year of their arrival was 1849, and on the 20th of 
November, 1851, she gave her hand in marriage to Dennis Strait. She sur- 
vived her husband and resided with the subject of this review until her death 
April 6, 1901. In their family were five children: Whitnev; Cordelia, the 
wife of Boivin Ranney, of Columbus; Ann E.. the wife of Lewis Brook's, of 
Plain township ; and two who have passed away. 

The pleasures and duties of youth came to \\'hitney Strait as to other boys. 
He was reared at home and gained a common school education. As a com- 
panion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Ella Rhodes, the wedding 
being celebrated on the 30th of September, 1880. The ladv was born in Lick^ 
mg county, Ohio, a daughter of William J. Rhodes, who took up his resi- 
dence m Franklin county in 1892, but is now deceased. He was a prominent 
farmer and dealer in wool and successfully carried on both l)ranches of his 
business. His death occurred in June. 1900. The marriage of ]\Ir. and 
Mrs. Strait has been blessed with four children, of whom two are yet livm^y, 
— Ona ]\Iarie and Gloria. - »' 

After his marriage Mr. Strait located upon a farm adjoining his father's 
property and assisted his father in the management of the home place up to the 
time of the latter's death, after which the property was divided and our subject 
received four hundred acres of land as his patrimony. He is a most progressive 
farmer, yet practical withal, and his labors are bringing to him an excellent 
financial return. He also follows stock-raising and finds this a profitable source 
of income. In Columbus he owns valuable realty, including three double 
houses on Galloway avenue, and a large flat building on Twentieth and Toronto 
streets. His investments have been judiciously made, being such as augment 
his business affairs and increase his capital. He is one of the most energetic, 
resolute and progressive ycung business men of the countv, having the ability 
not only to plan but to successfully execute whatever he undertakes. His 
political support is given the Democracy, and, while he keeps well informed on 
the issues and questions of the day, he has never sought office, preferring to 
devote his time and energies to his varied business affairs, which are bringing 
to him gratifying success. However he was elected to the ofiice of truste'^e o*f 
Plain township in 1901. Reliable in all trade transactions, he has strict regard 
for the ethics of commercial life and he enjoys the unqualified confidence^nd 
regard of those with whom he has been associated. 

CLIXTOX H. VAXCE. 

Clinton H. Vance is one of the progressive young business men of Frank- 
lin county, successfully engaged in fdrming in Blendon township and at the 
same time conducting a successful business as the manager of the Buckeye Phos- 
phate Company. He represents a family prominent in the history of this por- 
tion of the state, for the name of ^^ance has been long and inseparably con- 



940 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

nected with the annals of FrankHn county and its meml^ers have taken an active 
and important part in pubhc affairs that have promoted the welfare and ma- 
terial advancement. He was born in Blendon township, July 22, 1866, and is 
a son of Joseph and jMargaret J. Vance, who are represented on another page 
in this volume. He pursued his elementary education in the common schools 
and for a short time was a student in the high school of Columbus, but the 
death of his father and brother cut short his educational privileges, as the 
management of the home farm and property devolved upon his young shoulders. 
He was only sixteen years of age at the time of his father's demise and he 
assumed the control and operation of the old homestead. His business and 
executive ability were soon manifest, and from that time to the present he has 
occupied a commendable position among the enterprising and successful young 
business men of Franklin county. In 1893 he rented the Louis Huffman farm 
of two hundred acres, and there removed his family, having in the meantime 
been married. It has since been his place of abode and he has operated it in 
connection with the old homestead. In 1895 he purchased the J. W. Several 
farm of seventy acres, just across the road on the west, and through the past 
ten years during a greater part of the time he has supervised the operation of 
between four and five hundred acres of land. At the same time he has engaged 
in feeding stock on an extensive scale, being one of the leaders in this line in the 
township. In February, 1900, he extended the field of his operations by 
incorporating the Buckeye Phosphate Company, wholesale dealers in animal 
fertilizers. Business is carried on in Columbus, where the company handle 
Buckeye Bone Meal, the Complete Fertilizer, the Buckeye Special Blood and 
Potash Mixture, the Buckeye Wheat-Makers, Super-Phosphate and Extra 
Super-Phosphate. All these have been carefully analyzed so that the farmers 
may know at once what ingredients they contain and whether the mixture is 
suitf^d to the soil. A high degree of success' has attended the new enterprise, 
for the products which they place upon the market are of great value to the 
agricultural community. 

Mr. Vance is a member of Westerville Lodge, F. & A. M., and also 
belongs to the Westerville Presbyterian church, being both widely and favor- 
ably known in social and church circles. His business ability being of a 
superior order has enabled him to pass upon the highway of life many who 
started out ahead of him, and the chief elements of his prosperity are his 
close application to business, his capable management and his fidelity to the 
ethics of commercial life. 

]\Ir. Vance was married, January i, 1891, to Aliss Lulu Landon. a daugh- 
ter of ]\Iordecai Landon, and they now have a daughter. Fern L., who was 
born September 11, 1893. It will be interesting in this connection to note 
something of the family history of Mrs. Vance. Her father, Mordecai Lan- 
don, was born in Lycoming. Pennsylvania, November 26. 1826, and is the 
only surviving child of Daniel and Eleanor (Shotts) Landon, whose family 
numbered seventeen children. His father was born in Lycoming county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1798, was there reared and married and afterward purchased a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 94i 

small farm, iipmi which he resided until 1827. when he came to Ohio, locat- 
ing in Franklin county. Here he purchased one hu-ndred and tifteen acres 
of land, constituting the farm upon which William C. Goldsmith now resides. 
It was then an unbroken wilderness and he cut the first stick of timber felled 
in the forest. Making a clearing, he erected a hewed-log house and then 
began cutting away the trees in order to raise a crop to supply him with the 
necessities of life. As the years passed he placed his land under a high state 
of cultivation and resided upon the farm until 1852, when he sold that prop- 
erty and purchased one hundred and thirty-one acres lying partially in Frank- 
lin and partially in Delaware counties. Upon that place he continued to 
make his home until his death, which occurred about 1882. He was a Repub- 
lican in his political afiiliations and served as constable of his township for 
forty years, wdiile for a numberof years he was' also township trustee. He 
held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife w^as born in 
Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, and her father was a physician who came 
from Holland to America. 

Mordecai Landon was reared under the parental roof, acquiring his edu- 
cation in the common schools. On the 15th of April, 1851, he married Miss 
Catherine P. Phillips, a native of Franklin county, Ohio, and a daughter of 
William and Helen (Bishop) Phillips. Her father was a son of Aaron Phillips 
and was a native of New York, wdience he came to Ohio with his parents when 
a young man, the family being among the early settlers here. Mrs. Phillips 
was also a native of the Empire state, and w^as a daughter of John Bishop, 
wdio came to Ohio at the same time of the Phillips emigration. After their 
marriage Mr. and Mrs. Landon located upon the home farm, his time being 
given to the operation of that portion of the farm lying in Delaw^are county 
and which he rented. After five years he purchased a small portion of the 
farm in Franklin county and built thereon a home of his own, making it his 
place of residence until 1900, wdien he removed to his present home in order 
that he might be nearer his' children. Unto Mr. and Airs. Landon have been 
born seven children, of whom six are living, namely : Ella, the wife of Bernard 
Pierce, of Westerville; Dora, wdfe of Preston Brown, also of Westerville; 
Lora, wife of Leonard Phelps, an agriculturist of Blendon township; Xewell, 
a farmer of Delaware county; Minnie, wife of Dell Ballinger, a farmer of 
Delaware county; and Lulu, wife of Clinton H. Vance. In his political views 
Mr. Landon is a stanch Republican, and for three years he served as trustee 
of Blendon towaiship. He belongs to Rainbow Lodge. I. O. O. F.. to the 
Episcopal church, and in his life he exemplifies the principles of the one and the 
teachings of the other. 

ANDREW T. GANTZ. 

There is particular satisfaction in reverting to the life history of the 
gentleman whose name introduces this review, since his mind bears the im- 
press of the historic annals of Franklin county from the early pioneer days 



942 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and from the fact that he has ever been a loyal, son of the Republic. From the 
time of his birth he has retained his residence in the county, which is yet his 
home, and thus through more than two-thirds of a century he has witnessed 
its progress and development and has co-operated in many movements for 
the general good. His grandfather, Andrew Gantz, was a native of Washing- 
ton county, Pennsylvania, where he lived and died. He operated a mill and 
distillery, also engaged in farming and became a wealthy and influential citi- 
zen of his district. The parents of our subject were Adam and Catherine 
(Binnick) Gantz. The father was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, 
about 1800, and was there reared to manhood upon the home farm. After 
his marriage and the birth of his first child he came with his little family to 
Ohio, in 1826, locating in Jackson township, Franklin county, upon a farm 
wdiich his fathei had purchased about two years previous, while on a trip to 
Ohio looking for some land for his sons. The tract comprised two hundred 
acres, for which the regular government price of a dollar and a quarter per 
acre was paid. It was Virginia military land. Upon the farm which he here 
developed and improved Adam Gantz made his home until his death, which 
occurred in 1872. He was an active and energetic man, and during a useful 
and honorable career he added continuously to his landed possessions until 
at the time of his death he owned seven hundred acres, and in the mean- 
time had given to each of his sons a tract of land as they had attained 
their majority. He was an ardent Democrat, and for se\'eral years 
served as township treasurer and trustee, while for two or more terms he 
was township appraiser of real estate. He discharged his duties in a manner 
above question and was highly esteemed for his many sterling qualities. In 
his early l.ife he was an active member of the Lutheran church, but as there 
was no church of that denomination in Ohio at that early day he united with 
the Presbyterian church in which he served as an elder for many years. In 
his family Avere fourteen children, of whom nine are yet living, namely : 
Andrew J.; Theodore, an auctioneer living in Westerville; Nathan, a farmer 
of Piqua, Ohio; George, who is engaged in the real estate business in Col- 
umbus ; Albert, a farmer and dairyman living on the home farm in Jackson 
township; Catherine, the wife of Daiwalt Machlin, a farmer at Pleasant 
Corners, Franklin county; Lydia, wife of Mr. Welsh, a resident farmer of 
Clay county, Illinois; Nancy, wife of William Watt, an agriculturist of Grove 
City, Franklin county; and Adeline, wife of Thcmas Barbee. a farmer of 
Grove City. 

Andrew J. Gantz is indebted to the common schools of the county for 
the educational privileges which he enjoyed in his youth. He received his train- 
ing at farm labor on the old homestead and on attaining his majority began 
fa'rming on his own account on rented land. He completed his arrangements 
ior a home in 1859, by his marriage to Miss Sarah B. Olney, a native of 
Delaware county, Ohio, and a daughter of Lewis Olney, now deceased. Her 
father was for many years one of the well known farmers of Delaware county. 
He was a son of Discovery Olnev. who was born on the ocean within sight of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 943 

the United States, his paTents heing on their way from England to the new 
world. The marriage of j\Ir. and Mrs. Gantz was celebrated in Franklin 
county and they began their domestic life on a portion of the old homestead 
farm, where they resided for three years, when our subject purchased two 
hundred acres of land' — his present home. He afterward added sixty-two 
acres, and at a later date he sold one hundred acres, so that the place at the 
present time comprises one hundred and sixty-two acres. Here he has since 
resided with the exception of seven years, and is 'regarded as one of the wide- 
awake and progressive agriculturists of the community. In 1891 he removed 
to Westerville, where he remained until 1898, during which time his son 
Eddison had charge of the home farm. Everything about the place is neat 
and thrifty in appearance, indicating the progressive and practical methods 
of the owner. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Gantz has been blessed with seven chil- 
dren, and the family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. They 
are as follows: Leslie L., who was born February 9, i860, and is on a sheep 
ranch in Natrona county, Wyoming; Estella, who was born May 2y, 1861, 
and is the wife of Albert Clapham, a farmer of Blendon township; Lewis A., 
who also owns a sheep ranch in Wyoming, the clip of 1901 being two hundred 
thousand pounds; Setifie S., who was born January 29, 1863, and is the wife 
of Professor William B. Alwood, professor of horticulture, entomology and 
mycology in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Eddison T., who was born 
May 22, 1864, and is now engaged in the raising of sheep on a ranch in 
Natnona county; Grace G., who was born April 22, 1873, and is the wife of 
Willard J. Longshore, of Cincinnati, who is now in the railway mail service; 
and C. Stanton, who was born December 24, 1874, and is now in the Alaska 
gold fields. 

Li his political views Mr. Gantz is a stanch Democrat, and has served for 
two terms as trustee in his township, although it is a Republican stronghold. 
He and his wife holds membership in the Presbyterian church, of which he 
has been an elder for many years, and they also belong to Blendon Grange, 
No. 708, Patrons of Husbandry, being the only two living charter members 
of the lodge. Their acquaintance in Franklin county is extensive and forms 
the only limit to their circle of friends. Having- always resided in the county, 
Mr. Gantz is familiar with its history from the days of its early development 
and has watched the wonderful transformation which has occurred, the intro- 
duction of railroads, telegraphs and telephones, the building of towns and 
the establishment of enterprises. He feels just pride in what has been ac- 
complished and has ever done his part in the work of public improvement. 

JAMES ^I. POSTLE. 

A prominent farmer of Franklin county, Ohio, is James M. Postlc. the 
subject of this sketch. He was born on March 31, 185 1, a son of Smith 
and Keturah (Fountain) Postle. He was sent to the district schools and 



944 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

remained at home until he was twenty years old, when he purchased a saw- 
mill which was located on the tract of ground which he now owns. He 
went to work clearing off the timber, in one summer furnishing one thou- 
sand three hundred cord's of wood to the brick yard. This yard furnished two- 
thirds of the brick for the asylum. 

Mr. Postle was married on April 15, 1874, to jNIiss Anna Irwin, of \\'est 
Jefferson, Ohio, a daughter of John and Lavina Irwin. 

After marriage our subject remained one year at home, in the meantime 
building- his fine brick mansion, which was ready for occupancy in the fall. 
For some six succeeding years our subject undertook the management of a 
sawmill on the Ohio river, returning then to the farm, which comprises sev- 
enty-five acres of excellent land. In 1896 our subject went into the dairy 
business, and now furnishes, on an average, one hundred gallons of milk per 
day, this business having been continued for the past four years. His stock 
is of Jersey and Durham breeds, and the business is very profitable. 

]\Ir. Postle is a member of the Methodist church, in which he is a trustee. 
Although an active and ardent Republican, he is no office-seeker, although 
his name has been mentioned many times in connection with some of the 
local positions. His family consists of his estimable wife and two children, 
Myrtle, who is at home, and Clarence, who is connected with the Panhandle 
Railroad. He is a man much respected in the community and has many 
friends. 

JACOB H. TRUMBO. 

Jacob H. Trumbo. a well known farmer and stock-raiser of Plain tow^n- 
ship, was born on a farm where he now resides, June 22, 1861. His father, 
Davis Trumbo, was a native of Pendleton county, Virginia, born in 1804, 
and when a young man he came to Columbus, Ohio, where he learned the trade 
of carpenter and cabinet-maker. He attained a high degree of skill along these 
lines and for a number of years he followed his' chosen occupation through- 
out this section of the country. He married Miss Susan Swickard, who was. 
born in Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1816, andl about 1826 accompanied her 
parents to Franklin county. Her father, Daniel Swickard, settled in Plain 
township, on Rock Fork. Later he purchased a farm in New Albany, where 
he spent his remaining days, passing away at the age of eighty-three years. 
Soon after his marriage Davis Trumbo settled upon a farm where his son 
Jacob now resides and through several years worked at his trade, hiring the 
greater part of his farm work. Upon that place he spent the remainder of his 
life and in 1881, at the age of seventy-nine years, was called to his' final rest. 
Politically he Vv-as an old-time Democrat, and in religious faith he was con- 
nected with the Baptist church of the old school. His wife died October 5, 
1892. They became the parents of nine children, of whom five are yet living, 
namely: Morgan S. ; Hepsey, wife of Edward Mc^^Iillan; Mary A., wife of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 945 

A. M. Lough; Rosetta, the wife of Charles Chck; and the subject of this re- 
view. 

Jacob Homer Trumbo has been famihar with agricultural pursuits 
throughout his entire career, for in his boyhood he worked in the fields from 
the time of the early spring planting until crops were harvested in the autumn. 
The public schools afforded him his educational privileges, and after his 
father's death he assumed the management of the home farm, wdiich he oper- 
ated for his mother until she, too, was called away. About 1890 he purchased 
the interest of one of the heirs in the old homestead and later purchased an- 
other portion. He now owns all of the home place except seventy-five acres 
belonging to his sister, his possessions aggregating two hundred and eighty- 
three acres. He has devoted his attention to farming and stock-raising and 
has been very successful. Many excellent improvements are found upon the 
place and all the accessories and conveniences of a model farm are there to 
be seen. The owner is progressive and practical in his methods and his 
labors bring to him a good return. 

On the 2 1st of September, 1893, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Trumbo and Miss Millie Hursey, a native of Delaware county, Ohio, and a 
daughter of Simon Hursey. They now have one child, Homer Arden. In 
the community they enjoy the hospitality of the best homes and the warm 
iregard of a large circle of friends. Mr. Trumbo exercises his right of fran- 
chise in support of the men and measures of the Democratic party, but has 
no time or inclination for public office, preferring to give his time and at- 
tention to his business affairs, in which he is meeting with a gratifying degree 
of prosperity. 

• NOAH SWICKARD. 

The name of Swickard is a familiar one in Franklin county, for w^hen 
this portion of the state w^as still largely unimproved and the work of develop- 
ment and progress was still a task of the future, Daniel Swickard, the grand- 
father of our subject, sought a home in Black Lick, where he remained for 
several years. He then took up his abode in Plain township, wdiere his re- 
maining days were passed, his time and attention being given to agricultural 
pursuits. Through a half a century John Swickard, the father of our sub- 
ject, wdio was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, August 25, 1806, 
was a leading and active member of the United Brethren church. He exer- 
ted a strong influence for good among his friends and neighliors and lived 
an upright and consistent Christian life. He married Elizabeth Baughman, 
also a representative of one of the early and honored families of the county, 
and unto them were born seven children of whom six are yet living. 

The fourth of this number is Noah Swickard, whose birth occurred 
November 12, 1836, in Plain township on the farm now occupied by J. W. 
Swickard. Like the other children of the family, he was trained to habits 
of industrv, economv and honestv, was educated in the district schools of the 



946 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

neighborhood and was trained to the practical work of the farm from the time 
when he was old enough to handle the plow. Such was his childhood and 
youth. In July, 1859, he was united in marriage to IMiss Lucy A. Kashner, 
a native of Plain township, and a daughter of Jeremiah and Christina (Rig- 
gl.e) Cashner, who came to Franklin county when the work of improvement 
was still in its primitive condition, their former home having been in Penn- 
sylvania. 

After his marriage Air. Swickard resided for a year under the parental 
roof, and in August, i860, removed to a house on his father's farm, where 
he resided until the spring of 1861. He then took up his abode on what was 
known as the Grove farm. It was also the property of his father. He there 
continued his agricultural pursuits until 1865, when he purchased sixty acres 
of what was then known as the Priest farm, making it his home until 1872. 
In that yeair he sold that property and purchased his present farm, compris- 
ing eighty acres. He is a progressive, enterprising agriculturist and his labors 
have resulted in bringing to him a comfortable competence. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Swickard have been born six children, of whom four 
are yet living, namely: Orlando M., of Plain township; Marshall O., a hos- 
pital nurse, now in the Philippines; Zoda E., wife of Charles E. Doran, of 
Plain township; and Ralph L., at home. The parents hold membership in 
the United Brethren church and are deeply interested in its work. Mr. Swick- 
ard is now serving as one of the trustees and as class-leader, and he does 
all in his power to promote the work of the church along its various lines of 
usefulness. The Democracy finds in him a supporter, and he keeps well 
informed on the issues of the day, but has never l3een an office-seeker. His 
worth as a citizen is widely recognized, for, while he does not take an active 
part in politics, he gives his aid and influence to all measures for the general, 
good. Pie and his family enjoy the uniform regard of all who know them 
and have many warm friends in the community. 

JOHN WESLEY SWICKARD. 

John Wesley Swickard was born November 20, 1842, on the farm where 
he yet resides, it being the homestead of John and Elizabeth (Baughman) 
Swickard, his parents. The name of Swickard is a synonym for activity 
in agricultural lines and for honesty and fair dealing in all business trans- 
actions. Our subject was early taught the value of labo'r and the necessity 
for probity in the afifairs of life. He pursued his education in the district 
schools, and on the ist of May, 1864, he was united in marriage to Miss 
Frances E. Benedict, a native of Plain township, and a daughter of Nicholas 
Benedict, one of the early settlers of Morrow county, Ohio. Mr. Swickard 
then took up liis abode on the home fa'rm, which he operated on the shares 
until 1870, when he purchased a tract of land of forty-five acres adjoining 
on the west the farm belonging to his brother Peter. While erecting build- 
ings there he rented a farm near the Forest Hill school, removing to his new 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 947 

home about Christmas time in 1870. There he remained until the spring of 
1874, when he returned to the old homestead and took charge of the same, 
his parents remaining with him up to the time of their demise. After his 
father's death he purchased the home place, and has since continued to reside 
there. As the years have passed, however, he has extended its bounds until 
he now has one hundred and eighty-one acres, all under a high state of culti- 
vation. The place is improved with all modern accessories and conveniences 
that constitute a model farm, and through the past six years he has made 
a specialty of the raising of registered stock, including horses, cattle, hogs 
and sheep. These he sells for breeding purposes, and he has done much to 
improve the grade of stock throughout the community, and has thus been a 
benefit to his county, for as stock is improved its value for the market is nat- 
urally enhanced. 

In 1887 Mr. Swickard was called upon to mourn the loss of his first 
wife. On the 30th of August, 1888, he was again married, his second union 
being with Rosella Hamaker, a native of Plain township and a daughter of 
Henry Hamaker, who was also born in the same township. Her grand- 
father was Esquire Daniel Hamaker, one of the early settlers of the county, 
who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania, a well-known and influential man 
of his day. He took an active part in the early development of this portion 
of the state. Unto our subject and his wife have been born seven children: 
Verna G., Iva G., Jennie M., Harrison McKinley, Ota B.. Neva 'M. and Lyda. 
The family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. Mr. Swick- 
ard and his family attend the United Brethren church, in which he holds mem- 
bership. For about eight years he has served as trustee and has contributed 
in large measure to the growth and advancement of the church. He exercises 
his right of citizenship in support of the men and measures of the Republican 
party, but his time has never been devoted to seeking office, as he prefers 
to give his time and attention to his business affairs. Through his career 
as a farmer and stock-raiser he has provided amply for his family, and has 
gained for himself a position among the well-to-do and substantial residents 
of the community. 

FREDERICK N. SINKS. 

Frederick N. Sinks is among the younger rei^resentatives of the bar 
of Columbus. He w^as born in 1872, in the city which is still his home, a 
son of George W. Sinks, who was a native of Clermont county. Ohio, and 
has been for about twenty years the president of the Deshler National Bank, 
and a most prominent and honored figure in financial circles. \Mien a young 
man of twenty years he came to the capital city and accepted a clerkship 
in the National Exchange Bank, where his fidelity to duty, close application 
and business ability won him promotion. He became its cashier, and con- 
tinued his connection with that institution until, he resigned in order to accept 
the presidency of the Deshler Bank, an institution which grew out of the 



948 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

former. His business methods are safe, conservative and entirely trustworthy, 
and the institution of which he is now the head owes its success in a very 
large measure to his efforts. He was united in marriage to Miss Eloise 
Preston, a daughter of Samuel D. Preston, who came to Franklin county 
from Montpelier, Vermont, when nineteen years of age and opened the first 
private school in Columbus. Many of Columbus' well-known men of to-day 
received their first instruction from him. He married Miss Catherine Clark, 
of Montpelier, Vermont. For many years Mr. Preston was a leading mer- 
chant of Columbus, contributing materially to its advancement. His early 
death removed a valuable citizen and an energetic, public-spirited man. 

Throughout his entire life Frederick N. Sinks, whose name introduces 
this 'review, has been a resident of Columbus. His preliminary education 
was acquired in the public schools, and he later attended the Columbus Latin 
School. Added to this training he received the advantages afforded within 
the classic walls of old Yale, in which institution he was graduated in 1894, 
with the degree of bachelor of philosophy. Thus, with a splendid literary 
and scientific training to serve as a foundation upon which to rear the super- 
structure of professional knowledge, he began preparation for the bar by 
entering the law school of the Ohio State University, at the same time being 
a student in the law office and under the direction of the firm of Nash & 
Lentz, the former being the present chief executive of Ohio. In January, 
1900, he was appointed private secretary to Governor Nash. His equipment 
for the bar is unusually good. He has enjoyed exceptional educational ad- 
vantages, is naturally of strong mentality, and added to these are firm deter- 
jiiination, a laudable ambition and tireless energy. 

In June, 1899, Mr. Sinks was united in marriage to Miss Katharine 
Thurman, a daughter of Allen W. Thurman, of Columbus, and a grand- 
daughter of the late Hon. Allen G. Thurman. The Sinks family is identi- 
fied with the Universalist church. Our subject and his wife have spent 
their entire lives in Columbus, and are well known in the city among its 
prominent and influential people, ranking high socially, while Mr. Sinks has 
already gained an enviable position in professional circles and undoubtedly 
will win greater success in the future. 

WILLIAM S. POSTLE. 

William S. Postle, who carries on general farming in Prairie township, 
was born on the old farm homestead which is still his place of residence, on 
the 23d of March. 1849. When he had attained the usual age he entered 
the district schools and therein pursued his education through the winter 
season, while in the summer months he assisted in the work of the home 
farm with his brothers. He afterward spent one year at Delaware pursuing 
his education, and is a graduate of the Iron City Commercial Colleo-e, at 
Pittsburg. After putting aside his text-books he became connected with the 
lumber, tile and sawmill business, but during much of his life he has fol- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 949 

lowed faTming, and is to-day the owner of a valued tract of land of three 
hundred acres. He began with only seventy-five acres, which he inherited. 
He spent some time in North Dakota, where he owns an entire section of 
land. He has a beautiful home in Prairie township and the place is under a 
high state of cultivation and improved with all modern accessories and con- 
veniences. The fields of waving grain indicate that the land is kept in a pro- 
ductive condition through the judicious use of fertilizers and through the 
rotation of crops. Everything about the homestead is neat and thrifty hi 
appearance. 

Mr. Poistle was married at Fort Stephenson, North Dakota, in 1889, to 
Miss Elizabeth Bartell, who was born in Ohio and was reared in the Buckeye 
state, but went with her parents to North Dakota and pre-empted a half section 
of land there. She also occupied the position of matron in the Indian school 
at Fort Stephenson, and had previously been a seamstress in that institution. 
Her father was Henry Bartell. Returning to Ohio, Mr. and Mrs. Postle 
took up their abode in Prairie township, where they still reside and where 
ihey have many warm friends. They hold membership in the ]\lethodist 
Episcopal church at Alton, and Mr. Postle is serving as steward and treasurer. 
He votes with the Republican party, but has never sought ofiice, preferring 
to give his time and energies to his business affairs, which claim all of his 
attention and in return give to him a good income. 

MICHAEL O'HARRA. 

Pennsylvania and Virginia blood has always animated good pioneers 
and progressive citizens. Of such ancestry is the well-known citizen of Ham- 
ilton township, Franklin county, Ohio, whose name is the title of this bio- 
graphical sketch. :\Iichael O'Harra was born in Hamilton township Novem- 
ber 19, 1832, a son of Arthur and Maxa M. (Fisher) O'Harra. His father 
was a native of Marion county, Ohio, and was there reared and educated. 
He came to Franklin county in his young manhood and worked by the month 
until he got a foothold in life. After his marriage he located on a farm in 
Hamilton township, which he cleared and on which he lived out the remainder 
of his days. In politics he was a stanch Republican, and he was not without 
influence in the councils of his party; was elected and re-elected trustee of 
Hamilton township until he filled the office for sixteen years; was an active 
member of the Presbyterian church, and in all the relations of life was useful 
and helpful. He died at the age of seventy-four years and one month, deeply 
regretted by all who had known him. His father, Hugh O'Harra, of Scotch 
descent, was a native of Pennsylvania and an early settler in Ohio. ]\Iaxa 
M. (Fisher) O'Harra, mother of Michael O'Harra, was a daughter of Michael 
Fisher, and was born in Franklin county, Ohio, and was there reared and 
educated. She died in 1864, aged sixty-four years. Her father came early 
to Ohio from Virginia and settled in Franklin county, where he became the 
owner of much land and was a prominent and influential citizen. 



950 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Artluir and Maxa AI. (Fisher) O'Harra had eight children, all of whom 
grew to manhood and womanhood and five of whom are living- at this time. 
Of these, Michael O'Harra was the fourth in order of nativity. The boy 
'.vas brought up to the life and labors of pioneer farming and attended school 
in a primitive log school house with puncheon seats and rude desks of split 
slabs and planks, in which, as compared with the instruction afforded in the 
public schools of to-day, the teaching was not less crude than were his sur- 
roundings. When he grew up he devoted himself to farming, and in 1865, 
after his marriage, located on the O'Harra homestead and lived there nine 
years, until 1874, when he moved upon his present farm, on which he erected 
a modern residence in 1886, a good and sightly brick structure, which, with 
its surrounding outbuildings, constitutes a part of the improvement on a line 
farm of one hundred and ninety-two acres, and near which is a beautiful grove 
known as O'Harra's Grove. 

Mr. O'Harra was married at the age of thirty-two, March 16, 1865, to 
Isabel Simpson, a native of Ohio, who has lived in Franklin county since 
she was seven years old, when her parents, Robert and Mary Simpson, settled 
in Hamilton township, v^here she was reared and educated. Michael and 
Isabel (Simpson) O'Harra have had two children: Harry, who died in 
infancy; and May, who is the wife of Dr. F. J. Collison, a practicing physician 
of Columbus, Ohio, who has a drug store at the corner of Town and Sixth 
streets. 

]\Ir. O'Harra is an original, Republican, who voted for Lincoln in i860 
and has upheld the principles of his party ever since. While active in politi- 
cal work, he has steadfastly refused to accept such offices as have been prof- 
fered h.im by his fellow townsmen. He is a member of Capital Lodge, No. 
334, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Columbus, and is a member of 
Capital Encampment. WHiile not a member of any church, he has always 
been a liberal supporter of Christian worship. 

JAAIES W. REASON, M. D. 

Dr. James William Reason, a prominent and successful physician of 
Hilliard, lias spent entire life in Franklin county, his birth having occurred 
on the old family homestead in Brown township on the 9th of Decembeir, 
1868. His paternal grandfather, Robert Reason, accompanied by his wife 
and family, emigrated from Scotland to America at an early day and settled 
in Virginia, wdiere he followed farming throughout the remainder of his life. 

Jolm Robert Reason, the Doctor's father, was born in Richmond county, 
Virginia, July 15, 1831, and was one of a family of three sons. He was 
quite small when his father died, after which his mother married again. At 
the age of sixteen he came to Ohio to make his home with an uncle in LTrbana. 
and remained with him until reaching manhood. He received but a limited 
education, but his training at farm labor was not so meager. On leaving 
his uncle he came to Franklin county, and in Brown township was united in 



CEXTENXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 95 1 

marriage with Miss Anna O'Harra, who was born in the city of Cokimbus 
in 1833, a daughter of Joseph and Alary Ann (Wynkoop) O'Harra. After 
his marriage Mr. Reason returned to Champaign county and engaged in gen- 
eral merchandising in the town of' Texas for about three years, at the end 
of which time he purchased a farm of forty acres in Brown township, this 
county, where he has since made his home. In his poHtical views he is inde- 
pendent, and both he and his wife are earnest members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, and are held in high regard by all who know them. Their 
children are Mary Alice, superintendent of an Indian school in Chemawa, 
Oregon; Charles C. and Nettie E., both at home; James \\'., our subject; and 
John Frederick, a teacher. 

As soon as old enough Dr. Reason began his education in the district 
schools of his native township, where he pursued his studies until fifteen, 
and then attended the high school at Reynoldsburg, Ohio, one year, and the 
Ohio Normal at Ada the same length of time. After teaching school for 
five years in this county he entered the Starling Medical College, at Colum- 
bus, where he pursued a three years' course and was graduated in 1895. He 
immediately opened an office at Hilliard, and has since successfully engaged 
in the practice of his chosen profession. 

In Norwich township, this county. Dr. Reason married Miss Etta Van 
Schoyck, a daughter of Sylvester and Margaret (Roberts) Van Schoyck. 
She was born in that township November 5, 1868, and after attending the 
township schools was a student at the Hilliard high school for four years. 
She taught for one year in Perry township, this county, prior to her marriage. 
She is a most estimable lady, who makes many friends. 

Socially Dr. Reason is connected with the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, and religiously is a member of the Aleth- 
odist Episcopal church at Hilliard. In his political affiliations he is a stanch 
Republican. For the success that he has achieved in life he deserves great 
credit, for he is strictly self-made, having earned the money to pay his way 
through college. He is now a member of the Ohio State Medical Society 
and the Amercian Aledical Society, and he has that love for and devotion to 
his profession which has brought to him success and won him a place among 
the ablest representatives of the medical fraternity in his locality. 

WILLIAAI F. REED. 

This well-known agriculturist of Perry township is a native of Franklin 
county, his birth occurring in Aladison township on the 29th of July, 1825. 
His parents were Victor and Elizabeth (Fleming) Reed, both representatives 
of honored pioneer families of this county, who took up land in Aladison 
towaiship. The mother was born August 6. 1805, and died .\pril 24. 1872. 
She was a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (McDowell) Fleming, of Scotch- 
Irish descent, whose other children were Sallie, wife of Robert Kile, and 

After the death of her father her mother 



952 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

married Benjamin Cle\-enger, by whom she had two children, James and Eli. 
The mother of our subject was twice married, licr second husband being- 
John Legg. 

The hrst ten years of his Hfe W'ilham F. Reed spent in his native town- 
ship, attending the common schools, and then came to Perry township with 
his mother and step-father. On attaining his majority he started out in life 
lor himself as a farmer, and purchased a tract of land in Perry township, 
which he subsequently sold, at that time buying the farm of seventy-two acres 
on which he has since made his home. 

On the 26th of October, 1847, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Reed 
and Miss Mary E. Nets, a daughter of Jacob Nets, a pioneer of this county 
from Pennsylvania. By this union were born six children, but only one is 
now living, Franklin P., who resides near his father. Those deceased were 
Margaret E., Laura ]., John M., Mary L. and Hannah A. The wife and 
mother passed away December 12, 1893, at the age of sixty-five years, ten 
months and four days. She was a member of the Reformed church and a 
most exemplary Christian. 

Mr. Reed was again married, December 19, 1894, his second union 
leing with Miss Clara Blackburn, daughter of John Wesley and Sarah Ellen 
(Stansbury) Blackburn, of Perry county, Ohio, and to them have been born 
two children, Mabel Elizabeth and William Fleming, Jr. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
Reed are active members of the Reformed church, with which they have been 
connected for some time, and are highly respected and esteemed by all who 
know them. He is a Democrat in politics and always supports that party's 
candidates at the polls. 

SERENUS S. SOUDER. 

Serenus S. Souder, one of the leading, enterprising and progressive 
agriculturists of Jefferson township, was born February 23, 185 1, in this 
part of Franklin county, his parents being Solomon and -Susanna (Clotts) 
Souder. The ancestral history of the famdy cannot better be given than the 
following record, which was prepared concerning Jonas Souder, the grand- 
father of our subject, and his family. This is the work of one of the Souders, 
and reads as follows : 

"The family of Jonas Souder, the ancestor of the Soudertown branch 
of the Souder family, came to Ohio in the year 1825, twenty-two years after 
the state had been admitted into the Union, and thirty-seven years after the 
first settlement in Ohio had been made at Marietta. While they were not 
the earliest settlers, they had no advantage over the first settlers except that 
the Indians had been subdued ; consequently, while we heard the older mem- 
bers of the family tell about goine to Zanesville for a barrel of salt and of 
going forty and fifty miles to mill, we never heard them tell about any per- 
sonal encounters with the Indians. While the fact that the Indians had 
already been driven from this part of the state made it a much safer place of 




SOLOMOH SOUDER. 



CEXTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 953 

abode than it had been in earher times, it did not render the means of gain- 
ing a livelihood an}^ easier. The country was still one dense wildernei-s, 
without churches, schools, bridges, foundries, mills, stores, or even dwelling 
houses. 

"The Souder family is of German descent. It is said that the name 
of the ancestor who came from Germany to this country was Frederick Souder, 
that he left his native country and came to Virginia at the age of twenty-one. 
Like so many of the Germans, he left the fatherland in order to escape mili- 
tary service, it being the custom there then, as now, that all adult males are 
required to serve a certain time in the king's army. According to the rec- 
ords, Frederick Souder had seven children, five sons and two daughters. 
Two of his sons were Jonas and Martin Souder, who moved to Franklin 
county, Ohio. It is said that another son's name was John, and that he was 
accidentally killed in one of the northern counties of Ohio. One son is said 
to have emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky, and the remaining one to 
Indiana. Even tradition is silent as to the daughters, except that one of 
them married a man by the name of Kline. The inscription on the tombstone 
of Jonas Souder says that he died May 19, 1858, aged seventy-nine years, 
one month and ten days; according to that, he was born on the 9th day of 
April, 1779. His father died when he was but seven years old, and his 
mother two years later. The orphan children were bound out to dif¥erent 
families, and in this way became separated, which accounts for the fact that 
50 little is known of Jonas Souder's brothers and sisters. After his marriage 
he lived in Hardy county, Virginia. He married Barbara Baughman, and 
there were twelve children born of this marriage; first five sons: Abraham, 
Isaac, Jacob, John and Solomon; then seven daughters: Rebecca, Catherine, 
Sarah, Ruth, Mary Ann, Christina and Eliza. All except Eliza were born 
in Hardy county, Virginia, and they are all dead except ]slrs. Sarah Car- 
penter. 

"Jonas Souder owned some property in Virginia, but was not a slave- 
holder. At that time all the work on the farms and large plantations was 
done by slaves, making it difficult for white men to obtain work. There is 
no doubt that he experienced, to a certain extent, at least, the condition of 
that class of people which the historians of our country have described as 
'poor whites.' On account of the limited opportunities offered to himself 
and his family in Virginia, he decided to sell his place and try his fortune 
v,est of the mountains. In company with his brother INIartin, he took a pros- 
pecting trip into Ohio in the spring of 1825. After spending some time 
looking at various places, he selected a tract of one hundred acres in Jeffer- 
son township, Franklin county, Ohio. He then returned to Virginia to bring 
liis family to the new home. The method of moving was the usual one of 
that date, which consisted in loading the few essential household articles 
in a wagon, the older members of the family all walking the entire distance. 
The wagon in which they moved their goods had a canvas cover, and was 
all the protection the family had until they had time to build a house. They 



954 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

arrived at their new home in the niunth uf October, 1825. Tlie house which 
they built immediately upon their arri\al here served as a shelter for a number 
of years, when a new house was built. The latter was repaired and remodeled 
a number of years ago, and is still occupied. Jonas Souder had learned the 
art of distilling in Vh-ginia, and brought a still with him when he came to 
this state. He followed the distilling business for a long time in this county. 
In those days people took apples and peaches to the distillers and had them 
made into brandy, the distiller retaining half of the product as pay for his 
trouble. Of the sons, Abraham was a blacksmith by trade, Isaac was a car- 
penter and Jacob was a shoemaker, but all live of the sons of Jonas Souder 
owned farms and made tilling of the soil their principal occupation. 

"Jonas Sender had made preparations to go to the w-ar of 1812, but before 
reaching the seat of operations the war ended or the emergency which had 
demanded his services was bridged over. His live sons had almost a simi- 
lar experience at the time of the JNIexican war. They had all five enlisted 
in one company and had secured their uniforms. Solomon Souder was the 
standard-bearer of the company. The call came that they were needed and 
they donned their uniforms and went to Columbus, when word was received 
that the war was ended,, and they went home again without seeing any ser\-ice. 
Several members of the Souder family, if not all of them, sympathized with 
the south durino- the war of the Rebellion. There is no evidence that any 
of them ever belonged to the disreputable secret organization to wdiich so 
much odium was attached, as the Knights of the Golden Circle. I do not 
think that they favored a continuance of slavery, but they did not fully ap- 
prove of the method wdiich the government had taken to free the slaves. 
They deplored the great expense, the loss of property to the southern people, 
and especially the great bloodshed which the w^ar necessitated. As far as I 
can remember of hearing them express themselves, they favored the idea of 
the government buying the slaves and setting them free. That they sympa- 
thized with the south more or less is but natural when it is remembered that 
their native state of Virginia took such an active part in the rebellion. 
Another explanation of their position during the Civil war is found in the 
fact that they were all stanch Democrats, and they were in the same attitude 
toward the government as the political party to which they belonged. The 
Souders have believed in the brand of Democracy taught by Thomas Jeffer- 
son and Andrew Jackson, and the younger generation now believes in that 
advocated by William J. Bryan. I am not aw^are that Jonas Souder or any 
of his five sons ever held any office other than school director or supervisor. 
None of them ever sought any county or even township office. 

"As a general rule, the Souders and their descendants have been strict 
adherents of the Lutheran faith. Jonas Souder and his wnfe were both 
members of the Lutheran church, and their children were all brought up in 
that faith, every one of the eleven that grew to manhood or womanhood 
having been confirmed. It can truthfully be said that the Souder people 
have never been church members out of ostentation or display, but because 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 95 5 

they have sincerely beheved in the doctrine of Christianity. With them 
the Bible has not been a book with which to ornament the center-table, but 
they have read the scriptures to the best of their ability and earnestly tried 
to practice the teaching-s of the sacred work. Some of the Souders have 
been cjuite proficient in the knowledge of the Bible. It may be remarked in 
passing that no doubt some of the younger members of the various families 
have thought that their parents were too familiar with the contents of the 
Bible, especially that part which says 'spare the rod and spoil the child.' It 
is needless to remind a great many of those present that the Souders were 
ardent believers in the ettciency of the rod, and the belief was not permitted 
to become weak from lack of practice. If there was any cjuestion about its 
use. King Solomon's saying was given the benefit of the doubt and the rod 
was used. It is not intended to convey the idea that they were more severe 
than a great many others of their time. They simply followed the teachings 
of the age in which they lived, and according to which corporal punishment 
was more frequently resorted to than it is at the present time. It has since 
been heard that there are efficient and pleasant ways of training children in 
which the use of the rod plays a very insignificent part." 

Solomon Souder, the father of Serenus S. Souder, was born in what 
was then Hardin county, Virginia, but is now West Virginia, on the 12th of 
April, 1814, his parents being Jonas and Barbara (Baughman) Souder. He 
was reared in his parents' home and accjuired a common-school education. 
In early manhood he married Miss Susanna Clotts, and then turned his atten- 
tion to farming on his own account. He operated the old homestead for 
a short time, and then purchased seven and a half acres of land where the 
old homestead residence now stands. Not long afterward he became the 
owner by purchase of ninety acres opposite his home on the south side of the 
road. That tract he obtained from the Carroll heirs, and later he bought 
forty-seven acres of land from Dr. Kimball adjoining his home place on the 
east. Another purchase of twenty-four and a half acres, obtained from the 
Kittsmiller estate, increased his farm to an acreage of more than a quarter 
of a section. He died in 1887, and was at that time in very comfortable 
financial circumstances. He was a loyal and consistent member of the Lu- 
theran church, and always had his children attend its regular services. In 
politics he was a stalwart Democrat, but never sought or desired office, and 
among the highly esteemed citizens of the county he was numbered. Unto 
Solomon and Susanna (Clotts) Souder have been born five children, but 
two of the number have now passed away. Those still living are: Lewis, a 
resident of Columbus; Amanda, the wife of Thomas Beem, of Summit Sta- 
tion, Licking county, Ohio; and Serenus S. 

In taking up the personal history of our subject we present to our read- 
ers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Franklin 
county, where he has long resided. He spent his youth upon liis father's 
farm, and was trained to habits of industry, economy and honesty there. 
He received a limited education in the common schools, but being the eldest 



956 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, , ' 

son, the burden of farm work devolved upon him, and as soon as old enough 
to handle the plow he began work in the fields. The father suffered much 
from rheumatism, and our subject was given permission to manage the farm 
in the way he pleased. He show'ed himself well qualified for the responsi- 
bilities that devolved upon him, successfully managing the property, and 
after his father's death he purchased the interests of the other heirs m the 
old homestead. He is a member of the Lutheran church and a man of genuine 
worth, who throughout his active business career has ever deserved and 
received the confidence and good will of all with whom he came in contact. 

CHARLES H. MILLER. 

]Mr. ]Miller, a prominent business man of Columbus, is a native of Eng- 
land, and was born in 1833, a son of William and Jane (Boys) Miller, the 
former a native of Scotland, and the latter of England. A tanner by trade, 
William Miller easily obtained remunerative employment after emigrating to 
the United States, following his chosen vocation in Geauga county, Ohio, and 
later at Paynesville, where both parents died. Our subject became a student 
at the Painesville Academy, later attending Burton Academy, at Burton 
Center, Ohio. After leaving school he engaged in teaching in Madison county 
for four years, and subsequently to his marriage he removed to Lincoln, 
Logan county, Illinois, where he continued to teach. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Miller testified to his love for his country by enlisting in 
the army, joining Company H, One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Volun-/ 
teers, under the command of Colonel Robert D. Latham, and faithfully served 
until 1864. Upon the organization of the regiment he was commissioned 
adjutant by Governor Yates. His. fortune led him through a. great part of 
the fighting district of the war, he being present at the battle of Jackson, 
Mississippi, at the siege and fall of Vicksburg, at the capture of Little Rock 
and the battle of Pine Bluffs, when he was promoted to the command of 
the regiment as lieutenant-colonel. There the regiment was mustered out 
of service in August, 1865, when he was brevetted colonel. 

Returning home to take up again the pursuits of peace, Mr. Miller settled 
in Lincoln, Illinois, wdiere he entered upon the reading of law, and was admit- 
ted to the bar in 1867, beginning his practice in Lincoln and remaining there 
until 1870. Removing then to Tiffin, Ohio, he established in that city an 
agency for the Singer Sewing ]\Iachine Company, but in 1880 he came to 
Columbus, w'here he engaged in manufacturing for five years, and on the 
accession of Governor Foraker his ability received instant recognition, he 
being immediately appointed by the chief executive superintendent of the 
Institution for the Blind in this city. In this difficult and important position 
he continued for four years, but upon a change taking place in the adminis- 
tration Mr. Miller quietly retired, having ably and honorably performed the 
onerous duties. 

In 1890 Mr. Miller established the Columbian Building, Loan and Invest- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 957 

ment Company, with its vast authorized capital, and upon its organization 
he was made secretary and general manager, but has since withdrawn. He 
's now interested in the real-estate and loan business as a member of the firm 
of E. 13. Roberts & Company. 

The marriage of Mr. Mill.er took place in Madison county, Ohio, to Miss 
Isabel Gullett, a daughter of William and Eliza (Goslee) Gullett, and two 
children were born of this union, — Eugene, living in Delaware county, on a 
farm; and Charles William, a graduate of Ohio State University and of 
Starling Medical College, at Columbus. Mr. Miller is a member of ^IcCoy 
Post, G. A. R., and is honored by his comrades as one whose war record 
is a matter worthy of pride. He is a pncgressive and intelligent citizen, and 
IS deeply interested in the advancement of his city. 

WILLL\^I Y. POSTLE. 

William Y. Postle, who owns and operates a farm of eighty acres in 
Prairie township, Franklin county, was born on the old family homestead 
in this tow^nship December 3, 1843, l^is parents being Lewis and Caroline 
Postle, both of wdiom are now deceased. He was reared in the usual manner 
of farmer lads and began his education in the district school near his home, 
his first teacher being Ruth Ann Hamilton. Later he enjoyed educational 
privileges in Central College, but it was not until after his return from the 
war that he pursued his collegiate course. At the age of nineteen years he 
responded to his country's call for aid, enlisting on the 12th of August, 1862, 
in Prairie township, as a private in Company C, Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, under command of Captain Allis and Colonel ^McIMillan. He was 
at the front for four months when he was wounded above the right knee at 
the battle of Richmond. He was taken to the hospital and there remained 
for seven weeks, and was then sent home, being honorably discharged on the 
6th of September, 1863. A year passed before he was able to walk without 
the aid of crutches. 

Mr. Postle remained at home until his marriage, which was celebrated 
m 1875, Miss Catherine Sheehan becoming his wife. She is a daughter of 
Patrick Sheehan, and by her marriage has become the mother of four chil- 
dren: Welcome C, now in St. Louis, Missouri; Ethel, the wife of Fred 
Miers, of Franklin township; Beatrice, at home; and Lewis K., who is still 
under the parental roof. 

After his marriage Mr. Postle located on his present farm of eighty acres, 
and has since devoted his time and energies to the cultivation of his land. 
His fields give evidence of the care and labor which he bestows upon them, 
and in return yield to him a golden tribute. He is a man of diligence and 
unfaltering purpose, and his indefatigable efforts have brought to him a 
desirable competence. He belongs to the [Methodist Episcopal church of 
Galloway, in which he is serving as trustee. In politics he is a stanch Re- 
publican, but has never sought or desired the emoluments of public office. 



958 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lie is a member of the W. H. Elliott Post, G. A. R., at Alton, and has served 
as its quartermaster for sixteen years. He was formerly a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and filled every chair in Prairie Lodge 
at Rome. 

FREDERICK STOMBAUGH. 

Frederick Stombaugh, now deceased, was a most worthy representative 
of the agricultural interests of Franklin county and a valued citizen, enterpris- 
ing and public spirited. He was born in this county, in what is now Marion 
townships but was then a part of Hamilton township, June ii, 1811. His 
father, John Stombaugh, was a native of Pennsylvania, and when a young 
man left the Keystone state for Ohio, settling- in Franklin county. Here he 
married Catherine Baker,, and upon a farm in the midst of the green forest 
they began their domestic life. Their home was a little log cabin wdiich Mr. 
Stombaugh built. Subsecjuently it was destroyed by fire, and he then erected 
a brick residence, but his death occurred before its completion, so that he 
was never able to enjoy his new home. 

Frederick Stombaugh, of this review, was born, reared and married 
on the old family homestead, and in the district schools of the neighborhood 
he acquired his education. He experienced all the hardships and trials of life 
on the frontier, and assisted in the arduous task of developing the new farm. 
He was an industrious and energetic farmer, and his labor resulted in making 
his property a highly improved place, although he met with some financial 
difficulties in his latter life. 

Mr. Stombaugh married Miss Elizabeth Baylor, who was born in Penn- 
sylvania and came to Franklin county when eight years of age. They be- 
came the parents of six daughters and one son. Eveline, the eldest child, 
was bprn on the farm which is now her home December 29, 1839. Mary 
C. became the wife of Jacob Wright, by whom she had two children, and by 
her second husband, John S. Borror, of Madison county, Ohio, where they are 
now living, she had' two children, of whom one survives, William Wright. 
Elizabeth, the third of the Stombaugh family, is deceased. Sallie is the wife 
of Dr. Orloff Schueller, of Marion township. John married Eliza Jane 
Clickenger and lives in ]\Iarion township. Mattie, the youngest of the family, 
is the wife of T. J. IMoore. also a resident of Marion township. 

At the death of Mr. Stombaugh his eldest child was about twenty years 
of age and the youngest four years old. He had involved himself to some 
extent by going security for another, and the burden of this obligation fell 
upon Mrs. Stombaugh, who with the help of her older children saved the 
property and placed the family on an independent footing. This able and 
worthy woman died February 13, 1898. in her eighty-first year, and is sin« 
cerely mourned by all who knew her. Mr. Stombaugh lived to the age of 
fifty years. In his political views he was formerly a Whig ,and on the dis- 
bolution of the party he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. Both 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 959 

our subject and his wife enjoyed the high regard oi many friends, and to 
their children they left the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. Under 
the able managment of Miss Eveline Stombaugh the homestead is one of the 
agricultural successes of Marion township. The place consists of about 
forty-eight acres of rich and well-cultivated land adjoining the corporation 
line of the city of Columbus, and is a very desirable property. 

WILL STARR WHITE. 

The subject of this biographical sketch is the son of a soldier, has him- 
self" risked life in defense of the flag, and is a nephew of two soldiers and a 
grand nephew of a colonel who fought gallantly for the preservation of the 
Union during the Civil war. Major White was born at Decatur. Illinois, 
October 8, 1869, a son of Henry A. and Caroline Camden (McFarland) 
White, and came to Columbus, Ohio, which city has since been his home, 
^vith his father's family in 1874, wdien about five years old, and was educated 
in the Columbus high school. Henry White, who died in 1885, was a native 
of New York city. In 1861 he enlisted in the Second Ohio Heavy Artillery 
and served one hundred days, and by re-enlistment three years longer in the 
Army of the Potomac, participating in all the great battles which it fought 
and acquitting himself in all ways as a brave and patriotic soldier. After 
he took up his residence at Columbus he was until his death in the saddlery 
business on the site of the present court house. 

For eleven years, 1884-95, Major White w^as employed in a prominent 
carriage-making enterprise. In 1895 he was appointed a letter-carrier at the 
Columbus postofhce, a position which he has filled continuously since except 
while engaged in military duty. In February, 1890, he joined the Fourth 
Regiment, Ohio National Guard, as a private in Cnmnany B, and having 
passed all lower grades he became second lieutenant in 1894, and ]\Iay, 1896, 
was promoted to the captaincy of the company. Three times in 1894 he was in 
active service^ — in the southeastern mining strike, at ]\Iount Sterling, against 
Galvin's army of "Coxeyites," and at the Washington Court House riots in 
October. In 1898 his regiment went into the United States volunteer army, 
and he was mustered into the service at Camp Bushnel], Columbus. ^Nlay 9, 
and was at Chickamauga May 15. July 24 he left for Newport News, and 
thence he went to Porto Rico, landing at Arroyo August 2, and fought at 
Guayama. Time all accounted for he was at Porto Rico from August 2 to 
October 29, and was on duty all the time in one service or another. At 
Guavama Company B and Captain White almost literally crawled four miles, 
while under a hot fire from Spaniards, and acquitted themselves so gallantly 
that they received special mention in the report of Colonel Coit commanding 
the Fourth. Captain White was a member of a general court-martial ap- 
pointed by General Brooke, which sat for fifteen days, during which time it 
transacted much important business. He was mustered out January 20, 
1899, and reported to the governor of Ohio as a National Guard officer of that 



96o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

state, and was ordered by the adjutant general to report how many men of 
the regmient intended to remain in the National Guard, and found that Com- 
pany B would remain but that six other companies objected to so doing; and 
a reorganization of the regiment necessarily followed. July, 1899, Company 6 
was on duty as an independent company at Cleveland in consequence of the 
street-railway strike in that city, and Captain White was elected major of 
the reorganized Fourth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, in camp at Cleve- 
land, Ohio, July 31, 1899. The regiment was on duty at Akron to protect 
tlie city against rioters, August 23, 1900. 

Ala j or White married Miss Maggie May Miskell, of Perry county, Ohio. 
His mother, Caroline Camden McFarland, was a daughter of Dr. Josiah 
McFarland, of Zanesville, Ohio, and two of her brothers served the cause 
of the Union in the Civil war, and Colonel G. A. Frambes, the brother of her 
mother, also won laurels in that great conflict. Fred J. White, brother of 
Major White, lives at Watertown, New York, and his sister Lilian married 
C. C. Beverly, of Columbus. Major White is national president of the 
Society of American Veterans of Foreign Service, of which there are two 
hundred and twenty-five members in Columbus, and he is in all things a man 
of public spirit, who takes a deep and helpful interest in every question affecting 
the welfare of his fellow citizens. In political affiliation he is a Republican. 

SAMUEL FRANKLIN COEN. 

The value of high personal character in public office has come to be so 
generally recognized that except in localities where politics is in very bad 
management the men chosen to do the work of municipal legislation are clean- 
handed politically and highly regarded in business circles. Such a conscien- 
tious and well-esteemed public servant is Alderman Samuel Franklin Coen, 
of Columbus, Ohio. 

Mr. Coen is a native of IMorgan county, Ohio, and was born in 1859. 
William Coen, his father, married Elizabeth Proque, whose ancestors were 
Hollanders and who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania. In 1861 he enlisted 
in the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and 
he died of wounds received in battle before Vicksburg while his son was yet 
a child in arms. His wife passed away in 1871. The son had early to take 
up the battle of life for himself. He was employed in a store in which his 
day's work usually ended about ten o'clock at night, and' gained a fair edu- 
cation by industrious study after that late hour and in wdiat other spare time 
he had. He came to Columbus in 1882, and until he established himself in 
business as a wholesale confectioner was city salesman for Butler, Crawford 
& Company and Shedd & Son, wholesale: grocers. His trade was a satisfac- 
tory one from the first, and it increased rapidly and steadily until his estab- 
lishment is regarded as one of the foremost in its line in Columbus. 

Mr. Coen is a thorough-going Democrat, and as a member of the city 
council, to which he was elected in 1900, he takes a leading part in local poll- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 961 

tics and is a strong- advocate of municipal reform, in the furtherance of which 
he is a valued ally m the council of Rev. Dr. Gladden. He is personally 
acquainted with almost every active business and professional man in the city 
and many of them are his warm personal friends. 

Mr. Coen married Miss Emily L. IMachin, of Chillicothe, Ohio, daugh- 
ter of Aaron Machin, deceased, a native of England, who came to Chillicothe 
in 1840, and was a merchant there in the queensware line, and she has borne 
him four sons and tw^o daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Coen are members of the 
Congregational church, and Mr. Coen is a member of its board of trustees. 
Of conspicuous public spirit, he has, since he became a resident of Columbus, 
given his moral and material support to every public measure which has, in 
his good judgment, promised to advance the interests of the city and its people. 

FRANK O. SCHOEDIXGER. 

One of the young and enterprising business men of Columbus is Frank 
Oscar Schoedinger, who was born in this city on the*7th of September, 1872. 
He is of German lineage, his father, Philip J. Schoedinger, having been born 
in Germany in 1825. When only six years of age he w^as brought by his 
parents to the new world, the family establishing their home in Columbus. 
For many years he was successfully engaged in the undertaking business in 
this city, where he died in 1880. He was twice married, his first union being 
with Barbara Linther, by whom he had four children : George J. ; Philip L. ; 
Lizzie K., the wife of F. Kallmerten ; and Lena A., the wite of William J. 
Bowers, of Mansfield, Ohio. After the death of his first wife Mr. Schoedinger 
was a^ain married, his second union being with Caroline Heverly, of Bucyrus. 
Ohio, in 1868. Three children graced this marriage, namely: John Albert, 
Frederick Herman and Frank O. 

In the usual manner of lads of the period living in the cities of our middle 
west, Frank O. Schoedinger spent the days of his boyhood and youth. He 
pursued his studies in the city schools, completing his course in the Columbus 
high school. Li September, 1890, he entered upon his business career, in 
connection wath the stove, house furnishings and roofing business. A few- 
years afterward, in 1895, he entered into partnership with William A. Fearn 
and J. R. Dickson, The roofing branch of the enterprise has been owned 
and controlled from the beginning by Mr. Schoedinger, and to this he now^ 
devotes the major portion of his time. Flis plant, located on Long street, 
in Columbus, is large, well constructed and splendidly equipped with the best 
machinery of modern invention for carrying on the trade. He has produced 
some of the best specimens of finished workmanship in ornamental galvanized 
iron which can be found in the state. Many public buildings in different 
portions of Ohio attest his skill and workmanship, and the products of his 
house have been sent into various states of the nation. The plant has a large 
capacity, equal to the heavy demands which are made upon it. for the busi- 
ness is constantly growing in volume and importance. 



952 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Schoedinger is a gentleman of resourceful business ability, wide 
awake, alert and enterprising, and his labors have been extended into various 
fields. For two terms he was the president of the Builders & Traders Ex- 
change, is a member of the board of directors of the Columbus board of trade, 
and a director of the Bank of Commerce. His religious connection is with 
the Emanuel Evangelical church, in which he is serving as one of the trustees. 
He is very prominent in Masonic circles, is now an ofiicer in Mount Vernon 
Commandery, No. i, K. T., and holds membership in both the York and 
Scottish Rite bodies. He likewise belongs to the Columbus Club, the Arling- 
ton Country Club, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the 
Knights of Pythias fraternity. In point of energy, enterprise and business 
ability he is one of the most prominent men in Columbus. He has been a 
leading factor in the progress of the city during the last decade, church and 
social, as well as business interests owing their promotion in a considerable 
degree to him. Throughout life he has resided in Columbus, and the years 
have been largely devoted to the public good. 

REV. WILLIA^I B. DAVIS. 

The old families of Ohio whose history in the state reaches back to pioneer 
days have in their different generations made the material for records most 
valuable and interesting, and the unfolding of the family history of the Rev. 
W. B. Davis,, oi Marion township, Franklin county, is an illustration of this 
fact. Mr. Davis w^as' born near the "Rock mill," on the Bookwalter farm, in 
Fairfield county, Ohio, August 5, 1823, a son of John Buckey and Elsie (Big- 
gerstadd) Davis. The family is of Welsh lineage and was founded in America 
by the grandfather of our subject, a native of Wales, who became a farmer 
of Maryland. John B. Davis was born in Frederick, Maryland, and was 
tliere reared, educated and married. In 1808 he came to Ohio and located 
on the Bookwalter farm in Fairfield county, and thence removed to Pleasant 
township, Marion county, Ohio, about 1835. He was' a pioneer there and 
locating in the forest he built a log cabin and cleared a farm. For many 
years he was a devoted member of the Methodist church, and in pclitics was 
first a Whig and later a Republican. He became a man' of considerable local 
prominence and died when about sixty-two years of age. His wife, who was 
also a native of Maryland, died at the age of thirty-seven years. Unto them 
were born ten sons, nine of whom grew to manhood, Avhile five are yet living. 
After the death of the mother the father married a ]\Iiss Williams, and they 
had two daughters. 

The Rev. W. B. DaA is was hi^ father's fifth son and was twelve years of 
age when the family settled in the midst of the green woods of Marion county. 
He aided in clearing the land and placing it under cultivation, and his early 
education was obtained in a log school house with puncheon seats resting on 
pins, and writing desks of hewn slabs supported by pins driven into the wall. 
He was about eighteen years of age when his mother filed, and he soon after- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 963 

ward entered the employ of Gamaliel Gooding, for whom he used the horse 
in plowing- corn and did other farm w^ork, receiving- twenty-five cents per 
day or a dollar and a half per week, boarding with his employer, who was a 
bachelor and did his own cooking. Later he entered the service of William 
Gooding, a cousin of his former employer, receiving eight dollars per month 
and remaining with him for five years. 

On the 1st of August, 1844, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth 
Morris, a native of Pleasant township, Marion county, Ohio, and unto them 
were born six children: Lafayette M., Humphrey O., John H., Sarah J., 
William H. and Perry. Of these Sarah J. and John are the only ones now 
living, the former being the wife of John Ehrenhart, a well known merchant 
of Springfield, Ohio, while the latter is engaged in the n-iillirg business as a 
member of the firm of Davis & Clark, of Columbus. The mother died in 
January, 1887, and ]\Ir. Davis married Ann E. Souder, the widow of Jacob 
Souder. They lived happily together until her death, which occurred in San 
Diego, California, January 30, 1895, her remains being then brought back 
to Columbus and interred in Green cemetery. On the 17th of June. 1895, ]\lr. 
Davis married Elizabeth Everett. 

After his first marriage Mr. Davis rented a farm in Pleasant tovrnshii^^ 
Marion county, on which he had been previously employed by Mr. Gooding, 
and was so successful in its management that he was within a brief period 
able to buy and improve forty acres of land. This he later sold and then pur- 
chased one hundred and twenty acres in the same township, which he dis- 
posed of advantageously, investing his money in a mill in Prospect tovrnship, 
Marion county. After profitably operating this for a year he scld out and 
resumed farming. 

Li 1 86 1 Rev. Davis entered the ministry of the United Brethren church 
and was given charge of the Allen Creek mission with thirteen appointments' 
to fill every thirteen weeks. During his first year's service he added one 
hundred and sixty to the membership of the church and during his second 
year there sixty other members were added to the congregation. He was then 
sent by the conference to Johnsville circuit, in Morrow county, Ohio, where 
he was located for two years, during which time about ninety were added to 
the church through his efforts. He was next given charge of the Shiloh cir- 
cuit, in Harrison and Richland counties, Ohio, and in one year brought in 
one hundred new members. From there he was sent to the Huron mission, 
which was without a church or a church member of his denomination, and 
after four weeks labor in a little village he organized a society of fortv mem- 
bers in Huron county. Later he organized another society near by and raised 
money to build a church edifice, his meetings thus far having been held in a 
school house. After laboring there successfully for six months he was ap- 
pointed chaplain of tlie One Hundred and Eighty-seventh Regiment. Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, and in that capacity served for one year during the Civil 
war, being mustered out June 26. 1866. Returning to Ohio he was sent as 
a missionary to Columbus and organized a church on Tcwn street and later 



964 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

built the Olive Branch church in that city and the church now occupied 1\v the 
United Brethren in West Columbus, raising twenty-two hundred dollars toward 
the erection of the last church mentioned by personal application in New York 
city. Up to this time he has been instrumental in erecting- three churches in 
Columbus. In connection with his second wife and j\Ir. Sessions Rev. Davis 
built the South Congregational church, and our subject served as a member 
of the board of trustees and was' its president for some time. Fifteen years 
of his life he devoted to the active work of the ministry and his efforts were 
crowned with abundant success. He is a man of irreproachable character 
and of stainless reputation, honored and respected wherever known and most 
highly esteemed where best known. ; 



BISHOP McMILLEX, M. D. 

Dr. McAIillen was born August 5, 1856. on a farm near Johnstown. 
Licking county, Ohio. His father, Lylle B. ]\Ic]\Iillen, is now a resident of 
W'esterville, Ohio, while his grandfather was Diver McMillen, of Scotch- 
Irish extraction, who died in Coshocton county, Ohio, at the age of eighty-two 
years. The mother of the Doctor bore the maiden name of Marinda Cramer 
and was a daughter of Captain J. B. Cramer, who won his title by service in 
t];e war of 181 2, and died near Johnstown, Ohio, at the advanced age of 
ninety-two and a half-years. The Doctor's parents are both living. 

He attended the district schools and there acquired his preliniinary edu- 
cation, which was supplemented by study in the Johnstown high school and 
at the schools of Westerville. Later he spent one year in teaching, and then 
entered the office of Drs'! Stimson & Williams, at Alexandria, Ohio. He 
became a student of medicine under Dr. David Williams, now of Columbus, 
and later attended the Eclectic Medical Institute, at Cincinnati, Ohio, grad- 
uating with the class of 1881. He began practice at Gahanna. Franklin 
county, and after seven years spent in Gahanna and in Westerville he secured 
the position of assistant physician in the Columbus State Hospital fcir the 
Insane. He spent two and a half years, making a specialty of the study of 
mental diseases among the unfortunate patients there. Thiis work was greatly 
to his' liking, mental diseases having ever been a source of interest to him. 
On leaving the hospital he resumed the general practice of medicine at No. 
1075 O^k street, Columbus. In 1892 he received an injury to his spinal cord 
which has greatly handicapped him in his labors. He was taken to Shepard's 
Sanitarium for treatment, and in 1894 became associated with Dr. A\'illiam 
Shepard in the sanitarium work. The department fi r mental diseases' in the 
sanitarium was opened that year with Dr. McAIillen in charge, and he is still 
connected with that institution. He is also well known as an educator, hold- 
ing the position of professor of mental, and nervous diseases in his ahiia 
mater — the Eclectic JNIedical Institute, of Cincinnati. Ohio. He is a member 
of the National, the Ohio State and the Ohio Central Eclectic Medical Asso- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9^5 

ciations, and has contributed to these societies many interesting papers on 
mental and nervous diseases. 

On the 8th of Alarch, 1882, Dr. McMihen was united in marriage with 
MiGS Eva Agler. the only daughter of Clinton W. Agler, who now resides in 
Columbus. Socially the Doctor is connected with Mifflin Lodge, I. O. O. F., 
at Gahanna, Ohio. ' He has always been an ardent w'orker in the Republican 
party, rendering it valuable service in his county. 

FRANK G. WIXTERRIXGER. 

The present well-known and popular postmaster of Hilliard is an import- 
ant factor in business circles and his popularity is well deserved, as in him 
are embraced the characteristics of an unbending integrity, unabated energy 
and industry that never flags. He is a leading merchant of that place, and 
as a public-spirited citizen is thoroughly interested in whatever tends to pro- 
mote the welfare of the community. 

A native of Franklin county, j\Ir. W'interringer was born in Norwich 
township November 19. 1869, and there grew to manhood, being educated in 
its common schools. At the age of eighteen he became a telegraph operator for 
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and after serving as extra man for 
two years accepted the position of operator at Hilliard. When the company 
moved their office to Hayden he went with them, but at the end of six snonths 
resigned his position and returned to Hilliard, where he embarked in general 
merchandising in partnership wdth his father, J. E. Winterringer. He has 
since been actively identified with the business interests of this place. 

In 1888 Mr. Winterringer was united in marriage with Miss Kate E. 
Leady, a daughter of John D. and Sarah (Hare) Leady. Two children were 
born of this union, Maud A. and one unnamed, but both are deceased. The 
Republican party has always found in Mr. Winterringer a stanch supporter 
of its principles, and he has been honored with several local offices. Besides* 
that of postmaster he has served as township clerk four years, and treasurer of 
Hilliard since 1894. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights' of Pythias 
and Masonic lodges of Hilliard. 

JOHN Y. BASSELL. 

The family history of the subject of this review in both ancestral lines 
extends far back to a remote period in the settlement of Virginia. The 
immediate family of our subject were natives of Harrison county, which was 
continuously their home throughout life. John Y. Bassell was born in Harri- 
son county, Virginia, June 23, 1847, and is the son of Stephen and Catherine 
(Young) Bassell. He attended school at a classical academy located at ]\Ior- 
gantown, Virginia, now West Virginia, where all the higher branches of 
learning were taught, and special instruction was imparted to students who 
contemplated a regular classical and complete course of college graduation. 



966 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Bassell was in attentlance at this academy at the inception of the war of 
the RebelHon, and, though but thirteen years of age, felt constrained to respond 
to the cah of his state, enHsting in the Confederate army. He volunteered 
as a private in the Nineteenth Virginia Cavalry, and a short time subsequently 
became a member of the staff of General William L. Jackson, a relative. He 
participated in many engagements' and for bravery and meritorious conduct 
was promoted to the office of lieutenant. At Droop Mountain he was shot 
through the lung. At Jackson river he was shot through the hand, and at 
the battle of Winchester he was so severely wounded by a minie ball piercing 
his side that he became unfitted for further service in the field and was appointed 
midshipman in the Confederate navy and placed on board the naval vessel, 
Patrick Henry, then lying in the James river below Richmond. There he 
remained until he was stricken with typhoid fever, when he was consigned to 
the naval hospital in Richmond, where he was confined for several weeks. 
Recovering sufficiently to enable hini to leave his bed, he was given hospital 
leave in time to escape the capitulation of the city. 

After the conclusion of the war Mr. Bassell attended the University of 
Virginia, at Charlottesville, where, in addition to the regular curriculum, he 
took a thorough course in the department of law. In 1869 he was married to 
Miss Rebecca Benedict, a daughter of William B. Benedict, who Avas for many 
years in charge of the United States observatory at Washington. Unto this 
union were born three children: John Y., who graduated at the Lehigh Uni- 
versity as a mining engineer and metallurgist, served in the Spanish-American 
war and died at Columbus' in 1899; Henrietta B. ; and William Benedict, who 
is practicing medicine in Columbus. 

For several years after his marriage Mr. Bassell was engaged in business 
at Leesburg, Virginia. Removing thence to Missouri, he established himself 
in business at St. Louis, where he lived until he came to Columbus, in 1895. 
Upon his arrival in this city he was elected to the position of president and 
general manager of the Chittenden Hotel Company. For several years he 
was in charge of this hotel, and upon his retirement from the management 
of its business he was elected to the office of secretary of the Columbus Board 
of Trade. An event rarely impels a man into his proper sphere of action. 
The exception to that rule seems to have exemplified itself in its relation to 
Mr. Bassell's connection with the Board of Trade. The location of a number 
of extensive manufactories at Columbus is in a great measure due to his active 
efforts. The selection of the capital city of Ohio as a point in many instances 
for gatherings of political associations and fraternal organizations is likewise 
due in a great part to the same controlling influence and industrious efforts 
of the worthy, zealous and efficient secretary. The transformation of an 
immense skating rink in Columbus into one of the most complete and con- 
veniently arranged auditoriums of the state or country is an additional proof 
of executive abihty, combined with a cultivation of taste and adornment which 
would reflect high credit upon an accomplished artist. By the usual and cus- 
tomary standard with which the proficiency of an executive officer is rated 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 967 

and established, including as well the additional efficiency of the "pudding 
test," inference, it would seem, would lead very strongly to the conclusion 
that Mr. Bassell has during the brief interval of his connection with the 
Columbus Board of Trade, by his systematic and methodical process of doing 
business, rendered it exceedingly difficult for those who may succeed him in 
the offi.ce to improve upon his methods or make material addition to the sum 
total of valuable service performed by himself during the time of his connec- 
tion with it. At a general meeting of the Board of Trade in January for the 
election of officers for the current year he was re-elected to the office of sec- 
retary by a unanimous vote. As a collaborator in public utilities pertaining to 
the material and substantial interests of the city the services of Mr. Bassell, 
without invidious comparison of results achieved by any other individual, may 
wdth propriety be estimated in both extent and importance equal to those of 
any other citizen of Columbus. 

A feature more pronounced and distinct, perhaps, than any other in the 
intellectual composition of Mr. Bassell is an intuitive faculty of conception 
and expression of thought extemporaneously delivered. Particularly m 
repartee or ready response he is peculiarly gifted, and on numerous occasions 
it has been the delight of his friends in social and convivial gatherings to enjoy 
the versatile and interesting effusion of intellectual thought and elegance of 
expression rarely blended in a single individual. Culture and refinement to 
a marked degree in this line of singular intellectuality is rare and isolated, 
and if with pride and satisfaction New York can boast a Chauncey ]\I. Depew 
so wnth similar pride does Columbus boast an equally brilliant orator in the 
person of its gifted and cultured fellow citizen, John Y. Bassell. 

WILLIAM J. CHAMBERS. 

This well-known and successful dairyman has spent his entire life in 
Franklin towmship, where his birth occurred February 20, 1862. He is the 
youngest child of William and Elizabeth (Haughn) Chambers, a sketch of 
whom is given in connection with that of J. E. Chambers on another page of 
this volume. On the home farm our subject w^as reared to agricultural pur- 
suits, and his literary education was obtained in the district schools of the 
neighborhood. 

On the 22d of December, 1885, ]\Ir. Chambers led to the marriage altar 
Miss Emma Newlove, a native of Clark county. Ohio, who came to Franklin 
county at the age of fourteen years with her parents. J. \\\ and Sarah (Lindel) 
Newlove. Four children bless this union, namely : Ethel, ^^'allace, Joseph 
and Lindley. 

Mr. and Mrs. Chambers began their domestic life upon the farm which 
is still their home. Their present comfortal)le residence, erected in 1893, is 
surrounded by good and substantial outbuildings, and everything about the 
place denotes the thrift and enterprise of the owner. He owns and operates 
one hundred and eighteen acres of valuable and productive land, and is sue- 



968 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

cessfully engaged in general farming, but makes a specialty of the dairy busi- 
ness, having one of the oldest dairy establishments in Franklin township. As 
a Republican Mr. Chambers takes an active interest in political affairs, and 
has been a member of the township committee of his party. He belongs to the 
Buckeye Club, and is one of the most popular and influential men of his com- 
munity. 

HERBERT A. LINTHWAITE. 

Among the beautiful structures which beautify and adorn the city of 
Columbus are many which have been designed by Herbert A. Linthwaite, 
the subject of this sketch. 

^Nlr. Linthwaite is a native of the city of Vincennes, Indiana, coming 
from there while very young and locating in Columbus. He is a descendant 
of Rev. Albert Linthwaite, a minister of the church of England. Herbert 
A. Linthwaite received his education in the schools of Columbus and studied 
architecture under William Tinsley, the celebrated English architect. Mr. 
Linthwaite spent some time abroad, studying his profession in Rome, Berlin 
and France. His work speaks for itself, many buildings of importance, both 
in the state and as far east as Buffalo and as far west as Los Angeles, testi- 
fying to his skill and artistic taste. He is prominently identified with many 
of the commercial interests of Columbus. 

JOHN C. FRAZIER. 

John C. Frazier, who is serving as engineer on the Pennsylvania Rail- 
road, and resides at No. 406 Hamilton avenue, Columbus, is numbered among 
the native sons of West Virginia, his birth having occurred in Wellsburg, that 
state, en the 30th of June, 1869. His paternal grandfather was a native of 
West Virginia and died in Wellsburg in 1877. John W. Frazier, the father 
of our subject, was there born on the i6th of March, 1846, and served in a 
West Virginia regiment during the Civil war. His wife, Mrs. Louisa Frazier, 
also a native of Wellsburg, was born April 30, 1847. O^^ subject is the 
eldest of their family and the others are as follows: George H., born July 
8, 1871, is a foreman in the Pennsylvania Railroad shops at Dennison, Ohio. 
He wedded Miss Mary Shupp at Gnadenhutten, Ohio, and their children are 
Irene, who was born in 1893; Beulah, born in 1895; and Bessie, born in 
1897. Bessie became the wife of George Miller, a resident of East Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania, and died October 15, 1900, leaving one child, Herbert L., whose 
birth occurred in 1896. Walter was born November 4, 1875, and is now a 
resident of East Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. R. L., born February 15, 1878, is 
now a student in the Ohio State University. Ophelia G. and Hattie V. are 
still with their parents. Thomas, born in 1870, is at home. Olive is also at 
home. Annie, who w'as born in 1867, died in 1869. 

John C, of this sketch, began working for the Pennsylvania Railroad 




H. A. LISTHWAITE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 9^9 

Company in 1884 as a track repairer and held that position for two years. He 
then began firing on a freight engine on the same road, and after three years' 
service he was, in June, 1890, promoted to the position of engineer. For 
sixteen years he has been in continuous service with the exception of a period 
of sixty days following a serious accident in Bowerstown, Ohio, in 2\Iarch, 
1890. He is a member of Division No. 255 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers, and is well known as a reliable trainman, faithful to his duty in 
every instance. 

Mr. Frazier was married, February 18, 1890, to }^liss Clara F. Martin. 
Her father served in an Ohio regiment during the Civil war and died in 1897, 
at the age of sixty-six years. His widow, Mrs. Lizzie Martin, is still living 
at the old home. Both were natives of Ohio. Their children are: James, 
Fred and John, all of whom are residents of Newcomerstown, Ohio, and are 
in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Hattie, the wife of 
William Hamilton. Sadie, the wife of Clinton Mees. IVLaggie, the wife of 
James Sickinger ; and Nina, the wife of Harry Shew. During the past year 
Mr. and Mrs. Frazier have resided in Columbus, having a comfortable home 
at No. 406 Hamilton avenue. Three children have graced their marriage: 
Franklin L., who was born August 6, 1891 ; Howard S., born August 7. 1893; 
and John T., born October 4, 1896, but they lost their second son through an 
accident which occurred July 2t,, 1900. He was playing on the street and in 
jumping on a wagon fell between the wheels so that the rear wheels passed 
over his skull, causing a fracture at the base of the brain. This occurred about 
haft past eight in the morning. At one o'clock he was' conscious and spoke 
to both his father and mother, but at five minutes before six in the evening 
of the same day he passed away, causing a great sorrow in the household. 
The remains were taken to the old home in Tuscarawas countv, Ohio, where 
the interment was made. He was a bright and promising' lad who had 
attended school for two years and was manifesting special aptitude in his 
studies. Mr. and Mrs. Frazier hold membership in the Christian church in 
Columbus, and he belongs to the Masonic fraternity and the Knights of 
Pythias order, while in his political affiliations he is a stalwart Republican. 

SAMUEL RILEY. 

Throughout his active business life the subject of this review has been 
prominently identified with the agricultural interests' of Hamilton township, 
Franklin county, and has also borne an important part in public affairs. He 
was born in that township on the 20th of October. 1858, and is a worthy rep- 
resentative of one of the old and honored families of the county, being a 
grandson of Samuel Riley, and a son of William Riley, who was born in 
Virginia in 181 5, and died at the age of sixty-seven years. On coming to 
Franklin county Samuel Riley took up a tract of government land in Hamil- 
ton township, which at that time was' heavily timbered, and which he cleared 
and improved with the assistance of his son. By occupation he was a farmer. 

61 



970 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

William Riley, father of our subject, was a native of Virginia, and on reaching 
manhood was married, in 1852, to Miss Bell Wright, of Hamilton township, 
a daughter of Thomas Wright, a native of Pennsylvania and one of the pio- 
neer settlers of Franklin county. By this union were born two children : 
Jane S. and Samuel. The former is now the wife of James JMeeker and lives 
on a part of the old Riley homestead in Hamilton township. 

Samuel Riley, the only son and the subject of this sketch, was reared to 
agricultural pursuits upon the home farm and obtained his literary education 
in the district schools of the neighborhood. On attaining his majority he 
began life upon his own responsibilities, and that his farming operations have 
been uniformly successful is evidenced by the fact that his well appointed farm 
of one hundred and seventy acres is kept in a high state of cultivation and is 
supplied with all the conveniences and accessories of a model farm of the 
twentieth century. 

In 1 88 1 ]Mr. Riley was united in marriage with Miss Emma Holmes, who 
was also born in Hamilton township, December 25, 1859, and is the second in 
order of birth in a family of nine children. Her father is Isaac Holmes, who 
is still living in Hamilton township. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Riley are the parents of 
four children, namely: Cynthia Belle, Samuel G., Walter C. and Harold C. 

Our subject is not only one of the most progressive and energetic farmers 
of his township, but is also one of its leading citizens, taking an active interest 
in whatever pertains to the public good. At national elections he is a sup- 
porter of Democratic principles, but in local political affairs he votes for the 
men whom he believes best qualified to fill the offices, regardless of party lines. 
He has been called upon to serve his fellow^ citizens as trustee of the township 
two terms ; was also assessor two terms, and has been school director for the 
long period of fifteen years, which fact clearly demonstrates the active interest 
he takes in educational affairs. 

THO^IAS W. AUSTIN. 

Among the self-made men of Franklin county. Ohio, Thomas \\\ Austin, 
a prominent farmer of Washington township, is conspicuous. Beginning at 
the bottom of the ladder, he has worked his way to a good position in the 
community by methods most commendable, developing a character which has 
made him known for industry, integrity, patriotism and all the other good 
qualities which make for first-class citizenship. 

Mr. Austin's first American ancestors came from Scotland. Chapman 
Austin, his grandfather, who was an American soldier in the Revolutionary 
war, lived, married and died in Virginia, where he was a planter and slave 
owner. John Austin, son of Chapman Austin and father of Thomas W. 
Austin, was born in Richmond county, Virginia, passed his early life in agri- 
cultural pursuits and was for some years a seafaring man. He married Sarah 
Fulton, a native of the Old Dominion and a daughter of Thomas Fulton, and 
after his marriage lived manv years in his native state. In iS^i he came 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 97 1 

from Virginia to Norwich township, Frankhn county, Ohid, making tlie jour- 
ney by wagon, and left his okl home April \2 and arrived at his new home 
]\Iay 12. He farmed on rented land in Xorwich township until 1859, when he 
removed to Livingston county. Illinois, where he ended his days. His first 
wife died in Virginia, and he married there Lucy Thrift, wdiom he brought 
to Ohio and who is now living in Illinois. By his first marriage he had chil- 
dren as follows: David, who died in infancy; Thomas W., wdio is the subject 
of this sketch; Margaret, who married Moses Hart; Sarah, wdio married John 
Billingsley and lives in Missouri; John, who died in childhood; Robert, who 
served during the Civil war in an Illinois regiment and died of fever in the 
south ; and Frances, who married Aaron Becker and died in Illinois. 

Thomas W. Austin was born in Richmond county. Virginia, October 
28, 183 1, and was brought up to farming, with almost no opportunity for 
acquiring an education. At the age of sixteen he became a sailor at eight 
dollars a month on Chesapeake bay and was so employed for two years, work- 
ing hard and enduring many perils and privations. Some time afterward he 
came to Ohio, wdiere for a time he worked by the month as a farm hand. 
After his marriage he settled in Norwich township, where, in 1880, he bought 
his present farm of forty acres, which he has since cultivated with great suc- 
cess and which he has improved until it is one of the most productive and 
profitable in the vicinity. He has drained the land by an admirable system 
of tiling, planted an orchard and erected buildings in every way adequate and 
up-to-date. Politically he is an unswerving Republican, but though he is 
influential in party councils he is not an office seeker, and has resolutely refused 
to accept such political honors as have been tendered him. His public spirit 
has impelled him to identify himself helpfully with every movement wdiich, in 
his good judgment, has promised to benefit any considerable class of his fel- 
low citizens. 

Mr. Austin was married, in Norwich township, to ^liss Lucv Lattimer, 
a native of that tow'nship and a daughter of Daniel and Catharine (Hyde) 
Lattimer. Mr. and Mrs. Austin have had two sons, one of whom. \\'illiam, 
died at the age of twenty-two years, and the other of wdiom. George L., died 
at the age of fifteen years. They felt the loss of these sons greatly. 

JAMES LAAIBERT. 

Among the native sons of Ohio now residing in the capital citv is James 
Lambert, who was born at Coal Grove, this state, in November, 1868. His 
father, Samuel Lambert, who is now sixty-three years of age and resides in 
Coal Grove, has been in the employ of the Norfolk & Western Railroad since 
1880, and is now car inspector for the company. His wife, Eliza J. Lambert, 
is also living. At the time of the Civil war the father responded to the call 
of the president for troops and loyally aided in supporting the Union until 
the hour of danger was passed. 

In the public schools of his native to.wn James Lambert acquired his edu- 



972 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

cation, and ^^hcn seventeen years of age he began work on the Norfolk & 
Western Raih'oacl wiping engines at the roundhouse. He was employed in 
that way for four vears, after which he accepted a position as fireman on the 
road in 1889, his first engineer being E. Theobalt. He was afterward with 
Charles Doley, and for seven years was fireman with engineer John IMcClure. 
Jn January, 1900, he was promoted to engineer and is now acceptably serving 
in that capacity. When a wiper he had his foot nearly severed from his leg, 
and when on the engine as fireman with Mr. McClure he was at one time nearly 
crushed between the engine and the side of the roundhouse. In 1892 he joined 
Franklin Lodge, No. 9, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, and he is 
now a member of Manilla Lodge, No. 537, of Columbus. He also holds' 
membership with the Order of Red Men. 

Mr. Lambert has resided in the capital city since 1889. He was here 
married, on the 27th of February, 1898, to Miss Bessie Kent, a daughter of 
Harry C. Kent, of San Francisco. Her father was a member of the One 
Hundred and Twenty-second Ohio Lifantry and served with his regiment 
throughout the Civil war. Her sister Grace is now the wife of Fred Phinney 
and makes her home in Columbus. In his political views Mr. Lambert is a 
stanch Republican, giving an unswerving support to the principles of the party 
since attaining his majority. As an engineer he is reliable, efficient and pop- 
ular, and enjoys the respect of all with whom he is associated. 

FRANK P. JACKSON. 

Fortunate is the man who has' back of him an ancestry honorable and 
distinguished, and happy is he whose lines of life are cast in harmony there- 
with. In person, character and talents Mr. Jackson is a worthy scion of his 
race. For several generations his ancestors have devoted their energies to the 
advancement of intellectual acquirements among their fellow men. They have 
been noted for their mental attainments and for their military prowess, and 
the family name is an honored one. Of Scotch-Irish descent, the original 
American progenitors early came to the United States and their descendants 
are now widely scattered, over the greater portion of the nation. The grand- 
father of our subject, Thomas Jackson, was a native of Pennsylvania, and 
when he had arrived at the years of maturity he wedded Miss Katherine Cald- 
well, who also was born in the Keystone state, where she was reared, edu- 
cated, married and died. Thomas Jackson, Jr., the father .of our subject, 
was for many years a merchant in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and in the 
latter part of his business career carried on merchant tailorino- in New Castle, 
Pennsylvania, where his last days were spent, his death occurring in 1886. He 
wedded Miss Elizabeth Jane Fulkerson, of New Castle, a daughter of Roger 
Fulkerson. In her maidenhood her mother was a Miss Tidball, of Revolu- 
tionary stock. Mrs. Jackson died in 1871. being survived by her husband for 
fifteen years. He was a very pronounced Democrat in his political affilia- 
tions, a'trait which has ever been manifest in the family. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 973 

Frank P. Jackson spent his boyhood days in the Keystone state and 
Avas educated in the schools of New Castle, where he prepared for entrance 
into the State Normal at Edinburg. iMatriculating in the latter institution, 
he there continued his studies for two years and then fitted himself for teach- 
ing, a profession which he followed for five years, devoting his time outside 
of the schoolroom to reading law, being also privately instructed in the prin- 
ciples of jurisprudence during that period. 

The year 1886 witnessed the arrival of '\lx. Jackson in Ohio, and after 
residing for a time in Pomeroy he came to Columbus, in August, 1887. In 
the winter following he was employed as a teacher in the busmess college at 
P'ostoria, Ohio. In April, 1888, he returned to Columbus, where he con- 
tinued the reading of law as a student in the office of R. H. Piatt, Esq., being 
admitted to the bar in October, 1892. He has since followed his profession, 
giving his entire time to his duties as a representative of the legal fraternity. 
He was instrumental in the organization and became one of the founders' of the 
Columbus Law Club, in which he interested many of the citizens of Columbus, 
especially the trustees of the Ohio State University. Seeing the importance 
of such a course of study, they finally established a law department in connec- 
tion with that institution in 1892, and Mr. Jackson was a member of its first 
graduating class, in the year 1893. He is now located in business at No. I3>3 
East State street, and his clientage is constantly increasing, both in volume 
and importance. In 1897 Mr. Jackson was elected the secretary and attorney 
of the Columbus' Humane Society, which office he held until December, 1899, 
and he is now one of the board of directors. 

On the 1 2th of January, 1887, the subject of this review married Miss 
Ella Donnally, of Pomeroy, Ohio, a daughter of A. B. Donnally, who served 
as the clerk of Meigs county, Ohio, for a period of eighteen years, and was 
very widely and favorably known there. Later he filled the office of mayor 
of Pomeroy. Mr. Jackson is also well known in political affairs, having 
been chairman of the Democratic county judicial committee. He has ever 
been earnest and unchangeable in support of the Democratic principles, feel- 
ing that the platform of the party contains the best elements of good govern- 
ment. He is therefore laboring earnestly fcr the success of the party and the 
election of his friends. One of his most noticeable characteristics is his 
fidelity to the course which he believes to be right, whether in the political field 
or any other line of life. 

ELMER G. ^IcINTYRE. 

Elmer G. ]\lclntyre. a passenger conductor on the Pittsluu-g, Cincinnati, 
Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, residing on Price avenue, in Columbus, is' 
numbered among the native sons of Pennsylvania who have found homes in 
Ohio's capital city. He was born in Greensburg, W'estmt^reland county, April 
22, 1863. His father, William jMcIntyre, died in New Alexandria, Pennsyl- 
vania, on the I St of April, 1867, at the early age of twenty-nine years, but 



974 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

his widow still survives him and is now a resident of Beaver county, Pennsyl- 
vania. The sister of our subject, Miss ]\Iargaret Mclntyre, makes her home 
in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Mclntyre may largely be called a self-made man, for he started out 
to earn his own living when only thirteen years of age, at which time he 
secured employment in the shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, at 
Allegheny. There he remained until 1879, when he was made a brakeman on 
the PittsJjurg division of the Pennsylvania road, running from Pittsburg to 
Columbus. In that capacity he served until the' 8th of August. 1884, when 
his fidelity won recognition in promotion to the rank of conductor, and thus 
he has since represented the company. His work has elicited favorable com- 
ment not only from his superiors in the ser^'ice, but also from the public, 
whose comfort he has promoted through his courteous and obliging manner. 
He belongs to the R. B. Hawkins Division, No. 114, of the order at Pitts- 
burg. He is also a member of Magnolia Lodge, No. 20, F. & A. M. 

On the 14th of May, 1885, in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. Mclntyre and Miss Euranda Dickinson. Her father, Abra- 
ham Dickinson, is now living in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, but her mother died 
in that place in 1898. Their children were Mrs. Mclntyre; William, who is 
married and resides in Pittsburg and has two daughters ; Mrs. Lottie Will- 
iams; Abraham, of Pittsburg, who is married and has one child. Voight D., 
now ten years of age. ]Mrs. Mclntyre is a representative of one of the old 
Pennsylvania families, and by her marriage she has become the mother of 
four children : Lou B., born March 29, 1886; Edward B., born July 17, 1887; 
Elmer E., born April zy, 1889; and Frank D., born December 28, 1890. 
Through the past decade the family have been residents of Columljus. 

THE HESS FAMILY. 

George Bolser Hess was born in the town of \Wn-temberg. Germany, in 
the year 1741, and at the age of eighteen years emigrated to America. He 
served during the seven years' of the Revolutionary war, participating in the 
battles of Brandywine, Schuylkill, Cowpens and other engagements, and was 
taken prisoner at the battle of Long Island by the Hessians and confined in 
the old "sugar house," in New York city, being one of fifty out of seven hun- 
dred confined there who survi\-ed its horror.s. He was with Washington at 
the crossing of the Delaware river and heard him say "God will build us a 
bridge before morning," and before the break of day the troops had been trans- 
ported to the other side. 

At the close of the war Bolser Hess settled in lied ford. Penns}-lvania. with 
his wife, Mary Eve Hensel, to whom he was married in 1782. In the year 
1798 he removed with his wife, two sons and six daughters to Hopetown. 
near Chillicothe, Ohio, where he remained for two years. Their son. John 
M., was born at Chillicothe in 1800, and on the ^fl of October of that year 
we find the family living on a farm of four hundred acres purchased by the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 97 S 

father from General Jonathan Dayton, of New Jersey, and situated on the 
west bank of the Olentang-y river, immediately northwest of the Ohio State 
University, in Clinton township. Franklin county. The members of the house- 
hold were himself and wife, three sons, Daniel, Bolser and John M.. and six- 
daughters. To reach this pioneer home Bolser Hess, Sr.. with his eldest son, 
Daniel, had to cut a wagon road from Franklinton up the Whetstone river 
through the unbroken forest, his wagon being the first that ever passed north 
from Franklinton. Bolser Hess died December 27, 1806, and his wife, who 
survived him nearly fifty years, died on the 26th of January, 1855. Their 
remains lie in Union cemetery, just north of the old homestead. By will the 
father bequeathed to his sons, Daniel Bolser and Moses, his real estate. Bol- 
ser disposed of his share, and in 1839 removed to Goshen, Indiana, where there 
is a numerous connection. 

Of the six daughters of Bolser Hess, the founder of the family in Ohio, 
we have the following record : INIary Ann became the wife of Emanuel Cryder 
and spent her long life near Chillicothe, Ohio. Elizabeth married John Keys, 
of Chillicothe, and they took up their abode near Springfield. Illinois. Susan 
married Israel Carpenter and spent most of her life in Delaware county, Ohio. 
Catherine first married John Oiler, and after his death became the wife of 
Judge William McElvaine, of Columbus, who died in a short time, and she 
then married George Oiler and lived for more than thirty-five years on the 
Scioto river, near Bellpoint. Ohio. Mary Saloame married Samuel Carpen- 
ter, a Baptist minister of Lancaster, Ohio, where she died in 1872. at the age 
of seventy-eight years. 

Daniel Hess, the eldest son of Bolser Hess, Sr., had seven children, — 
Lucy, Amanda, Daniel, Philomen, Mary Eve, William Wilson and Horatio. 
The four surviving members of this family are : Elder Daniel Hess, a prim- 
itive Baptist minister of Columbus ; Philomen, also a resident of the capital 
city; and Mrs". Lucy Shauck and Mrs. j\Iary Eve Cover, both of whrm are 
now widows and reside at Riverside, California. 

Moses Hess, another son of Bolser Hess, Sr., died in 1856, leaving five 
children, namely: Thomas Moore, James H., Charles W'esley. John ]\Ioses' 
and Louisa M. Thomas Moore Hess, who was a son of his father's first 
marriage, wedded J\Iary Ann Rutherford, and they had one son. Henry R. 
This wife died, and he afterward married Ann Kinnear, by whom he had 
two children, Ella P. and Xora A. His death occurred May 28. 1889. 

James H. Hess, the second son of ]Moses Hess, married Eliza Jane Kenny, 
and unto them was born one daughter, Mary Eve, who with her mother 
occupies a modern home on the site of the first log cabin erected by Bolser 
Hess in 1800. His death occurred February 13. 1889. 

Charles Wesley Hess, the second child of his father's third marriage, 
spent his youth in the usual manner of boys of the period, working in the 
fields through the summer months and pursuing his education in the public 
schools in the winter seasons. He married Miss Ann M. Lane, and unto 
them were born four children, — William G.. Charles R., Florence L. and Ida. 



976 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Charles Wesley Hess died November 9, 1889. making the third Ijrother to die 
within a period of nine months. His' widow is a resident of Columbus. 

John M. Hess, Jr., the youngest son of his father's third marriage, was 
born on the old homestead March 7, 1844. and was reared to agricultural pur- 
suits. In the district schools he obtained the rudiments of his' education, which 
was supplemented by a course of study in the Otterbein University, but he 
was forced to put aside his text-books on account of ill health. Subsequently 
he was married to Hannah K. Fairfield, of Franklin county, a daughter of 
William Fairfield, the wedding being celebrated on the 15th of March, 1871. 
Four children came to grace their union, namely: Walter, now deceased; 
Benjamin C. ; Elizabeth H. ; and Flora Louise, at home. The family reside 
upon a portion of the original Hess farm. 

Louise Maria Hess, daughter of John M. Hess. Sr., married William P. 
Brown, of Franklin county, Ohio, and now lives in New York city. They 
have four children, — Edward C, Ballard W., Mary and Jessie. 

The members of the Hess family are stalwart people. Bolser Hess, the 
progenitor, was six feet, four inches in height and weighed two hundred and 
fifty pounds. They are known for their sound judgment and safe counsel, 
honesty and determination of purpose. Agriculturally inclined, they are 
models as farmers, and in whatever position they have been called upon to 
occupy they have reflected credit upon it and upon the family name. 

NILES M. PETERSEN. 

Niles M. Petersen, who is the subject of the present sketch, is one of the 
reliable and energetic business men of Columbus, Ohio, occupying the promi- 
nent position of superintendent and manager of the National Steel Works, 
located in this city. 

Mr. Petersen was born in the city of Hasterslein, Denmark, in 1851, 
where he received a very liberal education, and enjoyed several years of travel 
in his native country. He visited many cities and made a special study of the 
factories in operation in them, endeavoring to gain a correct knowledge of 
their management as well as of their products. In 1871 Mr. Petersen emi- 
grated to the United States, proceeding immediately to St. Louis, Missouri, 
where he engaged in work at a steel plant, remaining with the company for 
a space of eighteen years and being promoted from one position to another and 
thus becoming thoroughly instructed in every branch. He then entered the 
employ of King, Gillart "& W^arren, a company known at points throughout 
the world, then located at Middleport, Ohio, and was promoted to be the super- 
intendent of the works. Upon the removal of the plant to Columbus, in 1895, 
Mr. Peterson was retained in the service and received the appointment as 
superintendent manager, which position he has acceptably filled ever since. 

The plant of the King, Gillart & Warren Company manufactures steel 
and brass sheets, with many other articles, employing twelve hundred men. 
and requiring two engines of five thousand horse-power, with eight small 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 977 

engines to supply power. The plant covers about twenty-five acres, many of 
the buildings so constructed as to be almost indestructible, while the machinery 
is of the most modern patterns known to the business. 

In 1875 Mr. Petersen married Miss Beata Nelson, a native of St. Louis, 
Missouri, and four children have been born to this estimable couple, — two boys 
and two girls. They live, with all the comforts of modern life, in a substantial 
home at 1187 South High street, upon the ground known as the old Ambos' 
estate. 

Mr. Petersen possesses the happy faculty of being able to create and retain 
harmony in his relations with his men, while obtaining the best results from 
their labor. The position which he holds requires a peculiar fitness which he 
seems to have, and this, combined with his practical and thorough compre- 
hension of the business, makes him invaluable. 

JAMES H. FARBER. 

For twenty-nine years James FI. Farber has resided upon the farm which 
is now his home and has made it a valuable property, adding to it all modern 
accessories and conveniences, keeping its buildings in excellent repair, its 
fences in good condition and its fields under a high state of cultivation. A 
glance at the place will indicate to the passerby that the owner is a progressive 
agriculturist. 

Mr. Farber is among the residents of Franklin county that New Jersey 
has furnished to the Buckeye state, for he was born in Sussex county March 
26, 1846. His grandparents, Paul and Elizabeth (Rood) Farber, were both 
natives of Sussex county. New Jersey, the former born December 31, 1760, 
the latter on the nth of August, of the same year. There they spent their 
entire lives, the grandfather following the occupation of farming as a means' 
of livelihood. His wife died May 24, 1842, and, having survived her six 
years, he passed away on the 29th of May, 1848. 

Caleb Farber, the father of our subject, was born in Sussex county 
August 18, 1797, and was there reared to manhood. When about twenty- 
three years of age he was joined in wedlock to Miss Eliza Faroe, who was 
born in Essex county, New Jersey, April 7, 1805. He began the tilling of 
the soil upon a farm adjoining the old homestead where he was reared, and 
there resided until 1853, during which time he acquired an extensive tract of 
farming land. In 1853 he emigrated with his family to Franklin county, Ohio, 
locating on a farm one mile east of the present home of his son James. Sev- 
eral years prior to this time the father had come into possession of two hun- 
dred acres of land here, and at his Ohio home he spent his remaining days. He 
was a man of great energy, strong force of character and excellent business 
judgment, and became the owner of six hundred acres of valuable land, which 
he subsequently divided among his children. His political sympathy was witli 
the Democracy and he kept well informed on the issues of the day, but never 
sought or desired office. He was a man of considerable influence in the com- 



978 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

munity, his opinions carrying weight among his fellow men, for all knew 
and respected him for his genuine worth and his loyalty to his honcbt con- 
victions. He passed away August 4, 1881, and his wife died on the 2Sth of 
October, 1864. This worthy couple were the parents of eleven children, but all 
have passed away with the exception of Ann, wadow of Dennis B. Strait ; 
Paul, a farmer of Jefferson township ; and James. 

The subject of this review was a lad of seven summers wdien he accom- 
panied his parents on their removal to Franklin county. His youth was 
quietly passed on his father's farm, and from an early age he assisted in the 
work of the fields, plowing and harvesting through the hot summer days and 
gaining the practical experience which n(jw enables him to successfully carry 
on agricultural pursuits on his own account. After his marriage he located 
upon a farm of one hundred acres, given him by his father, and at the same 
time aided in the management of his father's extensive agricultural interests, 
assisting in the control of the home place until the father's death. In the 
spring of 1872 he removed to his present farm, and throughout the intervening 
years he has given his time and energies to its further cultivation, development 
and improvement. He now owns four hundred acres, and in addition to the 
tilling of the soil he is successfully engaged in stock-raising. 

On the 28th of October, 1868, Mr. Farber was united in marriage to 
Miss Elvira Albery, a native of Licking county, Ohio, and a daughter of John 
Albery, who was a prominent agriculturist of that county, but is now deceased. 
Six children have graced this marriage: Retta B., now the wife of Nelson E. 
Wilkins, of Westerville, Ohio; Sadie E., wife of Perry Doran, of Plain town- 
ship; Chauncey, a resident farmer of Plain township; James H., who is 
engaged in clerking in New Albany, Ohio; Nicholas C, who is teaching 
in the district schools and resides with his parents; Leo F., who is 
yet a student in the public schools. Mr. Farber 's fellow^ townsmen, recog- 
nizing his worth and ability, have several times called him to public office, 
and his fidelity to duty and the confidence reposed in him is indicated by the 
fact that for nine years he has served as township trustee, being elected to the 
office on the Democratic ticket. He is a stanch advocate of the principles of 
Democracy, and as a citizen keeps in touch with the advancement of progress 
and enterprise which results to the benefit of the county and state. 

JOHN COVERT GREEN. 

One of the most valuable legacies which a fatlier, flying, can leave to his 
children is a good name, and that was not the least important part of the 
inheritance of the children of the late John Covert Green, of Truro township, 
Franklin county, Ohio. That well remembered and much regretted citizen 
wa.'? born in Truro township November 30, 1834, and dierl there at the age of 
fifty-four years and eleven months. His father was Gilbert Green, son of 
Susan and Gilbert (Green) Green, who moved to New Jersey when their son, 
who was born in Sussex county. New York, November 27, 1804, "^vas only a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 979 

few years old, where they remained until the end of their lives. There Gilbert 
Green, the son, passed his early life and was married, October 3, 1836, to 
Miss Melinda Harrison, who bore him three children, named Aaron Harri- 
son, William Henry and Mary Olivia Green. In 1831 Gilbert Green emi- 
grated to Truro township, Franklin county, Ohio, with his family and bought 
there one hundred and thirteen acres of land, to which he afterward added 
two hundred acres by another purchase. His wife died about a year after 
he came to Ohio, and he was married, July 9, 1833, to Susan Taylor, a daugh- 
ter of Robert Taylor, who settled in Truro township about 1809. ]\iiss 
Taylor who was 'born at Chillicothe. Ohio, September 21, 1808. bore her 
husband children as follows: Robert, Alary, Gilbert M., Sarah, John Covert 
Belinda and Elizabeth J. Gilbert M., who lives at Columbus, Ohio, married 
Elizabeth Marshall ; Elizabeth T- married A. D. Schoonover, of Newark, New 
Jersey; and Belinda married Valverda A. P. Ware, of Truro township. 
Sarah died in infancy. John Covert is the immediate subject of this sketch. 

John Covert Green began life wdthout means and had made some progress 
in a material wav when the Civil war began. He enlisted August 12, 1862, 
as a corporal in Ccmpany B, One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantrv. and was a good soldier until he was honorably discharged, 
April 14, 1863, on account of sickness contracted in service. After h'.s mar- 
riage he operated a rented farm in Truro township fourteen years until he 
bought the place on which his widow now resides, which he cleared and 
improved and put under prosperous cultivation, equipping it well with build- 
ings' machinery and all appliances necessary to successful farming. 

'Mr. Green was married, November 28, 1867, to Miss Sarah J. Parkinson, 
a daughter of Daniel Parkinson, of Truro township, near Reynoldsburg. Air. 
Parkinson was born in Pennsylvania and was brought when quite young by his 
parents to Franklin county, Ohio, where he received his education and assisted 
his father to clear and improve a farm, remaining under the parental re of 
until he was thirty years of age. when he married Sarah Ann Syler. also a 
native of Pennsylvania, who bore him ten sons and four daughters, a family 
of fourteen children, of whom six are dead : George Henry, William Long, 
Sarah J., Benjamin Franklin. Cvrus Edward, Louis, Marguerite Henrietta 
James Albert. Harriet Alice. Eunice Augusta, Cassius, Alpheus, Ambrose and 
Daniel Homer. George Henrv, who was a member cf Company I, Forty-sixth 
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was killed at the battle of Shiloh in April, 
1862. James Albert is a merchant at Topeka. Kansas. William Long is a 
miner of much experience, but is now devoting his attention to a large tract 
of land which he owns in Dakota. Benjamin Franklin is a farmer of Truro 
township. Cvrus Edward is farming in Dakota. Louis lives on his' father .s 
old homestead in Truro township. Cassius is a farmer in Licking county, 
Ohio. Ambrose is practicing medicine at Reynoldsburg. Ohio. Daniel Homer 
is a teacher of music at Columlius. Ohio. 

John Covert and Sarah J'. (Parkinson) Green had eleven children, named 
as follows: Mary Olivia, Berdie Alice. Susan Ann. Gilbert Taylor. Lucy Ccr- 



980 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

nelia, Mabel Cora Lee, Vera Pearl, Elsie \'ernie, Nellie Glendora, John Carroll 
and Jessie. Susan Ann married Rolla Shaw, a farmer in Mifflin township, 
Franklin county, and they have a son named Russell Green Shaw. Lucy Cor- 
nelia married Hinton M. Swope, a farmer of Truro township, Franklin county. 
Mary Olivia is teaching school in Marion township. Vera Pearl in Plain town- 
ship and Elsie Vernie in Jefferson township, Franklin county, and Berdie 
Alice is also a teacher. Gilbert Taylor has charge of his mother's home farm 
and the others not mentioned as being absent are members of their mother's 
household. Jessie, the youngest, is in school. 

Mr. Green was a man of prominence in his township and for a number 
of years previous to his death was a devoted and helpful member of the 
Presbyterian church, with which members of his family are identified. While 
not a politician in the ordinary acceptation of the term, he took deep and 
abiding interest in everything pertaining to the advancement of Truro town- 
ship and Franklin county and had pronounced opinions upon all questions 
of national poHcy. Especially interested in public education, he was for fifteen 
years a member of the township school board, and he held the office of road 
supervisor four years. 

DAVID DEVEXPORT. 

In the days when Franklin county was largely an undeveloped wilder- 
ness, when its forests were uncut, its fields uncultivated and when the work 
of progress and civilization was yet a task of the future, the Devenports came to 
this portion of Ohio and entered upon the duties of reclaiming the country for 
purposes of civilization. Since that time representatives of the name have 
been classed among the leading and influential citizens of the community, and 
prominent among the honored representatives of the family at the present 
time is David Devenport, who was born February 26, 1830, upon the farm 
where he now resides', his parents being Lewis and Susan (Wagner) Deven- 
port. The family is of Holland Dutch lineage, the great-grandfather, Jacob 
Devenport, having emigrated from Holland to America in early life.' He 
became a prominent figure in the Revolution, holding a high commission as 
one of the officers of the American army. After the close of the war he was 
given a grant of land, including a quarter of a township in Sussex county, 
New Jersey, and there he settled and reared his family. He, however, retained 
but a small portion of his land grant, for his' business interests lay in the line 
of industrial concerns. On the land which he retained he erected extensive 
flouring and sawmills and iron works, which later reverted to his sons. The 
grandfather of our subject continued to operate these mills in connection with 
his brothers until the 3''.ear 181 2, when they disposed of the property, and his 
grandfather, John Devenport, and his brother, Samuel, came to Ohio. The 
former settled upon a farm of three or four hundred acres of land in Jefferson 
township, adjoining on the least the farm upon which our subject now resides. 
There he cleared a portion of his land, but afterward sold the place and removed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 981 

to Indiana, where he died at an advanced age. While residing in New Jer- 
sey he was known as "John Devenport at the mill," for there was another 
John Devenport in the neighborhood, and thus the distinction w-as made. 

Lewis Devenport, the father of our subject, was born in Sussex county, 
New Jersey, about 1793, and was there reared, receiving such educational priv- 
ileges as were afforded by the public schools of the neighborhood. He was 
about twenty years of age when his parents came to Ohio. He had learned 
the milling business in the east and after coming to this state he continued 
to work at his trade for a number of years, operating the mill at Headley's 
Corners and also at Headley, while in Jersey, Licking county. Later he was 
employed for a time in a foundry in Zanesville, Ohio, and afterward in the 
'20s he w^as married, and with his wife located upon a farm of ninety acres, on 
which our subject still lives. Of this, forty acres had been purchased of his 
father, John Devenport, and fifty acres of Isaac Strait. On this farm Lewis 
Devenport spent his remaining days, passing away in 1884, at the advanced 
age of ninety-three years. Coming to Ohio in 181 2 he experienced all the 
hardships and privations that fall to the lot of the early pioneers connected 
either w^ith industrial or agricultural pursuits. When he took up his abode 
upon this farm it was a wild and unimproved land, the forests stood in their 
primeval strength, and from his place he cut the logs with which to erect a 
cabin to shelter his young bride. He labored earnestly and untiringly for 
many years to establish a good home, and at length his efforts were crowned 
with a competence. In early life he was a Whig and later became a Repub- 
lican, but while an earnest supporter of his party he was never an aspirant for 
the honors and emoluments of office, holding nothing but minor township 
positions. His wife was born in Sussex county. New Jersey, and was a 
daughter of Martin Wagner, a member of an old representative family of 
that state. He came to Ohio shortly after the advent of the De\-enport family 
in Franklin county, and here the parents of our subject were married. They 
had eight children, of whom four are now^ living, namely: Elizabeth, wife of 
AndyGeiger, of Jay county, Indiana; David, of this review; Eliza Jane, the 
widow of James Scott, of Earl Park, Indiana; and Julia Ann, tire wife of 
Andrew Slane, of Mercer county, Ohio. 

David Devenport was reared to farm life on the old family homestead. 
The educational privileges which he enjoyed were only such as' the pioneer 
schools afforded, but his training in the labor of the fields was not meager. 
He early began to handle the plow and the harrow^ and assisted in the farm 
M'ork until the crops were harvested in the autumn. After attaining his 
majority he was employed as a farm hand in the neighborhood until the time 
of his marriage, which was celebrated in i860. He then began farming on 
his own account on rented land and was thus engaged for eleven years, when, 
with the capital which he had acquired during that period, be purchased a 
small tract of land of twenty-five and seven-eighths acres in IMififlin township. 
Franklin county. He resided there for only a year, when illness at the old 
home caused him to return to his father's farm and take charge of the place, 



9^2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ] 

caring for his parents. He, however, retained possessicjn cf his own farm. 
About three years after his return to the old homestead he purchased one hun- 
dred acres of land on the northeast section of the township, and after his 
father's death he purchased the interests of the other heirs in the old home- 
stead, so that his landed possessions now comprise one hundred and ninety- 
eight acres. He is a wide-awake and progressive farmer, neglecting no 
opportunity to improve his land and make it productive, and thus he has 
acquired a comfortable competence. 

J\Irs. Devenport bore the maiden name of i\Iiss Mary J. Atwood. Their 
marriage has been blessed with six children, of whom five are }-et living, 
namely: Lewis D., a resident farm'er of Licking county; Susan, the wife of 
Oscar Seidler, of Jefferson township; Andrew N., also a farmer of Jefferson 
township; Ludeska, the wdfe of George Cole, of Licking county; and Ida, 
wife of Frank Geiger, an agriculturist of Jefferson township. In his political 
views jNIr. Devenport is a Republican and for about twelve years he has served 
as school director, the cause of education finding in him a warm friend. He 
has never been an office seeker, however, his attention being given to his farm- 
ing interests, which have yielded to him a good financial return. Through 
more than six decades he has witnessed the growth and transformation of the 
county, has seen its wdld land reclaimed for farming purposes, wdiile towns 
and villages have sprung up, and all the improvements known to the older 
east have been introduced. He has co-operated in many measures and move- 
ments for the general good and is known as a worthy citizen as well as an 
honored pioneer. 

CAPTAIN A. S. HEMPSTEAD. 

Captain Alexander S. Hempstead, who has long l^een connected with the 
industrial interests cf Ohio as a lumber manufacturer, was born in Blendon 
township, Franklin county. August 27, 1837, and is a son of Charles P. and 
Rachel C. (Craig) Hempstead. The father was a native of Connecticut, 
born in 1791, and in 1813 emigrated westw^ard to Franklin county, casting in 
his lot among the early pioneer settlers' of Blendon township. Here in pio- 
neer days he engaged in the manufacture of shoes, having learned the trade 
of a shoemaker and tanner in the state of his nativity. He served his coun- 
try in the war of 181 2 as a member of the Tenth United States Infantry, 
holding the rank of sergeant. Some years later, in 181 7, in counection wath 
Captain Timothy Lee, afterward the founder of Central College, he engaged 
in the distilling busines's, following that pursuit for two vears. after which 
he located upon a farm, having traded his distillery for a tract of land. Upon 
that place he made his home until 1867, when he retired from business life and 
took up his abode in the home of his son, Alexander. They were the parents 
of nine children, of whom five are yet living, namely: IMary C, the widow 
of Abel C. Moon, of Oberlin; Edwin R.. who is living a retired life in Sun- 
bury, Ohio; Samuel B., a minister of the Baptist church at Sinking Springs, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 983 

east Tennessee; Horatio \\'., an undertaker and ctjntractor of Adel, Iowa; and 
Alexander, of this review. 

Captain Hempstead acquired his prehminary education in the common 
schools, supplementing it by study in Central .Vcademy, and when seventeen 
years of age engaged in teaching for three months. He spent the days of his 
boyhood and youth under the parental re of, remaining at home until his 
twentieth year^ when he went to Texas. In i860, however, he returned to 
the north and in 1862 responded to hib country's call for aid, enlisting in 
Company A, Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On the 29th of March, 
1864, he was appointed a captain of Company F, Twenty-seventh United States 
Colored Infantry, and during much of the time until the close of the vv-ar was 
in command of the regiment. Prior to the battle of the Crater he was the 
sixth ranking captain, but the heavy loss sustained in that engagement made 
him the first ranking captain and from that time forward until the close of 
the war he was in charge much of the time. On the 6th of June, 1865, he 
was detailed as superintendent of the Freedmen's Bureau of eight counties' 
surrounding Wilmington, North Carolina, and served in that capacity until 
the 20th of September. On the 24th of January, 1863, he w^as before the 
examining board, composed of Colonel Van Rensalear. Lieutenant-Colonel 
Eastman and Major Flint, of the staff department, and after his examination 
was recommended for an appointment as major, but, lacking necessary political 
influence, he failed to secure an appointment. Captain Hempstead was ever 
a loyal and devoted soldier, and neither fear or favor could deter him from 
the faithful performance of his duty. He participated in the battles of the 
Wilderness, North and South Anna, Wilcox Landing, the Siege of Petersburg, 
beginning on the 17th of June, 1864; the battle of Crater :\Iountain, where 
he was w^ounded ; the first battle of Hatcher's Run ; the battle of Fort Fisher, 
on the 15th oi January, 1865; Sugar Loaf, on the nth of February; Fort 
Anderson; the battle of Northeast Bridge, on the 22d of February; and the 
battle of Cox's Landing, on the 15th of March. 

When the war was over and the country no longer needed his services 
Captain Hempstead received an honorable discharge and after returning to his 
home was engaged in farming for a year. He was married October 23, 1866, 
to Miss Mary P. Lewis, a native of New Jersey and a daughter of William T. 
and Sarah E. (Fowler) Lewis, the former a native of New Jersey and the 
latter of New^ York city. In 1840 her parents came to Ohio, settling in 
Delaware county, wdiere the father became well known as a successful farmer 
and fancier of fine stock. He was also fond of hunting and often folldwed 
the hounds. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hempstead have been born four children : 
Marion, wdio is manager of the white-goods department in the store of Z. L. 
White, of Columbus ; William Emmett, manager of the Public Opinion printing 
office of Westerville; Grace, who is employed in the millinery departmen.t with 
Lilly Vance, in Columbus; and Don Carlos, who is living in California. 

In the year following his marriage Captain Hempstead removed to Iowa, 
but after a vear returned to Ohio, taking up his abode in Delaware county in 



984 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1868. There he engaged in the operation of a saw-mill, manufacturing and 
selling lumber under contract. He has since followed that business and has 
met with a high degree of success in the undertaking. In 1883 he took up his' 
abode in Westerville, where he has since resided and carries on his business 
operations in Delaware county. He takes a very active interest in politics as' 
a supporter of the Republican party, is influential in its councils and has done 
much to promote its welfare and growth, yet has never been a politician in 
the sense of ofiice seeking. However, in November, 1895, he was elected 
justice of the peace, in which position he has served continuously since, his 
opinions being fair and impartial and thus winning for him the commendation 
of all concerned. He is a member of the James Price Post, No. 55, G. A. R., 
which he aided in organizing, and also assisted in instituting the McCoy Post 
of Columbus' and four or five posts in Iowa; while in the Hawkeye state he 
served as post commander. Mr. Hempstead''s actions during his life have 
been such as to distinctively entitle him to a place in this publication, and 
although his career has not been filled with thrilling incidents, probably no 
biography published in this book can serve as a better illustration to young 
men as to the power of honesty and integrity in insuring success. 

SAMUEL G. SAIITH. 

There has been no development in the way of popular culture during 
the half -century just passed greater than that which has been achieved in 
music. Musical schools and conservatories have been established in our 
great educational centers of the great west which are as ably conducted and 
as efficient as the older institutions of the kind in the long-favored east. One 
of the best of the more recent of these is the Capital School of Oratory and 
Music, which was opened at Columbus, Ohio, by Professor Samuel G. Smith 
and Professor Frank S. Fox, A. M., in 1896, in a modest way, and the growth 
of which has been so remarkable that at the commencement in 1900 more 
than twelve hundred pupils were present. 

Professor Samuel G. Smith, musical teacher and author, who has been 
instrumental in buildino- up the flourishing institution referred to, is a native 
of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and was born in 1851, and received 
his primary education in the public schools of his native county, and after- 
ward studied at academies at Elderton and at Elder's Ridge. He pursued 
his musical studies at the Boston Conservatory, and studied under Dr. Fred- 
erick Root, of Chicago, and at the Cincinnati College of Music, and took 
several special diplomas. He began teaching in Pennsylvania, and met with 
success at different places in that state, and was connected with the Church 
Choral Union of New York city in 1885 and 1886, and was in charge 
of musical instruction at the Normal University at Ada, Ohio, for six years. 
The influence and reputation of the Capital City School of Oratory and Music 
are extending, and the institution has evidently entered upon a career of per- 
manent crrowth and usefulness. 




S. G. SMITH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 98S 

Professor Smith has achieved reputation as an author and composer in 
no smaller degree than as a teacher. He has published through the John 
Church Company "Class and School," for schools, institutes and classes, use of 
which is authorized in the public schools of Pennsylvania and which is used 
extensively in other states. Another of his popular works is "The School 
Room Songster," a juvenile class-book for public schools. His "Apollo Song 
Book," a collection of music for public schools and singing classes, has sold 
very largely. "The Old Stone House," words by Mrs. S. G. Smith, music 
by Professor Smith, has been received by lovers of home songs with much 
favor, and Professor Smith's song, "My Mountain Home," is a popular 
offering. 

Proiessor Smith's father, Isaac Smith, a Pennsylvanian, saw three years' 
service in the Civil war as a member of a Pennsylvania regiment; his grand- 
father, Henry Smith, fought for his country in the war of 1812-14; and his 
great-grandfather Smith braved death in defense of American liberty in the 
war of the Revolution. Professor Smith's grandmother, Elizabeth Schutt, 
was born into a pioneer family in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and was 
a woman of many virtues and great strength of character, and Isaac^ Smith, 
Professor Smith's father, owed much to her good teaching and influence. 
His wife was Miss Susannah George, a native of Armstrong county, Penn- 
sylvania, who&e father, Jacob George, was a Federal soldier in thejvar of the 
Rebellion. Professor Smith married Miss Cecilia Larghner, of Venango 
county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Michael O. Larghner, of Mariahsville, 
and a lady of much musical and literary culture, who has written the words 
to several popular songs, and is in many ways an able assistant to her husband. 
They have six children, named as follows in the order of their birth : Tal- 
mage, Margaret, James, Mitchell, Byron and Geraldine. 

The Columbus Capital School of Oratory and Music is located in the 
Young Men's Christian Association building, and its quarters are amply large, 
elegantly appointed and adequately lighted and ventilated The tuition fees 
are within the reach of all pupils of push and enterprise, the instruction is 
scientific and thorough. Graduates are made the recipients of diplomas, and 
many of them have won enviable reputations as entertainers and teachers. 

JOHN J. LE^^TZ. 

In no profession is there a career more open to talent than in that of the 
law, and in no field of endeavor is there demanded a more careful preparation, 
a more thorough appreciation of the absolute ethics of life, or of the under- 
lying principles which form the basis of all human rights and privileges. Un- 
flagging application and intuitive wisdom and a determination to fully utilize 
the means at hand, are the concomitants which insure personal success and 
prestige in this great profession, which stands as the stern conservator of 
justice; and is one into which none sliould enter without a recognition of the 
obstacles to be overcome and the l^attles to be won, for success does not perch 



986 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

on the falchion of every person who enters the competitive fray, but comes 
only as the diametrical result of capability and unmistakable ability. Possess- 
ing all the requisite qualities of the able lawyer, Mr. Lentz stands foremost 
among the leading practitioners of Columbus. 

He was born January 26, 1856, in Belmont county, Ohio, and on the 
paternal side he is of German lineage, but his mother w-as a native of America. 
Prior to the age of fifteen years he received only the meager advantages 
afforded by the district schools. He then entered the high school at St. Clairs- 
ville, walking to and from the institution daily, a distance of five miles. There 
under the training and inspiration of James J. Burns, afterward state school 
commissioner, he developed that mastery of mechanics which later won for 
him distinction among classmates in the universities. At the age of seven- 
teen he became a teacher and ultimately was appointed superintendent of the 
Mainville graded schools, occupying that position at the time he attained his 
majority. His salary earned thereby paid his tuition in college. He was 
graduated in the National Normal University, of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1877, and 
entered the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, in the fall of the follow- 
ing year. With the exception of one year spent at Wooster University, he there 
remained until he was graduated, wdth the degree of bachelor of arts, in 1882. 
He was attracted to Wooster by Walter Q. Scott, who became his personal 
friend, and while there Mr. Lentz won the second prize in the oratorical con- 
test. In addition to pursuing the literary course at Ann Arbor he attended 
the law lectures of Thomas M. Cooley and his associate professors. In the 
summer of 1882 Mr. Lentz traveled in the south and in the fall of that year 
matriculated in the law school of Columbia College, in New York city, where 
by completing two years' work in one he was graduated in 1883. While there 
he enjoyed the personal friendship of Professor Dwight, who offered his 
influence to secure Mr. Lentz a position in the metropolis, but the latter's 
admiration for his native state brought him to its capital, he having been 
favorably impressed with the city in passing through it when going to and 
from college. 

While at Ann Arbor Mr. Lentz formed the acquaintance of Miss Bertha 
Moeller, also a student who afterward became a teacher of hclles lettres and 
natural science in St. Catherine's Hall, of Brooklyn, New York, the well 
known Episcopalian school for young ladies. In 1884 Mr. Lentz and Miss 
Moeller were married. In October of the previous year he had' been admitted 
to the bar, and in December, 1883, entered into partnership with the Alberys, 
which connection was maintained until 1885. In April, 1887, Judge Charles 
K. Nash proposed a partnership, which would have honored a much older man 
than Mr. Lentz, and thus the friendship of another distinguished man has been 
and is his good fortune. 

In politics Mr. Lentz is a Democrat. He became one of the organizers 
of the Thurman Club, was its president during the year 1888 and is now its' 
chief officer. He is aggressive in his stand for high public principles and has 
made an impression for good in both state and local affairs, but has steadily 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 9^7 

refused political honors, preferring to devote himself entirely to his profession. 
He is the originator of the idea of the "Old Roman" banquet in Columbus on 
the occasion of Judge Thurman's seventy-seventh birthday. He is one of the 
board of examiners of teachers for the city schools, a position bestowed unsolic- 
ited upon him by the board of education, and in that capacity he served for five 
years. In 1883 he was brought prominently before the state convention 
for the position of governor without his consent and received a large com- 
plimentary vote. In 1896 he was nominated for congress by the Demo- 
crats and elected to represent the twelfth cr capital district by a majority of 
forty-nine votes, although the national Republican ticket carried the district by 
two hundred and eighty-four votes. Mr. Lentz thus defeated D. K. Watson, 
who was the candidate of the opposing party. In 1898 h-e was renominated 
and again elected to congress; defeating the Hon. E. N. Huggins by seven 
hundred and twenty-two votes. In 1900 he was again nominated and made 
the race for congress, but was defeated by the Hon. Emmett Tompkins, a 
Republican, by eighteen votes, although President McKinley carried the district 
by seven hundred and thirty-five votes. It will therefore be seen that :\Ir. Lentz 
ran ahead of the national ticket seven hundred and seventeen votes, thus' show- 
ing his personal popularity. He is a good speaker and has in many campaigns 
delivered addresses in behalf of the party principles and candidates throughout 
Ohio, New York and other states. He is' logical, clear and forceful and his 
utterances never fail to impress his hearers and in many cases carry con- 
viction. 

Mr. Lentz is recognized as an active factor in the public life of Columbus. 
He is a member of the board of trade and the Columbus Club and is also 
identified with the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Fraternal Mystic Circle, 
the National Union and the Beta Theta Pi, a college fraternity. Schooled 
under such men as Theodore W. D wight, Thomas M. Cooley, Walter O. 
Scott and James G. Burns, and associated in his profession with such men as 
Judges Nash and Albery and aided by his own indomitable energy, untiring 
industry, it is not strange that he has risen in a few short years to the front 
rank of his' profession. 

ORLOFF W. SCHUELLER. 

OrlofT W. Schueller, a pharmacist of Columbus, who represents one of 
the old and prominent German families of the state, was born in the capital 
city June i, 1861, and is a son of the late Dr. Schueller and Helen (Wirth) 
Schueller. The father was a native of Baden, Germany, but when a young 
man crossed the ocean to the new world. On landing on the Atlantic coast 
lie at once resumed his westward journey, taking up his abode in Columbus, 
where he became one of the principal, business men of the city. For many 
years he was prominently connected with the drug trade and was highly 
esteemed far and wide among his German friends. He died December 3, 
1899, and the city therefore lost one of its most prominent business factors. 



988 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

His estimable wife, who still survives him, 'resides in Columbus. She is 
the mother of three children. 

Orloff W. Schueller was educated in the public schools of his native city, 
and on the completion of his literary course he entered his father's store, 
where he acted in the capacity of clerk until his eighteenth year, when he was 
employed by W. J. Ranney, a druggist, with whom he remained for twehe 
years. He w^as afterward connected in the capacity of salesman wath various 
drug firms in Columbus until. 1895, when he entered into partnership with 
his brother, Waldo K., and established the Schueller Pharmacy at No. 1932 
South High street. They now have a well appointed store, supplied with a 
fine line of drugs, and its neat and tasteful appearance, combined w'ith the 
honorable business methods therein foU^ved, has secured to the firm a liberal 
and constantly growing patronage, whereby their income is annually aug- 
mented. 

In June, 1895, was celebrated the marriage of OrlofT W. Schueller and. 
Miss Sarah Stumbaugh, of Marion township, Franklin county, a daughter 
of John Stumbaugh, who belongs to an old and prominent family of this 
portion of the state. Our subject and his wife reside upon a little farm 
of thirty-five acres on the Groveport road, which is well improved with an 
attractive residence and substantial outbuildings. Their home is celebrated 
for its gracious hospitality, which is enjoyed by a large circle of friends. Mr. 
Schueller is a valued member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
His long connection with the drug trade well qualifies him for the business to 
which he now gives his energies, for he has a most comprehensive knowledge 
of drugs and their medicinal qualities. His success in business has been won 
through determined purpose, his resolute will and fidelity to duty enabling him 
to steadily work his way upward until he now occupies an enviable position 
among the reliable and substantial citizens in the capital city. 

LEWIS SCHLEGEL. 

Lewis Schlegel, one of the l)est known engineers on the Cleveland. Akron 
& Columbus Railroad, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, on the j/th of 
March, 1861. His father. Christian Schlegel, was born January 6, 181 5. and 
during the greater part of his business career followed farming, but ten years 
before his demise became proprietor of a hotel in Eaton, Ohio, conducting it 
up to the time of his death, wdiich occurred in Wayne county, on the 8th of 
December, 1900. He was a man of prominence in his' county, having marked 
influence in public affairs. He married Christina Schwitzer, also a native 
of Coshocton county, Ohio, and a daughter of Neal Schwitzer, a farmer, who 
was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and came to this country in the year 1845. 
locating on a tract of land in Coshocton county. The parents of our subject 
were married in New Bedford, Ohio, in the year 1855, and unto them have been 
born the following named : Eliza, who died' in 1861, at the age o^f five years; 
Noah, a retired merchant living in Canton, Ohio; Mary; Lewis; Jacob; Will- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 989 

iam; Emma; John; Christian; Neal; Harold; and Ehner, who died in 1877. 
With the exception of the first and last named all are yet living. 

Mr. Schlegel of this review acquired his early education by attendmg the 
district schools in Coshocton coiunty during the winter season and durmg the 
summer months he assisted his father in the work of field and meadow. In 
1880 he became a stationary engineer and that served as an introduction to 
railroad work. He began as a fireman on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus 
Railroad, running between Columbus and Hudson, Ohio, for nearly three years. 
He was 'then promoted to engineer and in 1892 was placed in charge of a 
passenger train, since which time he has been in continuous service, remaining 
with the same railroad company since accepting the position of fireman. He 
has a clean record, one which is very commendable. 

On the 6th of November, 1884, at Wolf creek, in Holmes county, Ohio, 
Mr Schlegel was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Baugh, a daughter ot 
Emanuel Baugh, who died in 1884, at the age of eighty years. Her mother 
is still living and is now in her seventy-fifth year. She is a native of the 
fatherland. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Schlegel are : Eliza, wite of 
Peter Baugh, a resident of Kilbuck, Ohio; Dora, wife of Charles Smith; Belle; 
and Fred Mr. and Mrs. Schlegel began their domestic life m Orville, Ohio, 
establishing their home at that place in December, 1884. In July ot the follow^ 
ing year however, they removed to Brink Haven, in Knox county, Ohio, and 
in April' 1887, removed to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where they erected the resi- 
dence w'hich they still own. On the 30th of May, 1889, they took up their 
abode in Millersburg, Ohio, and in January, 1891, went to Hudson, Ohio, but 
in September, 1896, returned to Mount Vernon, where they continued until 
Tune IS 1900 when it seemed advisable to become residents of Columbus, 
where they are now residing, their home being at No. 479 Lexington avenue. 
Their children are: Frank, who was born August 29, 1885, and died June i, 
1886 • Junietta, who was born April 24, 1889; and Leo Brant, born April 24, 
1894' The family are members of the German Reformed Lutheran church 
and Mr Schlegel has been a member of Little T^Iiami Division of the Brother- 
hood of Locomotive Engineers since 1888. Since 1895 he has held member- 
ship relations with the Masonic lodge at Hudson, Ohio, and in his political 
afHliations he is a Democrat. 

ISAAC ZELLERS. 

Among the citizens of Franklin county, Ohio, once active and prominent 
but who have now passed from the stage of life, there was none who was more 
hio-hly regarded when living or who is more sincerely regretted than Isaac 
Zellers w^ho was born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, May 27, 1826, and 
died in Franklin township, November i, 1897. In 1840, when Mr. Zellers 
was fourteen years old, his parents, Valentine and Maria Zellers, brought 
him to Franklin county, where he completed his studies begun m Pennsyl- 
vania and perfected his knowledge of practical farming. In 1857, when about 



990 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

thirty-one years old, he married Miss Catherine Selbert, a native of FrankHn 
county, Ohio, and a daughter of John and Catherine (Shaffer) Selbert. Mrs. 
Zeller's parents were born and married in Germany and had five children, 
all of whom lived to manhood and womanhood. 

After his marriage, Mr. Zellers located on the farm which is now the 
home of his family. It was at that time new and mostly unimproved and he 
devoted his life to making it an attractive homestead and productive farm. 
By industry, integrity and perseverance he made a creditable success of life, 
and was honored as a progressive citizen and a Christian man. Mr. and Mrs. 
Zellers had nine children, all of whom were born at the family homestead 
and all of whom are living. Gustavus, John, Ada and Josephine are mem- 
bers of their mother's household. Cora married Albert Clickenger, of Frank- 
lin county, Ohio. Emma is the wife of Scott Hively, of Huntington, Indiana. 
Mary, the second daughter, is the wife of Jacob Tinnapple, of Norwich town- 
ship. Elnora is in the government service in South Dakota. Frank, the 
youngest daughter, is also a member of her mother's household. 

CHAUNCEY P. LANDON, M. D. 

Dr. Landon, the subject of the following brief sketch, was one of the 
most widely known physicians in the early medical faculty of central Ohio. 
His ancestry is Revolutionary on both sides of the family, his mother being 
Tryphena Hewitt, of the branch of the English Hewitts, Hewits, or Hueitts, 
resident at Worcester, Massachusetts; his father, Edward Landon, whose 
English lineage traces from the Langdons and Langtons of Magna Charta 
history. 

The Doctor was born in Athens, Ohio, and received his collegiate edu- 
cation at the Ohio University in* that place. For some time he was connected 
with the Athens Messenger, published by the late Senator Van Voorhis, 
being associated in this newspaper work with the late Governor John Brough. 
Later he entered the study of medicine, and was graduated at Starling Medical 
College, Columbus, Ohio, with the class of 1849. 

One of Dr. Landon's brothers, the Rev. Oliver Perry Hazard Lan- 
don, was a minister in the Methodist church; the other, Dr. George H. 
Landon, was a doctor both of divinity and of law. In partnership with the 
latter, Dr. Chauncey P. Landon began the practice of his profession in Wes- 
ter vi lie, Ohio, and for nearly half a century was prominent among the physi- 
cians of the state. He was one of the founders and charter meml>ers of the 
Central Ohio Medical Society, and one of the early members of the Ohio 
State Medical Society, enjoying the distinction of being twice called to the 
presidency, — an honor accorded to no other physician in the history of this 
organization. An added compliment was expressed in his selection to preside 
at the joint meeting of the American Medical Association and the Ohio State 
Medical Society at Cleveland, Ohio, in 1883. He was' repeatedly selected 
delegate to the American Medical Association, and was an honorarv member 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 99 » 

of the Columbus Academy of Medicine for some years previous to his death. 
Dr. Landon contributed several valuable theses to medical literature and 
was one of the earliest and most zealous promoters of the state board of 
health and the state board of medical registration in Ohio. 

In politics Dr. Landon was first a Whig, later an "old-line" Republican. 
An ardent patriot, a magnetic and eloquent public speaker, he was recognized 
as a valued and devoted supporter of his party and its principles. Both as 
recruiting ofiicer and in active service he rendered able assistance to the 
Union cause in the war of the Rebellion. Associated with Dr. Emerson E. 
Wiiite, of Columbus, he stood as the Republican candidate for representa- 
tive to the state legislature at a time when a Democratic nomination was 
tantamount to an election. For nearly a score of years Dr. Landon was a 
member of the state board of agriculture and of the Frankhn county board 
of agriculture. He was surgeon of the One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, and the Grand Army of the Republic is the only organiza- 
tion other than those of the medical profession in which he held membership. 
Although a generous contributor to church interests and philanthropic enter- 
prises, he never became a member of chuTch. 

Dr. Landon was a man of marked individuality, of liberal and independ- 
ent thought, fearless in the face of opposition, tireless in devotion to the pub- 
lic good. . 

His death occurred at the family residence in Westerville, Ohio, Decem- 
ber 29, 1899. He left a widow, formerly Miss Clara Slaughter, and four 
children : Hal D. Landon, Washington correspondent of the Cincinnati Com- 
mercial-Tribune; the late Karl E. Landon, state correspondent of the Cin- 
cinnati Enquirer; Miss Rowena H. Landon, teacher of languages m Central 
high school ; and Airs. Converse, widow of the late ex-Congressman George 
L. Converse. 

KARL EDWARD LANDON. 

Karl Edward Landon, late the state political correspondent of the Cin- 
cinnati Enquirer, was recognized at the time of his death as one of the most 
prominent members of the newspaper profession in Ohio. He was the second 
son of Dr. Chauncey P. Landon, was born at Columbus, Ohio, January 8, 
1867, and died August 16, 1900. 

Endowed with rare natural ability and indomitable purpose, Mr. Lan- 
don added to his native gifts of mind and character the broad culture which 
grows from thorough education, wide reading and association with distin- 
guished men. He was a man of handsome presence, magnetic personality 
and fine social qualities, yet of unvarying dignity of bearing; and. while 
numbering his friends by the legion, he gave his confidence to the few. 

Mr. Landon's face was a familiar one at both state and national conven- 
tions, his last work out of Ohio being at the Republican national convention in 
Philadelphia, in June, 1900, which he attended as one of the quartette of politi- 



992 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

cal writers' familiarly known to the newspaper fraternity as the "Enquirer's 
Big Four," the other three being Hon. Willis McBride and "Colonel" Sam 
Johnson, of Washington, D. C, and Mr. J. B. McCarty, of New York. No 
other newspaper men in the state enjoyed more largely than he the friendship 
and confidence of representative men in state and national, affairs. 

The press of Ohio at the time of Mr, Landon's death paid eloquent tribute 
to his nobility of character and unimpeachable honor as a man and to his 
liigh professional ambition and brilliant career in the profession of his choice. 
The following excerpt is taken from "Representative Men of Ohio," a work 
published under the administration of Governor Asa S. Bushnell : 

"Karl. E. Landon, of the Cincinnati Enquirer, at the age of fifteen began 
newspaper work as an office boy. He was educated at the Westerville (Ohio) 
public schools and at Otterbein University. His first experience was with 
the old Columbus Times, where he reported the police courts. He was next 
city editor of the Piqua Daily Call. After a year in that position he returned 
lo Columbus and became a general reporter and political writer for the Daily 
Press. His next change was to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where he was 
a police and political reporter. Returning to the capital some time later, he 
resumed his old connection with the Daily Press. He was subsequently 
city editor of the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daily Press, and after an interesting 
experience in Indiana newspaper work returned again to Columbus, where 
he re-engaged on the Daily Press, — then owned and published under the same 
management as its Indiana namesake. He 'remained with that paper and 
incidentally acted as a legislative correspondent for the Cincinnati Commer- 
cial-Gazette and the Cleveland Leader until 1891, when he became the Colum- 
bus correspondent of the Enquirer." 

Mr. Landon remained with the Cincinnati Enquirer more than ten years, 
during the last five years of his life acting as state political coTrespondent, 
with headquarters at Columbus. He was the Enquirer's special correspondent 
at Canton during the first presidential campaign of President McKinley. 
He traveled with Hon. John R. McLean as personal and confidential repre- 
sentative during a gubernatorial campaign, and had established headquarters 
in Canton to remain during the McKinley-Roosevelt campaign when sudden 
death from heart failure closed his work on earth. 

A commemorative resolution passed by newspaper associates offers this 
eulogy: "At the comparatively early age of thirty-three, Karl, E. Landon 
had no superior and few, if any, equals as a political correspondent in Ohio." 

ROBERT THOMPSON. 

Among the prominent men of the city of Columbus, must be mentioned 
Robert Thompson, who was born in Perry towaiship, Franklin county, Ohio, 
June 3, 1 86 1, and is the son of James G. and Maria (Freed) Thompson. 
The father of our subject was born in 1823, on the farm where he still lives, 
enjoying the fruits of his labor. The grandfather, on the paternal side. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 993 

Avas named Joseph Thompson and was a native of Maryland. He married 
Elizabeth Smith and settled in Franklin connty in 1810, locating in the 
woods where he built a home in company with other pioneers, liis ancestors 
■came from Scotland and the name is one honored among all American settlers. 

Our subject, Robert Thompson, spent the first nineteen years of his life 
upon the farm, and received the educational advantages afforded by the dis- 
trict schools, later attending the village school in Dublin. Opportunity of- 
fering, he studied telegraphy, at Pow^ell, Ohio, and for six months was em- 
ployed as an operator for the Hocking Valley Railroad. In 1888 Mr. Thomp- 
son became a candidate for county recorder on the Democratic ticket, receiv- 
ing^ a handsome majority in the election. So acceptably did he perform the 
duties of the office that in 1891 he was re-elected, and served in all for a period 
of six years. After his retirement from the duties of recorder he entered 
into the business of dealing in real estate and loans, the fine property in the 
city and the fertile farm lands offering an extensive field. 

In 1884 Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to Miss Stella Evans, a 
niece of the well known jurist. Judge George Evans, but her death occurred in 
the fall of 1898, tw^o children, Robert and Belle, surviving her. 

Politically, Mr. Thompson has always affiliated with the Democratic 
party and for the past fifteen years has been one of the faithful occupants of 
the office in the gift of the party. In 1900 he was honored wath an appoint- 
ment as chairman of the Democratic executive committee. Socially Mr. 
Thompson is a member of New England Ledge, No. 4, A. F. and A. M. ; 
of Horeb Chapter, R. A. M., both at Worthington ; and is also a member 
of Lodge No. 39, B. P. O. E., at Columbus. 

CHARLES \\'. JARVIS. 

Popularity as a railroad official arises from two or three causes. One of 
these is close attention to duty, another keen discrimination, and the third is 
an obliging manner. Possessed of all these qualities Mr. Jarvis has become one 
of the most popular of the younger engineers on the Pennsylvania road. He 
now resides at No. 388 Denmead avenue, Columbus, and is' numbered among 
Ohio's native sons, for his birth occurred in Gettysburg, on the 16th of January, 
1865. His paternal grandfather was Rev. Jesse Jarvis, a resident of New 
Harrison, Darke county, Ohio, where he died in 1862. His' son, Parker Jarvis, 
the father of our subject, was born in this state and served throughout the 
Civil war as a member of the Eighth and Forty-fourth Regiments of Ohio 
Volunteers, but while in the service he contracted disease which caused his 
death in 1866. He had married Miss Mary Jane Sheals, who is still living 
at the old home in Gettysburg. Her father' was a farmer, residing in Darke 
county, Ohio, where he died in 1899, at a very advanced age. He was a son 
of Patrick Shields, also an agriculturist, owning many sections of land in 
Darke county. The latter's father, Abraham Shields, came to Ohio from the 
east and took up his' abode in Darke county at a verv earlv dav. His descend- 



994 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

ants are still living in that locality and are prominent and successful farmers. 
Charles W. Jarvis is indebted to the public school system of Gettysburg, 
Ohio, for the educational privileges which he enjoyed in his youth. At a 
later day he entered Ada College, at Ada. Ohio, and was' graduated in that 
institution in 1888. Two years later he entered the employ of the Panhandle 
Railroad Company as a fireman and acted in that capacity for about nine 
years, when in 1899 he was made engineer, in which capacity he has since 
served. He belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and to the 
Odd Fellows Lodge, in Columbus. 

Mr. Jarvis was married in 1891, in Middleburg, Logan county, Ohio, to 
Miss Kate Whittaker, whose grandparents were also natives of Logan county. 
Her parents. Dr. and Mrs. Whittaker, now reside in Columbus. Her father 
served as surgeon in the Fourteenth Ohio Artillery during the Civil war. His 
wife's brothers, Joseph and George Speece, were members of an Ohio regiment 
during the war and the former was killed in battle, while the latter died soon 
after the close of hostilities from disease contracted during his service. In 
the year 1895 Dr. Whittaker brought his family to Columbus, coming to the 
city from Middleburg, Ohio. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis have been born 
three children : Parker Whittaker, born April 28, 1893 ; Charles E., born Au- 
gust 28, 1895; and Nettie B., born April 22, 1897. The parents hold mem- 
bership in the Disciple church of Columbus and have a large circle of friends 
in the city where they have made their home since 1893. 

LOGAN C. NEWSOM. 

No adequate history of Logan C. Newsom can be written until many 
of the useful enterprises with which he has been connected have completed 
their full measure of good in the world, yet there is much concerning him that 
can with profit be set down here as an illustration of what can be done if a man 
with a clear brain and willing hands but sets himself seriously to the real 
labors and responsibilities of life. 

Through a long period he name of Logan C. Newsom has appeared 
upon the roll of prominent business men of Columbus. He was born in Gallia 
county. Ohio, near Gallipolis, in 185 1, his parents being Julius L. and Eliza- 
beth (Gibbs) Newsom. His father was a native of Gallia county, born in 18 10, 
and was for many years engaged in merchandising and farming, his life 
labors being ended in death in the year 1878. His mother, also a native of 
Gallia county, was born in 1815 and was reared and educated there. The 
grandfather was a native of Virginia, born near the Natural bridge. He 
married Miss Gabrielle Menanger. who was the first wdiite child born in the 
French colony which was organized about 1791, her family having been 
driven from France on account of religious persecution. 

Logan C. Newsom spent the days of his childhood and youth in the 
county of his nativity and was allowed the privilege of attending its public 
schools and later became a student in the Home Academy. He afterward 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 995 

continued his studies in the Steubenville high school through a three years' 
course, and on leaving that institution he went to New York city where he 
entered the employ of the New York Transfer Company. Subsequently he 
removed to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in the grain 
busmess and later returned to Ohio, where he opened the cooperage depart- 
ment of the Ohio penitentiary, and as its foreman engaged in the manufacture 
of casks, superintending the penal labor. A change in the administration 
relieved him of that position. He then became a contractor of public works 
of the city of Columbus in the construction of sewers, laying the pipes and 
doing other kinds of contract work of a large nature. He constructed 
many miles of sewers in the city, employing at times a force of six hundred 
rnen. To successfully engage in this line of business requires a comprehen- 
sive and accurate knowledge of mechanical engineering and of all the scientific 
principles which underlie that branch of industry. His business, so extensive 
in volume, brought to him a handsome financial return and he ultimately be- 
came interested in banking, aiding in organizing the First National Bank, 
of which he became one of the principal stockholders. He was also connected 
with the Electric Light Company and was one of its heavy stockholders. In 
1897, however, he disposed of his banking interests and his stock in the elec- 
tric hght and machine shops and retired from active business on account 
of failing health. He now devotes his attention to the management of the 
Moneypenny estate. He is a stockholder in the Central Ohio Trust Company, 
of Columbus. The many important business concerns with wdiich he has been 
connected indicate his superior ability. His wise council has been an import- 
ant factor in the successful conduct of many leading enterprises and seldom, 
if ever, is his business judgment at fault regarding the best policy for the 
conduct of any commercial, industrial or financial concern. 

In 1885 Mr. Newsom was united in marriage to IMiss Sally AI. Money- 
penny, a daughter of the late William and Alaria (Branson) Moneypenny. 
Her father was one of the most prominent and wealthy citizens of Columbus 
and the family has long occupied a leading position in social circles of the 
city. Mr. and Mrs. Newsom now have two children, Helen M. and William 
M., the former now in school. Their home is at No. 492 East Broad street. 
Endowed by nature with a sound judgment and an accurate and discrim- 
inating mind, Mr. Newsom has feared not that laborious attention to the details 
of business so necessary to achieve success, and this essential quality has ever 
been guided by a sense of moral right which would tolerate the employment 
of only those means that will bear the most rigid examination and by a fair- 
ness of intent that neither seeks nor requires disguise. 

FRANKLIN G. HUNT. 

Franklin G. Hunt, one of the popular and efficient passenger conductors 
of the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus railroad, residing at No. 326 Cleveland 
avenue, in tlie capital city, was born Julv 21. 1859. on a farm near Mount 



996 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Vernon, in Knox county, Ohio. He represents one of the old New England 
families. His paternal great-grandfather, Jonathan Hunt, was born in that 
section of the country and in an^ early day emigrated westward, becoming one 
of the first settlerb' of Knox county, Ohio, and the subject of this review has 
heard him relate many of his early experiences with the Indians in those days. 
The red men were befriended by both him and his wife in many ways and in 
consequence Mr. and Mrs. Hunt received from them kind treatment and did 
not suffer from the pilferings of the Indians' as so many of their neighbors 
did. Jonathan H^unt li\-ed to the advanced age of ninety-seven years. Thomas 
Hunt, the grandfather of our subject, was accidentally killed in the woods by 
the falling of a tree when his son Thomas, the father of our subject, was but 
seventeen years of age. He was' born on a farm five miles south of Mount 
Vernon, Ohio, at what was called Hunt's station, on the Baltimore & Ohio 
railroad. His son, Richard Hunt, had a sawmill there in an early day and 
when the railroad was built furnished the ties and bridge material for its con- 
struction. Thomas Hunt, the father of our subject, learned the carpenter's' 
trade with his father with whom he worked until the latter's death. He and 
his wife now reside in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Their eldest son, John C, when 
eighteen years of age became an employe of the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus 
Railroad Company and served as one of its conductors for many years', resign- 
ing that position in 1896, since which time he has been engaged in the under- 
taking business in Mount Vernon. Charles R. Hunt, the second son of the 
family, is now twenty-eight years of age and is' serving as night yardmaster 
of the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad at Petosky. Clinton Hunt, who is 
now twenty-two years of age, is in the dry-goods business in Mount Vernon. 
Everett, another brother, died in 1870, when five years of age. In the 
family were two sisters, but both are now deceased. Belle having died in 1888 
wdien twenty-four years of age; while Kith died in 1889 at the age of eighteen 
years, after an illness of only twenty-four hours, her demise being caused by 
spinal meningitis. 

Franklin G. Hunt acquired his early education in the country schools 
which he attended during the winter seasons. Through the remainder of the 
year he worked with his father until twenty years of age when he determined 
to enter the railroad service and secured a position as brakeman on the Balti- 
more & Ohio, running out of Newark the most of the time on the Sandusky 
division. He w^as thus employed for a year after which he accepted a position 
on the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus railroad. He was for some years a 
brakeman on a freight train and was afterward brakeman, express messenger 
and baggage master on a passenger train, being thus employed for seven 
years. While acting as yardmaster at Mount Vernon, he lost one of the fingers 
on his left hand, but this is the only personal injury he has ever sustained in the 
railway service. For some years he has been a passenger conductor and' is' one 
of the popular employes of the road. He is a member of Division No. 100 
of the Order of Railway Conductors, of Columbus, and also belongs to the 
Catholic Order of Foresters. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 997 

On the 4th of July, 1883, in Wooster, Ohio, Mr. Hunt was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Mary Crehain. Her parents are both deceased. Her father,, 
Eugene Crehain, was a foreman on a section of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & 
Chicago railroad for many years, residing at Orrville, Ohio. Later he removed 
to Wooster, Ohio, and one day while at his post of duty he was struck by a 
passing train and killed, this occurring in 1882 when he was fifty-five years of 
age. He was a native of Ireland and had come to America with his parents, 
residing in New York until after his marriage, when with his wife he came 
west. She too was a native of Ireland and had been brought to the United 
States in her girlhood. Her death occurred in 1897, when she was sixty-two 
years of age. They had three children, namely : Mrs. Hunt ; Richard, who 
is' in the boot and shoe business in Wooster, Ohio ; and Anna, who resides with 
her brother in that city. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hunt has been 
blessed with one son, Eugene, who was born April 3, 1884. He acquired his 
education in St. Patrick's school, Columbus, and in Parson's Business College, 
where he was graduated. In the spring of 1900 he w-as offered and accepted 
a position as assistant bookkeeper and cashier with the firm of Kingan & Coof, 
of this city. The families are members of the Catholic church and both Mr. 
and Mrs. Hunt are widely known in Columbus. 

Dr. CHARLES HENRY W^ETAIORE. 

The subject of this sketch was the son of the Rev. Izrahiah Wetmore,. 
the youngest of a family of twelve children. His mother died a few months 
after his birth, and while he was yet in his boyhood his father also died. 
Notwithstanding the loss of his parents at so early an age, he was enabled by 
the practice of industry and economy to acquire a thorough education. Enter- 
ing Yale College in 1800, he completed the required course and was graduated 
in 1804. There he was associated with many who in after life were distin- 
guished for excellence in their respective public relations. On the roll of 
his classmates we find the honored names of Ezra S. Ely, Christopher E. 
Gadsden, Richard C. Lansing, John Pierpont, Henry R. Stone and John C. 
Calhoun. 

Having completed his preparations for the practical duties of life. Dr. 
Wetmore entered upon the study of law, which, however, he did not long 
pursue, abandoning it for a profession more in consonance with the kindly 
and generous qualities of his heart and mind. In 1805 he commenced the study 
of medicine under the direction of Dr. Henry, of Lansingburg, New York, 
and at the same time taught in the academy at that place, under the charge 
of Rev. Samuel Blatchford. He continued his medical studies with Dr. Eli 
Bunet, of Troy, and, having attended medical lectures at the College of 
Physicians and Surgeons of the University of New York, he received from 
the censors of the Rensselaer County Medical Society a license to practice 
medicine and surgery, March 15, 1808. 

After practicing his profession for some months in Troy he removed 



998 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

to Water ford, in 1810, and there he was early admitted to the confidence of 
leading families and received the warm support of many friends. During 
the war of 1812 he was commissioned by Governor Tompkins, surgeon of 
the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Regiment, New York Infantry, but was 
only a short time in active service, peace having been declared soon after the 
regiment was ordered to the field. 

In the year 18 14 he married Eliza, a daughter of John Rathbone, of 
New York city. Mr. Rathbone was a wealthy retired merchant, being the 
owner of large and valuable tracts of land in Ohio and his name is even 
yet familiar to many persons in the state. 

In 18 1 6 Dr. Wetmore removed to New York city, where he at once 
formed new acquaintances and made new friends and was soon established in 
a lucrative practice. His father-in-law, having, as has be'en stated, extensive 
land interests in Ohio, he was induced to remove to this state in 18 19. On 
the 7th of November of that year he started in a two-horse wagon from New 
York city on his journey to Ohio with his wife and three young children, 
and a man and a maid servant, arriving in Zanesville on the ist of December. 
There he tarried a few days with his brother-in-law, Dr. D. W. Rhodes, 
and then proceeded to Worthington, arriving at Demas Adams' Hotel on the 
1 8th of December. His first professional call in Worthington was on Jan- 
uary 4, 1820, to the house of Jonathan Parks, an obstetrical case; and his second 
case was on the 6th of January, to attend the Rt. Rev. Philander Chase, the 
first bishop of the diocese of Ohio. On the 31st of December, 1820, the 
following entry appears upon his books: "This ends the year 1820, being 
one year and two weeks residence in Ohio. On the 13th of November, re- 
moved from the village and commenced housekeeping on Rathbone, section 
No. I, in my own house, having a log house and stable not furnished, although 
comfortable. Family all well. Charged last year, or rather this year, 
$637.81." It will be remembered that this was the day of low prices in all 
the various callings of life, professional and otherwise. During this year 
the following entries, among others, appeared on the books, namely: "Demas 
Adams, to visit for wife, twenty-five cents. Ezra Ginnall, visit for son, 
twenty-five cents. Bishop Chase, to visit, emetic tartar for son and extracting 
tooth for wife, fifty cents." The Bishop's Tesidence was one mile south of 
Kilborne Hotel. Other charges ranging from twenty-five to seventy-five 
cents for visits and medicine are found running through the year. In those 
days there were no prescription druggists and every physician was obliged 
of necessity to furnish the medicines prescribed. 

On removing to his farm Dr. Wetmore continued his profession, combin- 
ing with it agricultural pursuits, and soon became widely known as a skill- 
ful and successful physician. At an early date sickness pevailed to an alarm- 
ing with it agricultural pursuits, and soon became widely known as a skill- 
of time for the Doctor to start from home on a circuit of many miles, from 
Alum creek to the Scioto, from the southern part of Delaware county to the 
Darby plains, returning after an absence of two days or more. The road in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 999 

many places was a mere track through the woods, admitting of travel on. 
horseback only. The hardships and exposure incident to the profession had 
its effect upon a constitution never robust and his infirm health compelled him 
to withdraw from the active discharge of his professional duties, after an 
arduous and laborious practice of more than a quarter of a century in that 
locality. 

Dr. Wetmore's genial, cordial, social disposition and hospitable nature 
made his house — Locust Grove — widely known and it was a favorite resort 
of the educated and refined. Here he lived through many ensuing years, in 
possession of the richer sources of enjoyment. On the 24th of February, 
1853, Eliza Wetmore, the wife of the Doctor, died at Columbus. She was 
loved and revered by all who knew her. She animated her family circle by 
her cheerful and affectionate disposition. Her conversation was intelligent 
and instructive and her life was guided by strict religious principles. She 
was the idol of the household, and the sweet remembrance of her many vir- 
tues will be cherished for a long time. In his declining years Dr. Wetmore 
Vk-as active and vigorous to an unusual degree and retained his faculties unim- 
paired to the last. He died at the family homestead, where he was tempo- 
rarily sojourning, on the loth of October, 186S, in the eigthy-sixth year of 
his age. 

WILLIAM C. WILLIAMS. 

William C. Williams was born in Licking county, Ohio, on the 26th of 
December, 1858, his parents being William and Jane Williams. The father 
was a native of Guernsey county, Ohio, and in an early day learned and fol- 
lowed the carpenter's trade, but afterward purchased a tract of land and gave 
his attention to agricultural pursuits. He died at the old home in Summit, 
Licking county, Ohio, in April, 1895, and his wife, who was a native of Wales, 
passed away at the same place in 1882. The subject of this review is the 
youngest of their three children, his brothers being Elijah and Julien. 

William C. Williams acquired his early education in the public schools 
near his home, and during his youth assisted in the work of the farm, but, 
not desiring to follow the plow throughout his' active career, he left home 
and in August, 1881, began railroading on the Pacific line, his run being from 
Columbus to Dennison, Ohio. He was a brakeman for tw^o years and was 
then made conductor, in which capacity he has served for seventeen years. 
He is on the preferred run and is one of the most trustworthy and efficient 
conductors on the line, neglecting no duty and at the same time winning the 
■regard, gratitude and friendship of many patrons of the road by his obliging 
manner and considerate treatment. 

Mr. Williams was married in 1880, to Miss Mary Hummel, a daughter 
of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hummel, who are residents of Licking county, Ohio. 
Our subject and his wife have one child. Pearl, who is a graduate of the high 
school of Columbus and is now a student in the normal school. Mr. Williams 



looo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

became a member of the Order of Railway Conductors, Division No. lOO, 
in Columbus, but since transferred his membership to Division No. 278, at 
Dennison, Ohio. He is also a member of Excelsior Lodge, I. O. O. F., 
of this city, and belongs to the encampment. He and his wife have resided 
in the capital city since 1882, and on the i8th of August, 1899, they moved 
into their elegant new home at No. 187 North Eighteenth street, where they 
are surrounded by many o'f the comforts and luxuries of life that have been 
secured through the industry and energy of our subject. , 

RICHARD EDIE HULL. 

The citizens of Columbus are justly proud of the records of their military 
men. One of the most popular of these is Captain Richard Edie Hull, adjutant 
of the Fourth Regiment, Ohio National Guard. Captain Hull was born in 
Columbus, in 1866, a son of Robert C. Hull, who came to Columbus in 1850' 
from Steubenville, Ohio, and saw one hundred days' service in the federal army 
during the Rebellion. Captain Hull is a great-grandson of General William 
Hull, who fought for the independence of the colonies in the Revolutionary war 
and performed distinguished services in the war of 181 2. His life covered the 
period from 1753 to 1825. His son, Marmaduke Hull, was a pioneer settler 
in Stark county, Ohio, and removed from there to Cincinnati, where he died. 
Robert C. Hull, son of Marmaduke Hull, was born in Stark county, in 1809, 
and died at Columbus in 1878. He was proprietor of a wholesale bookstore 
which stood on the site of the present Smythe store, was secretary of the State 
Bank of Ohio and was identified with other prominent interests and was well 
known as an Odd Fellow. He was for several terms president and was long 
a member of the city council. He married Anna Edie, a granddaughter of 
Jacob Nessley, a hero of the Revolution, wdio in 1770 made the first settlement 
on the site of Steubenville, Ohio, and at one time owned nearly all the land 
along the river between Steubenville and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 

Captain Hull received his primary education in the Columbus high school; 
and took a two-years course in mining and engineering at the Ohio State 
University. In a business way he has become prominent as a dealer in elec- 
trical supplies and as a contractor of electrical construction. He married Miss 
Beatrice Earns, of Louisville, Kentucky, daughter of William Earns', who fills 
a responsible position in the service of the Pullman Palace Car Company, and 
she has borne him two children, named Catharine and William. 

Captain Hull enlisted in Company A, of the Fourteenth Regiment, Ohio' 
National Guard, in 1883, and was made sergeant in 1884. For four years he 
was absent from the state with leave and was then honorably discharged, re- 
enlisting in 1889. He was commissioned second lieutenant of Company A, 
in November. 1889, and first lieutenant in January, 1890, and resigned in 
July, 1891. May 3, 1898, he enlisted in Company F, Fourteenth Ohio Regi- 
ment, for service in the Spanish-American war, and was sergeant and first ser- 
geant. He was mustered into the United States service May 9, 18.98, andhon- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. icop 

orably discharged January 20, 1899. His regiment served in Porto Rico and 
he participated in the battle at Guyama. In June, 1899, he enlisted m the 
Fourteenth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, and in August following was 
appointed first sergeant. He was appointed second lieutenant and battalion 
adjutant September 2, 1899, and captain and regimental adjutant ^lay 30, 
1900. 

ROBERT WILSON MOORE. 

America owes a debt of gratitude to Scotland for the valuable (luality 
which has been contributed by the land of tlie thistle to her citizenship. The 
Scotch character is hardy, honest, industrious and persevering and has done 
much to advance many of her important interests, and everywhere our citizens 
of Scotch birth or descent are leaders among their fellow men and worthy 
examples to those who would succeed in life by praiseworthy methods. The 
subject of this sketch is of Scotch descent, his grandfather, Moore, having been 
born in Scotland. Mr. Moore's grandfather was brought to this country when 
a mere lad and died before Mr. Moore was born, but Mr. Moore w^as about 
seventeen years old at the time of the death of his grandmother, Moore, who 
was born in the United States, in the latter part of the eighteenth century. 

His great-grandfather, Abner Barton, was born the 5th day of April,. 
1757, on his father's farm, wdiich is now the site of the city of Chester, Penn- 
sylvania, near Philadelphia. He died in Belmont county, Ohio, December 
26, 1827. His great-grandmother, Sarah (Pyle) Barton, was born the 5th day 
of May, 1766, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died in Belmont county, 
April 27, 1865. His grandfather, Jesse Barton, was born in the city of 
Chester, Pennsylvania, on the 25th day of December, 1804, and died in Bel- 
mont county, Ohio, August 23, 1887. He was a judge of the courts for a num- 
ber of years in Belmont county. His grandmother, Catharine Ann (Mul- 
vaney) Barton, was born March 3, 1804, in Pennsylvania, near the city of 
Chester, and died in Belmont county, Ohio, February 27, 1846. 

Abner Barton and family came to Ohio in 1814, where he purchased a 
farm of nearly a thousand acres in Colerain township, Belmont county, which, 
the greater part of the farm, with the old homestead, is still in possession of 
the heirs of the late Judge Jesse Barton. 

John Wilson Moore, father of Robert Wilson Moore, was born at Zanes- 
ville, Ohio, September 23, 1823, and when about fourteen years old was ap- 
prenticed to learn the carpenter's trade. In 1846 he assumed charge of a 
river barge and made several trips to New Orleans, Louisiana, by way of the 
Muskingum, Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He entered upon a career as a 
railroad man in 1850, his first [Xjsition having been as baggagemaster on the old 
Central Ohio Railway. In 185 1 he became a conductor on a passenger train 
which ran between Zanesville and Newark, Ohio, and after the line was com- 
pleted his run was between Columbus and Bellaire, Ohio. The Central Ohio 
Railway became a part of the Baltimore & Ohio system about 1865, and Air. 



1002 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Moore continued in the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, 
his service as a conductor covering the long period of thirty-one years. 

John Wilson Moore was married in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1857, to 
Miss Elizabeth H. Barton, a daughter of Judge Jesse Barton, of that county, 
who was born in Belmont county, Ohio, January 24, 1836. In 1862 they came 
to Columbus, Ohio, and made this city their home, buying a lot at the northeast 
corner of Chestnut and Front streets, on which he built a residence in 1867, 
where his wife died September 3, 1888. She was laid to rest in Greenlawn 
cemetery, Columbus, and Mr. Moore, still hale and hearty, is now living with 
his son Jesse T. Moore, at Carnegie, near Pittsburg. Pennsylvania. 

John Wilson and Elizabeth H. (Barton) Moore had three sons, who will 
be here mentioned in the order of their nativity : Jesse Thomas Moore was born 
March 2, i860, and has for eighteen years been a freight and passenger con- 
ductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad west of Pittsburg. He is married and 
lives at Carnegie, Pennsylvania. Robert Wilson Moore, of Columbus, one 
of the most popular conductors on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, was born 
at Bellaire, Belmont county, Ohio, March 29, 1862. Edward Barton Moore 
died in infancy in 1863. 

Robert Wilson Moore was brought to Columbus, Ohio, by his parents 
when he was only six months old, in the fall of 1862, and has lived there contin- 
uously from that time to this. He was' educated in the public schools of the 
city and when a mere boy was employed for one year in the office of the Con- 
ductor's Life Insurance Company, of Columbus. After that he busied himself 
in different ways until October, 1879, when he became a brakeman on a 
passenger train of which his father had charge as conductor. He remained 
in that position only two years and a half, however, before he was promoted 
to be baggagemaster and after six months' service in the last mentioned capac- 
ity he was, in 1882, advanced to the responsible position of freight and passen- 
ger conductor. For a time he ran as an "extra" on passenger trains, and then, 
after six months' service as a freight conductor, he was given a regular run on 
a Baltimore & Ohio passenger train from Chicago, Illinois, to Wheeling, West 
Virginia, and had charge of a limited train for six years. In October, 1888, 
at his own request, he was transferred to the Columbus, Cincinnati & Midland 
branch of the Baltimore & Ohio system and he has run over that line ever since. 

He was married in Columbus, Ohio, April 15, 1890, to Miss Cora Mc- 
Ghee, who was' born June 3, 1868, in Hamden, Vinton county, Ohio, of Scotch- 
Irish descent. 

Mr. Moore is a member of Division No. 166, Order of Railway Con- 
ductors. After having taken subordinate degrees he took the degrees of 
chivalric Masonry in Mount Vernon Commandery, No. i, Knight Templar, 
of Columbus, Ohio, March 29, 1888, and was constituted, created and dubbed 
a Knight Templar, and he was one of the charter members of Aladdin Temple, 
of Columbus, Ohio, of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic 
Shrine. His father and brother are also members of Mount Vernon Com- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1003 

mandery. His mother was a devoted member of the Rev. Dr W'ashino-toii 
Gladden's Congregational church, of Columbus. "^ 

Mr. Moore is a strong and unswerving Republican and, as he claims "a 
Jacksonian Democrat." While not a practical politician, he takes an mtellic^ent 
and helpful mterest m political work and has in manv ways demonstrated that 
he IS a citizen of much public spirit. 

CHARLES H. ARMSTRONG. 

Charles H. Armstrong is one of the native sons of Columbus and is a 
worthy representative of an honored pioneer family. His grandfather Jere- 
miah Armstrong, was one of the first settlers in this portion of the state' The 
specific history of the west was made by the pioneers; it was emblazoned on 
the forest trees by the strength of sturdy arms and gleaming ax, and written 
on the surface of the earth by the track of the primitive plow. These were 
strong men and true that came to found the empire of the West,— these hardv 
settlers who, building their rude domiciles, grappled with the giants of the 
forests and from the sylvan wilds evolved the fertile and productive fields 
which have these many years been furrowed by the plowshare. The red man 
in his motley garb stalked through the dim, woody avenues, and the wild 
beasts disputed his dominion. The trackless prairie was made to yield its 
tribute under the effective endeavors of the pioneer, and slowly but surely 
were laid the steadfast foundations upon which has been builded the magnifi- 
cent structures of an opulent and enlightened commonwealth. To establish 
a home amid such surroundings and to cope with the many privations and 
hardships xyhich were the inevitable concomitants, demanded an invincible 
courage and fortitude, strong heart and willing hands. All these were char- 
ac eristics of the pioneers, whose names and deeds should be held in per- 
petual reverence by those who enjoy the fruits of their toil. During his boy- 
nood Jeremiah Armstrong was captured by the Indians and remained with 
r'-i r' '^^'}y'''^f^- He became an active factor in the development and 
upbuilding of Franklin county and was a member of the first village council 
of Columbus^ He owned the Logan Tavern on High street, one of the firsf 
houses of public entertainment in the city. It was located just south of the 

he became well known among the pioneer settlers of the state and in the 
community where he resided he was recognized as a man of sterling worth 

fs'rTn^d^'"''""^' ''' '^^'" "' °"^ ^"^j^^^- ^-^ b-" '- CoIumb;.rin 
1 ' ? u, Tt^"^ '^^^^'■' '''^' engaged in the conduct of a harness shoo and 
hvery stable. He married Miss Charlotta Manger, who was b^rn n Berks 
county Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio during her girlhood where h' 

Cf^ri8o6"at'th"" "^"''^^^ T""'^- ^''^ ^^^'^-^^ our'subject di d 
April 13. 1896 at the age of seventy-five vears. and thus passed awav one cf 
the oldest of the native sons of Franklin' county. ' 

Charles H. Armstrong is indebted to the public school system of Coluin- 



1004 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus for the educational privileges which he enjoyed, and snice entering upon, 
an independent business career he has been for some years in the railway ser- 
vice, connected with the Big Four, the Baltimore & Ohio and the Hocking 
Valley Railroads. In his political views he is a Democrat. He does not follow 
in the footsteps of the other members of the family in this direction, for all 
are Republicans. Mature consideration of the questions of the day. however, 
have led him to endorse the Democratic principks and he is an active worker 
in his party. He has served in the council and the city committees and has 
been honored with a number of positions of public trust. He served on the 
city board of equalization, has occupied a position in the county auditor's 
office, and in the year 1900 is serving as a land appraiser in his ward. He 
lias always retired from office as he entered it, — with the confidence and good 
will of the public. His entire life has been passed in Columbus, and the fact 
that his record has ever been an honorable one is indicated by the other fact 
that among his stanchest friends are many who have known him from boy- 
hood. 

JAMES J. THOMAS. 

In the city of Columbus, James J. Thomas is a well known figure, and his 
devoted to the public good and his reliability in matters affecting the welfare 
of the city is above questiou. He is now president of the city council and as 
such is manifesting marked loyalty to the public good, laboring earnestly for 
the progress of Ohio's capital along those lines which contribute to the advance- 
ment, prosperity and happiness, of his fellow men. 

Mr. Thomas was born in 1867 in the state which is now his home and the' 
following year he was brought to Columbus by his parents, David and Jane 
(Jones) Thomas, both of whom were natives of Wales and in early life crossed 
the Atlantic to the United States, taking up their abode in Columbus, where they 
still reside. 

Mr. Thomas, of this review, is indebted to the public school system of that 
city for the preliminary educational privileges which he enjoyed. Subsequently 
he pursued a commercial course in what was at that time the Columbus Busi- 
ness College. He began his career as a newsboy, selling papers on the street 
for Sheer & Reed. Later he entered the employ of the United States Express 
Company as a messenger boy. There his fidelity to duty, his earnest desire to 
please and the business ability which he manifested led to his advancement step 
by step through all the departments until 'he was promoted to his present re- 
sponsible position as cashier of what is now one of the leading corporations of 
the country. His connection with this company covers a period of over sixteen 
years. He has mastered every detail of the business and has thus been pro- 
moted and at all times has been found most loyal to the trust reposed in him. 

Mr. Thomas is a Republican in his political affiliations and has studied 
closely the questions and issues of the day so that he is able to uphold his posi- 
tion by intelligent argument. In the spring of 1891 he was elected a member 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1005 

of the city council and was re-elected in 1900. Soon aften\vard he was chosen 
president and is now the incumbent in that position. He h^s made a close study 
of the needs of the city and has exercised his official prerogatives in support of 
the needed reforms and improvements. Socially he is connected with the Na- 
tional Registrar, Magnolia Lodge. F. & A. M., and Temple Chapter, R. A. M. 
He is also prominent in the Knights of Pythias fraternity and has been in all 
of its various offices. Mr. Thomas is a young man of genial manner, courteous 
and obliging disposition, of excellent executive ability, keen discrimination and 
sterling worth, and these qualities have woii him the high regard of a host 
of warm friends among whom he is very popular. 

ISAAC NEWTON JENKINS. 

Among the sturdy, successful, self-made railroad men of Columbus, 
Ohio, none has gained his present prominence more creditably or is more pop- 
ular in railway circles and with the traveling public than is Isaac Newton Jen- 
kins, widely known as a passenger conductor on the Norfolk & Western Rail- 
way and prominent in connection with the Order of Railroad Conductors. 

Isaac Newton Jenkins was born at Furnace, Jackson county, Ohio, March 
12, 1857, a son of Isaac Jenkins, who died in 1871, at the age of seventy-one 
years. His mother died near Louisville, Kentucky, in 1864. He had brothers 
named Joseph, Archibald and Benjamin, and sisters named Mary, who mar- 
ried John Graham, and died in Jackson county, Ohio, four years ago. His 
\)rothers, Joseph and Archibald, served their country in the federal army 
during the Civil war and died in Tennessee more than twenty years ago. His 
.other brother is now a resident of Alabama. 

By the death of his parents he was thrown wholly upon his own resources 
when but a mere boy. His experience was a hard one and such education as 
he obtained was gained at odd times and by reading and study after long days 
spent in wearisome work, still he obtained a foothold in the world and was 
happily married February 3, 1881, to Miss Minnie Vogelsang, at Mount 
Vernon Furnace, Lawrence county, Ohio, and they have three children, all 
born in Lawrence county, Ohio, namely: Charles L., born October 2, 1882; 
Emerson M., October 23, 1886; Luella May, September 19, 1888. Mrs. 
Jenkins is a sister of Harmon Vogelsang, who fills the office of street com- 
missioner at Ironton, Ohio, also of Henry Vogelsang, and of L. C. Vogelsang, 
a wealthy iron operator now living in retirement at \Vellston, Ohio. Mr. 
Jenkins and his family are members of the Neil Avenue Methodist Episcopal 
church, of Columbus, and are helpful to all its various important interests. 

Mr. Jenkins's first regular employment was in a furnace when he was a 
mere boy. He was employed thus and otherwise until 1885, on the 4th day 
of March of which year he removed to Ironton, Ohio. June 17 following he 
became a section hand on the old Valley road which afterward became known 
as the Norfolk & Western Railway, and that was his introduction to rail- 
roading. A year later he was made foreman of a section and after service in 



ioo6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

that capacity for one year was given the position of brakeman in the yard, 
and in 1887 he became brakeman on a local freight train. He recalls with 
feelings of gratitude the kindness of Superintendent J. W. Campbell, shown 
him in many ways while he was endeavoring to make a beginning as a railroad 
man. While he was employed as a freight brakeman he lost the forefinger of 
his right hand while coupling cars, but the accident kept him from work only 
twenty-five days. In time he was appointed baggage master and from that po- 
sition was promoted to that of freight conductor, in which he served until 
he was given charge of a passenger train. As' a freight conductor, by reason 
of being the oldest conductor in the service, he was given a preferred run,, 
which he retained until June 14, 1899, when his promotion came. He was in 
about every imaginable kind of railroad wreck that a train man could ex- 
perience short of running into a river or plunging off from a high bridge. 
His accidents involved head-end, rear and side wrecks and the breaking of 
trains on steep grades, yet aside from the loss of the finger referred to he never 
received a personal injury worth mentioning and no member of his crew was 
ever seriously hurt. 

Mr. Jenkins's first passenger run was between Columbus and Kenova,. 
Wayne county, West Virginia, July 4, 1899. The day was very warm and He 
carried eleven hundred passengers, but was able to avoid accident of any kind. 
He recalls the fact that he had the honor of running the first train over the 
bridge across the Ohio river at Kenova. It was drawn by engine No. 43, 
with engineer Fred Hart at the throttle, and the cabin was filled with men and 
boys. Mr. Jenkins enjoys the distinction also of never having been called as 
a witness in a personal injury or damage case. He is one of the most popular 
passenger conductors on the road, and his efficient and courteous service is 
highly appreciated by the traveling public. 

In 1888, at the time of the national convention of the Brotherhood of 
Railroad Yardmen at Columbus, Mr. Jennings was initiated into that order. 
The lodge offices at the time were filled by officers of the national body, Grand 
Master Wilkinson presiding. After the initiation ceremonies, Columbus 
Lodge, No, 175, of which Mr. Jenkins had become a member, adjourned and 
attended the meeting of the grand lodge at the State Street Presbyterian 
church. Mr. Jenkins was a member of this order until 1897, wdien, at Ke- 
nova, West Virginia, he united with Lodge No. 3, State Division Order of 
Railroad Conductors, as a charter member. He is identified with the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and has recently joined Capital City Lodge, 
I. O. O. F., of Columbus, by card. He is also a member of the Knights and 
Ladies of Honor of Columbus. 

ELMER E. THOMPSON. 

Elmer E. Thompson, who is in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company in the capacity of an engineer, was born August 8, 1859. in Union 
county, Pennsylvania. He is a brother of W. H. Thompson, of this county, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. -o^? 

,or sixteen years he has been a r^^^^^^^^^^^ J^f, Xl"«: 
hood and youth were qu.etly Pffjf;,"",7,tr«c7as fireman on the Panhandle 
anee. but in 1879 he ^'".^'^V h fat^fs dW ion By close application to h,s 
road, being ass.gned to "^/"^"^Se of du y he secured promotion on the 
73^ oTl^e^trrrS^ltcH^-rbeL conLuously in the service ot the 

-'' STuS^ of November ^^^S Mr^^lJ^P- - ^t^i^oSr^^ 
Miss Annie Clarissa Renr>er, th«;;;f^^^ "? ^,^ ^^ t*^hom two are yet living, 
county, Ohio. Four children g'f flfl'^' """"'^d w,|bur born July i. 1890. 
-ElTeh IS':^'^"^^^'^:^^ 'and^Eana P;ar,. Jho^vas born 
gaS ?5 r889"died on the 8th oUu.y of that y- _,^,„^ ,„, ,,,,,„,, 
and i^^a\l';S; »jr; r;on'r::n?:;;uation with the company n.li- 
eating his marked fidelity. 

JAMES T. LINDSAY. 

James T. Lmdsay was born in Washington P^-yl-™aAprn^ 
his parents being Oliver and Jane (Taylor Ln dsay. On tl ^^ ^^^^ 
he L of English Imeage and ad .on ^^^^^f^^^' -^ ;„ the development 
came to America from the meriie f «f' 5^'"=!^ , , ; [3 ^f Scotch descent. His 
of New England. On the paternal f ^ M;-^^^ k^^^^^ ^'^=,°, ^J hills and heather 
grandfather, Ninon Lindsay, "'^\!, ??"7„f j, f „ew world. -His wife was 
and when a young man became a re den o to new ._^ ^^^^_ 

Kate Lindsay. Oliver Lindsay, the a^he °f °^''^ ^^ame a skilled machin- 
ing, Berks county, Pennsylvania, in ^ng n^'- i8°«>^™;^f \;3 ,„, manhood, 
isj: working in different =hops and fac oru^^ du in hi^^^ >^ 

Subsequently he began t^f ^f ='""'f '" f,;/ "^^Zen Jaged in business for a 
ington, Pennsylvania, ='"d *e- -t^^^^^^f Xo%^^ born in Washing- 
rc^unt^,'^"the K^e;:::^'!^,' nrX. Her death occurred in r89. and 

the husband passed away in 1894. , , - ^^^^ ^^^ of his birth and at- 

James T. Lindsay ^^P-^ ^is eady Wioocn ^^ ^^^^^.^^ 

tended the pubhc schools ''^'^\^.]'^^^^]^^^^^ to vary the routine of his 

ir'ie ^:s":i:'5r^n^|H- - ti j;-;:^ri 
^:>?::iSrsrraa« 

leaving the employ of the .:ailroad l« w to Cam^^^^^^^^^ He^disposed of 



ioo8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

county, Avhere he again opened a general mercantile establishment in Cam- 
bridge. His connection with mercantile interests in that place continued for 
four years. In 1884 he came to Columbus, Ohio, and purchased the grocery 
stock of the firm of Sargent & Wingate, the store being located at No. 610 
North High street, where Mr. Lindsay has since continued in business, carrying 
a large line of staple and fancy groceries', produce and fruit. As the result of 
his loiig acquaintance, affable manner and genial treatment of his patrons, he 
has established a good business. 

On the 1 6th of June, 1873, occurred the marriage of Mr. Lindsay and Miss 
Jennie Wallace, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Thomas and 
Nancy Arnold Wallace. They now have four children : Oliver, who is a 
graduate of the Ohio Medical College and is now the secretary of the city beard 
of health, and is a prominent candidate on the Republican ticket for the office 
of coroner; Daisy D., who is a young lady of superior education and pleasing 
characteristics; Carl W., a graduate in pharmacy and also of the Ohio Medical 
University, of Columbus ; and Violet Mary, now a student in the high school. 

Mr. Lindsay is a conservative Republican and on his party's ticket was 
elected, in 1888, to a position in the city council, representing the fourteenth 
ward. He served for two years, in a manner creditable to himself and satis- 
factory to his constituents, and was then elected for the second term. On the 
expiration of four years he retired from office as he had entered it, with the 
confidence and good will of all concerned. In 1898 he was again elected, and 
in 1900 was chosen to represent the sixteenth ward in the city council and is now 
filling that office. He is a man independent in thought and action, fearless in 
the support of his honest convictions and honorable in all life's relations. 

FRANCIS M. LEONARD. 

Francis M. Leonard, the postmaster at Station A in Columbus, was born 
upon a farm in Franklin county, in 1873, and is a son of Edward B. and Lena 
(Martin) Leonard, both of whom were born and reared in this county. The 
grandfather of our subject, Chauncey B. Leonard, was one of the early settlers 
of the capital city. He came to Ohio from the Empire state and cast in his lot 
with the pioneers, settling near Marble Cliff, not far from the banks of the 
Scioto river. There he operated a sawmill, engaging in the manufacture of 
native lumber. He w'as also for many years connected with the Columbus 
Paper Mill and was widely and favorably known. He married Miss Mary 

A. Beach, a daughter of Ralph Beach, and among their children was Edward 

B. Leonard, who has spent his entire life in Franklin county, where for the 
past twelve or fifteen years he has been connected with the mail service in the 
capacity of a carrier. 

Francis M!. Leonard, whose name forms the caption of this article, was 
educated in the schools of Columbus, completing his studies by a high-school 
course. On entering upon his business career he became employed by the 
Potter Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of hollow ware. In 1890 he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. '^og 

entered the post office, in the capacity of a delivery boy, and was advanced step 

mmmmmm 

Shrine. 

JOHN A. KELLER. 

For a time he ^^as employ J ^ . ^g ^.^ was united m marriage to 

htc. heoffice of justice of the peace and township treasurer. He took a deep 
anVconTendable interest in everythtng pertaining to the general good and was 
an honorable, influential and popular citizen. William the 

.desXr„"iu^c:;::.i: :st5"wr™^™d t::r " t. ^Ss,! 

Jo n F. Ke L.tho was born in 1867. Nancy Keller, the second of «^e tan - 

r'ata^y^?ss/yor,[i;^:.>pf^ 
^^^^. ^t.::iui^^7:?M,t^^ed)e^2£^ 

Charles h'. Peake. and they have resided at their P^^^' ;-f ^.f ""g^'" ^^ \^^;^ 
Mr. Peake's father. John Peake, was born '"England, m 818, a^id can e 
to this country when eighteen years of age, ocat.ng 1,1 ^^^ »^^^^^^ '^^, 

ward removed to Little Falls, New York, and with Mr. Hamlin came to un o. 
Toclting first at Groveport, where he followed the butchering business , Sub 
sequenflv he came to Columbus'. Ohio, and here wedded Mrs. Mary Ann 
Shoysgood. They had four children: John W'., born February 9. 1846, 



loio CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Charles H., who was born September ii, 1850, and became the husband 
of Mary Keller; Norman, who was born April 16, 1855, and died in 1894; and 
Emma, who was born October 20, 1857. She was married June i, 1882, to 
Frank Kuhn and died April 24, 1892. Her children were Marion, Harold and 
Emma Kuhn. Mrs. Mary Ann Peake died February 22, 1882. Charles H. 
Peake had the following children: Charles M., born August 27, 1873, died 
when only seven months old'; Albert, born March 25, 1875, is at home; Frank, 
born December 4, 1877, is now deceased; and John, born January 2y, 1886, 
is still under the parental roof. Frank enlisted in Battery H, of the light artil- 
lery in the Spanish-American war. He was taken ill when in camp at Chicka- 
mauga and was permitted to return home, but died ten days after reaching 
Columbus. He was a bright and promising young man and his death was a 
great blow to his parents. Francis M. Keller, born July 21, 1851, died May 
24, 1852. Lewis Keller, born February 14, 1854, is living in Columbus. 

The last three members of the Keller family were born in Franklinton. 
The mother of this' family, Mrs. Prudence Keller, died at the old home at the 
corner of Scott and Sandusky streets, Columbus, April 12, 1887. Mr. Keller 
passed away in 1900. He had come to Franklin county at an earl} i 
in its development and was active in promoting its growth and improvement. 

JOHN HENRY HEITMANN. 

Among those formerly prominent in public affairs in Columbus who have 
passed from the stage of life none is more deserving of honor than John Henry 
Heitmann, who was born near Hanover, Germany, in 1841, and died' March 
26, 1894. His parents, Gerhardt and Adaline Heitmann, gave him the advant- 
age of a good education and he was graduated at a college in Hanover. His 
mother's father was a Frenchman and from him Mr. Heitmann probably in- 
herited the ready wit and capacity for quick and telling repartee for which he 
was known. In 1865 Mr. Heitmann came to the United States and locating at 
Cincinnati became a teacher of German in the public schools of that city, a 
position which he filled until 1868, when he came to Columbus, where he 
was the superintendent of German schools for four years. Meantime he 
studied law under the direction of Colonel J. T. Holmes, and was admitted to 
the bar in 1870, after which date he practiced law until his death, latterly as a 
member of the firm of Randall & Heitmann, and achieved a high standing in' 
local courts. 

With the Hon. George L. Converse as his colleague, Mr. Heitmann served 
in the sixty-first general assembly of the state of Ohio in 1874-6. In the year 
last mentioned he was elected mayor of Columbus, and he was re-elected for 
a second term, and filled the office with great ability and credit. During his 
administration the city passed safely through its most exciting experience of 
forcible violation of law, in a great strike of railway employes. The strikers- 
limited their operations to plans to prevent the running of trains, but another 
element, disorderly, disreputable and dangerous, precipitated riotous acts which 
were condemned by the railroad men. The rioters went to some of the local 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, loi i 

manufacturing establishments and ordered men to stop work who had not 
thought of bemg dissatisfied, and in making such visits to factories went 
through the streets m moblike form. At this juncture xMayor Heitmann, at the 
head of the police made efforts to bring the rioters within the pale of the law 
A few of the leaders were arrested and in a few days others had disappeared 
and the railway men arranged to go back to work and the great strike and 
the riots in which the strikers had taken no part ended. Mr. Heitmann's 
firmness as executive officer of the city had much to do with the preservation of 
the public safety. Had he underrated the gravity of the situation or faltered 
in the performance of his duty, the result might have been serious; as habitual 
law-breakers with anarchistic tendencies were among the leaders of the riots 
and m this emergency Mr. Heitmann gave an object lesson of faithfulness to the 
law, of regard for public order and of consideration for the first great principles 
of civihzation which was appreciated by his fellow citizens and won him a 
reputation as a model official. 

Mr. Heitmann was very active and prominent in Democratic politics and 
was for many years a member of the local election board and of the Demo- 
cratic city and county committees, serving as the chairman of the Democratic 
county committee. He was a man of striking personal appearance, six feet and 
two inches in height and splendidly proportioned, and was of such a genial 
nature and of such upright character that he had no difficulty in making and 
retaining friends. He was a Mason, an Odd Fellow and a member of niany 
berman societies. In religious affiliation he was' a Lutheran 

He married Miss Ottilie Petterly, of Columbus, who was born and edu- 
cated in Bohemia, Austria, and left one son, Albert H., now a student at the 
high school, who intends to became a lawyer. Soon after the Civil war Air 
Heitmann made a visit to his birth place in Europe. When he died he was 
regretted by hundreds who had come to depend upon him as a personal 
friend, and by thousands wjio knew him as a citizen and official of unassail- 
able reputation, whose life had been a useful one devoted largely to the 
interests of his fellow men. 

JOHN E. CHAMBERS. 

Awell known resident of Franklin township who has been actively en- 
gaged in business and prominent in public affairs, is John E. Chambers who 
was born m Franklin township, Franklin county. Ohio, August i 184-^' and 
was a son of William and Elizabeth (Haughn) Chambers, the former a native 
?v-n^"^')^\ ' P^'°' ^^^ ^^^^^' '^^^ °^ ^ pioneeer family in Franklin county 
vyuham Chambers was brought to the county when a babe of one year he and 
Mrs:. Martha Briggs being the only children by that marriage. The grand- 
parents of our subject settled upon a farm of one hundred acres on the 
Jackson Pike road, for which partial payment was made, but the grandfather 
died and the land reverted to its original owner. William Chambers engaged 
in farming and became a prominent man, and he has left a personal recSrd 
behind him that tells much to the credit of his liberality and kindness of 



I0I2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

heart. His death occurred when he was about seventy years' of age, Mrs. 
Chambers stih surviving and residing upon the old homestead of her father. 

Nine children were born to William and Elizabeth Chambers, as fol- 
lows: Ellen, the wife of J. J. Eakin; Martha, the wife of Albert Watts; 
Mary, the wife of George Gantz; Elizabeth, the wife of David Eakin, residing 
on the old Eakin homestead in Venango county, Pennsylvania; Henrietta, 
the wife of Lewis Hart; Charlotte, the wife of George Gathers, of Mercer 
county, Pennsylvania, and William J., who resides in Franklin county, en- 
gaged in the dairy business, and is a Avell known politician. 

Mr. Chambers of our sketch was reared on the old homestead and en- 
joyed the school privileges of Briggsdale, going in 1865-6 to the Delaware 
school. In 1867, after his return home, he was married on the 24th of Octo- 
ber, to Miss. Louisa Hart, a daughter of Theodore and Catherine (Walton) 
Hart, and has reared three children : Warren, who married Frances Conard ; 
and Jennie and Melvin. After marriage Mr. Chambers located upon the old 
home farm, where he engaged in general business, also in the raising of fruit, 
paying especial attention to strawberries. He has been very successful in the 
dairy business also, the product of his farm bringing much custom, which he 
has had no difficulty in retaining, in one case having supplied milk and cream 
for nineteen years. 

Mr. Chambers is most comfortably located upon a fine farm of forty-six 
acres, upon which he has spent large sums of money in improvements. His 
beautiful brick residence was erected at a cost of twenty-five hundred dollars, 
and the other attractive surroundings amounted to more than five hundred 
more. 

All of his life our subject has been a Republican in his political faith, 
and has served his party as supervisor of elections for one year, and for six 
years he was a Republican central committeeman. Since 1864 he has been 
a member of the Methodist church, where his worth is known and appreciated. 
His position would be difficult to fill, being always held available for any of the 
church offices, and has been a class-leader and Sunday-school superintendent 
for many years. Mr. Chambers is one of those citizens who cheerfully acts 
for the best interests of his country, his church and his family, and possesses 
the esteem of all with whom he is in any way connected. 



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